Upcoming aeration

It is nearly aeration time again. It feels as though the summer has moved quickly. Starting August 2^nd thru August 4^th, we will be punching holes in greens, tees, fairways, approaches, and soccer fields.

Our last core aeration (meaning material was removed) was in March on the greens. Several months of heavy golfer traffic, and a couple months of stressful weather has passed since then. This is our normal timing for this process, and it fits well into our turfgrass health program as well as the overall calendar of the club.

Aerating the turf now provides some much-needed relief. Especially for the greens, the chance to get oxygen into the rootzone, is crucial. The Bermuda grass also benefits from the oxygenation. Since this is the only time of the year that we aerate the Bermuda grass, it is critical for overall health. We also take this time to apply our second round of compost. With the Bermuda grass growing vigorously, the organic material in the compost will be great food for the turf and the soil microbes.

Timing the process now also works well for our golf calendar. While our aeration takes places earlier than most courses, it works very well for us. Generally, August is one of our slowest golf months. The heat is still potent, international organization staffs, especially IMF take some time off (pre-Covid at least), and our outside events and tournament lineup is minimal. So, the disruption of aerating and closing portions of the course is impacting the fewest people possible.

Thank you for your patience as we tackle this very necessary task. Please check in with the Golf Shop or website to see what areas are open each day.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please enter and exit all bunkers on the low side. While this may result in slightly more distance to rake, it will keep the sod on the face of the bunker from tearing. It is also much safer! Thank you.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org