A New Tool For Improved Divot Recovery

 In an effort to keep up with increased play throughout the year, we continue to make changes to our divot mix recipe.  Recently we started to include a new product called AquaPerk in the mix, and the divot recovery time has decreased dramatically.  Actually, if there's such a thing as growing too fast, then this might qualify.

AquaPerk is a combination of an absorbent polymer (similar to what you'd find in diapers), and used coffee grounds.  The polymer helps with moisture retention, preventing the seed in the divot mix from drying out.  

Below you can see a side by side comparison we made earlier in the year.  Everything about the two pots (including the amount of water received) was identical, except the one on the right had AquaPerk included.  

We are clearly seeing a significantly improved rate of seed germination using AquaPerk, which may allow us to decrease the quantity of seed needed in the divot mix.  With seed prices doubling over the past year, less seed in the mix could lead to some welcomed savings.

Another benefit we've found from AquaPerk is that it helps to prevent all of the divot mix ingredients (there are six of them, before adding AquaPerk) from separating.  Following the Club's Halloween party last Monday night, we received a downpour, with over 2.5" of flooding rain.  

In one of our trial areas, this deluge caused the test divots without AquaPerk (blue dots, below) to have the seed and peat completely separate from the sand--this will clearly not lead to a quick divot recovery.  However in the divots with AquaPerk (red dots, below) all of the ingredients remained evenly distributed.

Again, with increased play and practice tee use, we need all of the help we can get.  A product which can improve results while saving money certainly looks like a great tool to add to the arsenal.

The most wonderful time of the year

 While we've still got a couple of months until it's holiday season, to many golfers, this is the best time of the year to tee it up.  The leaves are beginning to turn, the summer's oppressive heat and humidity are in the rear view mirror, and the greens are pretty darned slick.

If you haven't done so already, make spending some time on the golf course a priority this fall.  Before you know it, the cold winter winds will come sweeping in!

Gray to Green

 It's been a little over three weeks since the short game area greens were seeded, and their appearance has changed dramatically.  What started out looking pretty desolate and lacking in life, has now filled with seedlings.

We are mowing the greens on a daily basis, and will slowly be lowering the height as they continue to fill in.  As we do with other greens during the summer, turning boards are being used to prevent damage to the Bentgrass area surrounding the greens, when the mower changes direction.

It often feels like we are doing battle with Mother Nature on the golf course.  However at times like this, one can only have an appreciation for the beauty she allows us to present.

Quickly poking holes...

 The new tees on #10 were sodded last month, and we've already started to aerify them.  Why is this needed so soon?

Well, when you think about it, sod is similar to a skin graft.  However, in this situation, we're not just moving it from one part of the body to another.  No, the sod came from someone else's body--or in this case, farm--and is now being grown in very unfamiliar territory.

Aerification will help break through the layering that exists between the soil the sod was initially seeded into, and the soil where it will be spending the rest of its life.  The first meeting between the sod and the aerifier was done using solid tines, so no cores were removed.

The tees are now well-rooted and being cut several times each week.  The hollow tines will be making an appearance on the fine turf in the near future.

You might be wondering if all of this aerification is something you should consider for your own lawn if it was sodded.  While aerification is a good idea for most every lawn, in the case of a home lawn, it's typically not necessary to aerify as frequently and aggressively as we do on the golf course.  Your lawn likely leads a relatively easy life, with higher mowing heights and way less traffic than this turf will have to endure on the golf course.

So while we all enjoy the instant green that sod provides, it's going to take some time for it to acclimate to its new surroundings, and be ready for the wear and tear that the short game practice area and #10 tees will be receiving.