Putting Green Maintenance

[fixyurdivot]

I was playing today and the greens had just been sanded yesterday.  Getting to the first green I was expecting to see plugs, but there weren't any.  Upon closer look, I noted what appeared to be intermittent slice marks - I don't recall seeing this before.  Unlike plugs, they really didn't create problems putting.  Yes, the sand made speed a bit challenging, but the slice marks were very clean.  I stuck my divot tool down into one and it was about 2" deep.  Anyone on the forum familiar with this technique; which I presume is another way to aerate?

 

[null]

39 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

I was playing today and the greens had just been sanded yesterday.  Getting to the first green I was expecting to see plugs, but there weren't any.  Upon closer look, I noted what appeared to be intermittent slice marks - I don't recall seeing this before.  Unlike plugs, they really didn't create problems putting.  Yes, the sand made speed a bit challenging, but the slice marks were very clean.  I stuck my divot tool down into one and it was about 2" deep.  Anyone on the forum familiar with this technique; which I presume is another way to aerate?

 

Sounds like they did some slit seeding in the greens rather than core aeration 

[MmmmmmBuddy]

I have so many questions. I know that our superintendent will slice greens occasionally during the season, followed by a top dressing. It enhances the health of the roots. I do not believe that it would ever take the place of aerifcation.

We are solid tyning the greens this Monday and Tuesday. Not pulling cores. Quicker heal.


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[fixyurdivot]

Slit seeding may very well be what they did.  These were quite thin and, as mentioned, about 2" deep.  Do they typically sand on top of new seeds?  From what I've been told, this course use to be in rather rough shape until a few years ago when they brought in a new manager and he subsequently hired a new greenskeeper.  It is now in very good shape so whatever their doing . 

I forgot to mention that many of the greens had ball track marks on the sand from the early groups when it was damp.  It made reading the greens super easy.  I saw a couple of 20+ foot marks follow the contour right into the hole. 

[THEZIPR23]

Seeding is not usually done this way. I’m assuming they are bent grass greens. Fairly common around here, although I don’t recall them being that deep but have seen it before. It basically is a way to get the air to flow through the grass better. I was under the impression that it help with thatch build up but this quick article doesn’t talk about that. 
 

http://cottonwoodturf.blogspot.com/2011/06/slicing-greens.html?m=1

[Kenny B]

Our course does this slicing about 3 times a year to our poa annua  greens.  Really helps keep the greens healthy; also speeds them up a little too after the first day.

[THEZIPR23]

12 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

Our course does this slicing about 3 times a year to our poa annua  greens.  Really helps keep the greens healthy; also speeds them up a little too after the first day.

Not many poa greens around here, didn’t realize they did it to those also. 

[Kenny B]

11 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Not many poa greens around here, didn’t realize they did it to those also. 

I have mixed feelings about poa greens.  Not all courses in my area have them.  They are much firmer than the bent grass greens in the area, and they take a lot of beating which is good for a muni.  I play in the mornings most days, but during the summer I will play in the afternoon when my wife gets off work.  Our greens are like night and day from morning to afternoon; nice and smooth after mowing, but by 2pm they get slow and bumpy.

[THEZIPR23]

1 hour ago, Kenny B said:

I have mixed feelings about poa greens.  Not all courses in my area have them.  They are much firmer than the bent grass greens in the area, and they take a lot of beating which is good for a muni.  I play in the mornings most days, but during the summer I will play in the afternoon when my wife gets off work.  Our greens are like night and day from morning to afternoon; nice and smooth after mowing, but by 2pm they get slow and bumpy.

I have played many rounds on poa and I don’t think there is anything worse than afternoon poa. 

[fixyurdivot]

9 hours ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Seeding is not usually done this way. I’m assuming they are bent grass greens. Fairly common around here, although I don’t recall them being that deep but have seen it before. It basically is a way to get the air to flow through the grass better. I was under the impression that it help with thatch build up but this quick article doesn’t talk about that. 
 

http://cottonwoodturf.blogspot.com/2011/06/slicing-greens.html?m=1

The article mentions how little adverse affect this technique has on play... I agree.  Sounds like there are a number of methods, and variations of the methods, being used by the guys and gals who keep them in shape. 

[revkev]

Yes - I had a similar experience when I played a couple of weeks ago.

We were right behind the process on the front nine - the greens that were exceedingly firm.




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[golfinnut]

It's called "Verti-cutting"   We used to do it at the CC I worked at for many years growing up.

Just a quick way of aerating the greens.  You can do this multiple times a year vs the twice a year regular plug pulling aerification.  

[Golfspy_CG2]

Sounds like verticut to me. 

Supers do this so the sand will fall into the grooves, this helps keep the grass from laying down and causes a more upright growth of thE blades.  Thus giving a more consistent and bit faster roll on the greens.  

It also helps control the the thatch. 

FYI. I'm not a super, but I do big one just about everytime I see him doing something I don't know

[Golfspy_CG2]

On 10/1/2019 at 8:13 AM, golfinnut said:

It's called "Verti-cutting"   We used to do it at the CC I worked at for many years growing up.

Just a quick way of aerating the greens.  You can do this multiple times a year vs the twice a year regular plug pulling aerification.  

Ha. I should have read all the posts before answering