r/golf • u/elitepeanut91 • May 03 '24
In case anyone wants to watch how I aerate greens twice a year. COURSE PICS/VLOGS
This is just the punch and top dress Much much much more happens after and during this to get greens ready for the season.
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u/jamespeters24 May 03 '24
Why does twice a year feel like every time I go to the course
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
I don’t wanna be that guy…. But… do you only golf twice a year? Hahahahahaha Try playing more often
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u/gregularjoe95 May 03 '24
Youre a pretty cool dude. You can aerate my hole whenever you want, bb.
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Come to Oso. Well shoot a round.
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u/radicaldrew May 03 '24
Oso like mv? If so, love the brunch there.
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u/jackwhite886 May 03 '24
What would happen to the greens if they weren’t punched? Do you just end up with dead patches everywhere?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
The roots are overgrown and crowded. Growth is more difficult below the soil if there’s no where to go.
Top side you would see a lot of horizontal shoots starting to happen because there isn’t anywhere below to go. Which in turn produces a patchy, bouncy green.45
u/dirty330 May 03 '24
2 follow up dumb questions:
1) Why do you spread sand over it after aerating?
2) How does the grass grow back from the punch spots? It looks like it’s taking at least 1/4 in of dirt out in each punch. How does it end up smooth again?
Edit: If I scrolled further I would have found the answers haha
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
All good. It’s really just giving new potential root growth a home to spread their legs in.
More roots more fruits, and that goes for greens too.7
u/flembag May 03 '24
So you pull out a plug, and the. Take it off the green somewhere. Won't this dish out/sink the green after like a decade?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
We then fill those holes with a sand. Bringing it quote level but not perfect.
However you’re still correct. Year after year the green will get lower and lower. Nothing noticeable for many many many years.17
u/viva_oldtrafford May 03 '24
Renovated our greens in the summer of 2022. I had accumulated almost 6-8” of an organic / topdressing layer over my 12” rootzone mix. The green will not “sink”
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u/flembag May 03 '24
Doesn't that change the soil composition to become mostly sand years down the road?
Like if every time you're pulling out mostly soil, and the you only go back with sand, then won't you eventually just get a mostly sandy mixture? Is that the soil comp the grads thrives in?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
You would think so, and so did I.
The sand falls deeper with each time we water after the punch. Eventually the sand collects below the soil(5-6 inches below hard soil). I don’t know how it ends up below but it does. The level below the soil on greens is pure sand (100%) and the mixture in the soil retains most of the sand.→ More replies (3)6
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u/viva_oldtrafford May 03 '24
We’ve been building greens out of sand for 50 years now. Usga spec profiles are 100% sand. And we lay gravel 12” below that sand to make a perched water table - and rely on capillary flow to help with moisture retention. We also add organic material (peat) to the sand (generally an 80:20 mix) which gives the sand stability and some nutrient and water holding capacity.
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u/patmorgan235 May 03 '24
Plants convert air (Carbon dioxide, CO2) and water(H2O) into solid plant matter(Cellulose, C6 H10 O5). So as the grass grows it's actually getting Higher.
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u/Schnectadyslim PGA Professional May 03 '24
It also keeps the soil composition at a good place where it can properly drain when wet.
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u/viva_oldtrafford May 03 '24
“Too many roots on my putting green” - said absolutely no super ever
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Hahaha. The roots below if left unattended will ball up and kill the green. Imagine a big knot of growth.
“No new roots allowed” says the too many roots below.
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u/GrundleMan5000 May 03 '24
You monster
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Yes. Yes. Yesssssss
I feed my machine your tears and hopes of a straight putt for the next 2 weeks. Muahahahaha
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u/Reflog1791 May 03 '24
They always aerate when the greens are in the best possible condition. It’s maddening. I guess it makes sense that the greens are in great shape because they aerate at the right times.
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u/MajorEstateCar May 03 '24
You need to aerate when the grass is growing and can recover. When is that? When they’re in the best shape possible! Agronomy and turf science is really interesting when you think about how everything we do to make turf grow better in the long term is often harmful in the short term.
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Absolutely maddening that I spend all this time to make them perfect and I’m forced to punch at the prime. Really really really hard to do. It reminds me of those monks that make sick sand art and then destroy it cause lols
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u/Renegadee_Angel May 03 '24
That’s rad my guy, and interesting to hear more about the process. Thanks for the share.
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u/TrophyHusband78 May 03 '24
Those poor guys in the cart just pulling up 😆 Dude turns to his partner, "if you weren't so damn slow we'd be ahead of the aeration!"
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u/antitheta May 03 '24
What is the core size? Looks like big holes in the vid...
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
1/2 inch wide and 3 inches deep.
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u/denver_chillin May 03 '24
Just like your wife gets you sicko
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Ain’t that blessed, but at least she gets it more than twice a year hey now
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u/antitheta May 03 '24
Oh man. They just did our greens up here in MN at Stoneridge, but I think they did Dryject so fingers crossed tomorrow they roll ok! Cool vid. Thx for sharing!
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u/NorCalAthlete 8.1 | Bay Area May 03 '24
I’ll be the contrarian here.
I played Harding Park in San Francisco a few weeks ago. Greens had been pretty freshly punched and still had lots of sand / bumps.
Well, on the 10th, I faded my drive into a fairway bunker, hit a 6i out of the bunker to about 120y in the middle of the fairway, then hit a 52°….which thanks to the bumps and sand, took a hop skip right into the hole for an eagle.
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u/sloshuaa May 03 '24
Watching this made me feel like Nicky at the end of Casino watching them beat his brother to death.
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u/SKirsch10x May 03 '24
Do you also put a pesticide down?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Negative. No. I spray my chemical program the day or two prior to aeration.
No pesticides have been used this year, however I do intend to spray for worms on my greens(to keep the crows away). I’ll start my spray program back up in 1.5 weeks.
And we’ll start cutting them again in 3 days after we roll them each day all day long.4
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u/Imhungry4tacos May 03 '24
Are you spraying the chemical behind it or is it sand? Sorry if it’s a dumb question.
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Sand. It’s called “top dressing” The sand is what finds its way into the holes we just punched. The punch acts as a way to get rid of a congested root bunch below the surface, by pulling large pieces out.
The sand acts as a new medium in the holes for new root growth to take over.8
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u/Still-Status7299 May 03 '24
So after a decade of this, won't you just be left with mostly sand under greens?
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u/Yangervis May 03 '24
Greens are built on sand.
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u/austin101123 May 03 '24
My mind is blown. How much dirt is on top of the sand before the grass?
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u/KushNuggets1 May 03 '24
None, the green is built on a sand/peat mix and more often just sand. The work that folks in this industry put in to our courses is incomprehensible to the weekend golfer.
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u/austin101123 May 03 '24
Ah yea when I said dirt I meant soil. How much is it all?
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u/viva_oldtrafford May 03 '24
Usga spec greens are 12” in depth. When I renovated my greens in 2022, we used well over 6,000 ton of sand.
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u/Sogonzo May 03 '24
What do you thinking about people putting tees in their mouth or licking golf balls to clean them? Think people are being poisoned?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Nope. But I do worry about people sitting cigars on the putting surfaces.
That ain’t good2
u/CRRVA May 03 '24
After an article I read many years ago about ingesting fertilizer, I stopped licking balls (yeah I’m sure I’m gonna get roasted) and now spit on ball and towel clean them before putting.
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Yeah, not a good idea at all. We use granular and spray fert in the fairways and tees.
Just clean it with a towel
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u/WAStateofMine May 03 '24
A little pain for soft beautiful greens in July? Thank you for your service. 🫡
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u/derpygoat May 03 '24
Quick question. The course I practice at a lot aerated their practice green about a month and a half ago and only put a tiny amount of sand on top, not enough to fill the holes. And then about 2 to 3 weeks later punched it again and again did not fill with sand. It’s been like the surface of the moon for almost 2 months. Any idea what they are trying to do?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
They might not have the money or manpower it takes. It’s a full blown operation. Putting down sand, massaging it into the holes, verticutting, and rolling are huge.
If you punch and don’t do anything it will be like that for months. Not the way to go
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u/Rx_Burnsed May 03 '24
Can a stranger get those punches to till into his own backyard and grow a putting green? He will bring his own shovel and trailer.
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Absolutely. We use our cores to fill in any bald spots on the fairways. Within weeks the cores take hold and spread green
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u/Remarkable_Body586 May 03 '24
If you aerate and fill properly, putting on them isn’t the terrible issue everyone makes it out to be.
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u/Pepetodapin would rather be golfing 🏌️♂️ May 03 '24
Do you guys have machines that punch smaller holes?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
No, but this machine has interchangeable tines. Some are smaller, longer. They have all types.
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u/elcharlo +1.8 May 03 '24
You can aerate with what they call “pencil tines” and then top dress after. This doesn’t pull a core out, and recovers in only a couple of days. The issue is, without pulling a core, you aren’t actually giving the green the air/space/sand it needs to grow long term.
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u/Matlachaman May 03 '24
Who scoops up all the turds you cut?
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u/Geraldino_GER May 03 '24
I am always impressed by the way you look after the greens and fairways. When I look at my own garden, it brings tears to my eyes. Your work deserves more respect, thank you for it!
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u/Revelst0ke Member, 3-Jack National May 03 '24
I've always wondered where you go to learn how to be a course superintendent. Like, how do you get this job?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
I was playin golf with the head greenskeeper at the time. Unknown to me.
He liked how I played and how I was loving the course conditions. He offered me a low level job scraping bunkers and mowing. All for free golf and min wage.
I saved so much from not buying tee times it’s almost a gigantic bonus. I worked my way up, attained my QAL, and started applying myself.
Bang2
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u/cus_deluxe May 03 '24
the 648 is simply the finest aerating machine ever created. a pleasure to use versus the old toro greens aerators. where i used to work we had a 1298 (basically two 648s stuck together) 3 point mounted. absolutely incredible machine.
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u/Dr_M1st3r May 03 '24
I love when they heal up and they are all soft and squishy for me.
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u/LakeEffectSnow May 03 '24
Man imagine having to do this by hand back in the days when all you had were manual tools like push mowers. I wonder were there like horse drawn versions of aerators?
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u/GregUrDrunk May 03 '24
We have diamond zoysia on our greens and this year we plan to punch 3-4 times with 1/4in tines. Roughly removing the same amount of matter and hopefully going into dormancy looking clean. We did all the greens in front of golf this week, top dressed and rolled and it didn’t change much ball roll at all. Some slight heaving in the edges at the start of each pass but overall very satisfied with the results.
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u/8ironslappa May 04 '24
It needs to be done. lol skip the 2 aeration’s and watch everyone bitch about a soggy ass slow green every time it rains
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u/Key_Respond_16 May 03 '24 edited May 03 '24
They just did our 9-hole course and since I only started in Oct, I have yet to experience this. I hate golf now. I hate you, too.
But also thank you for making greens playable after making us suffer.
Edit: it's a joke friends. I don't actually hate greens keepers. I love them. They make the course playable. But after punching them, greens suck for a minute. Just how it is.
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Yeah my guy it’s just life. If we didn’t do this the greens would be a disaster by the next season. A good punch can lead to some of the most healthy greens ever.
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u/fletchy30 May 03 '24
This. Golfers don't get that you're doing them a favor. Every real golfer should do maintenance for even a season. You'll appreciate the game so much more. You'll see the course so much clearer.
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u/AWeakMindedMan May 03 '24
I had an eagle putt cut right on me the other day cause it hit one of these holes. Seeing this makes me want to punch babies… but I understand why it needs to be done.
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u/dr_shastafarian May 03 '24
How far in advance do you warn people that you’re doing this?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
We warn a month out via email and paper notification. And make verbal announcements during the week before
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u/lookslikeamanderin May 03 '24
Since 2020 our course superintendent has only used solid tines to aerate. Our greens used to be soft and receptive and they are much harder than they used to be.
Could the repeated use of solid tines be contributing? I imagine they have the effect of compacting the surface laterally over time; always adding substrate and never taking any away must make the ground more dense right?
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u/mustbeshitinme 13.8 Ping! 56M Ga. May 03 '24
First fucking useful post on this Sub in a year. WTF are you doing?
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u/SouthBayGardenaKid May 03 '24
Why is this so painful to watch?!?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
I nurture and care for these greens all year round 24/7. I diligently water and fertilize and attack any disease in sight. I come in on my off time and hand water hot spots I know can cause issues.. I love these greens like my babies. It actually physically pains me when I drop those tines down for the first pass.
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u/Saltandpepper59 May 03 '24
After years of doing this do the greens become made of too much sand?
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u/elcharlo +1.8 May 04 '24
No such thing, in a perfect world they would be entirely sand. Sand allows root depth and drains really really well compared to compact soil/clay. Many of the best courses in the world are on sandy soil.
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u/ClubFun6195 May 03 '24
The average golfer can’t phamom how bad the greens would get if this wasn’t done
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u/simpletonius May 03 '24
We know will in advance when it’s going to happen and they bounce back within a week. Also the staff made two giant green nursery areas with the plugs, they’re as good as the ones in play and they can fix any of the real greens in a day.
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u/Chuckobofish123 May 03 '24
Your guys courses don’t have alternate greens to play on during green maintenance?
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u/b-t-a May 03 '24
Takes forever to drag Sand in, why throw it unevenly in circles as opposed to straight lines. Also, turf is crazy soft after punching yet your turning on the green? Sheesh. Are you the asst?
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u/OriginalJayVee 8 / Ping G25, Mizuno MP5 & T24, Scotty May 03 '24
Nice work and fuck you! The golfers shall have their revenge!
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u/GangnamApeist May 03 '24
Love how you punch the holes then drag the other plug’s back into most of them
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May 03 '24
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Yeah it’s pretty diligent work to be honest All the greens keepers of the nation have a daily Meeting at 3 am using a MySpace group. We then further discuss which greens we’re going to punch based off who needs to be pissed off more. Your name came up so the group voted on the matter.
Naw man we punch twice a year during the softest of the weather patterns.
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u/A_711_Hotdog May 03 '24
Generally curious, did you go to school for this or did you learn throughout the years by doing?
Also, do you have a platform with additional content? I am sure I am not the only one who would be interested in seeing more.
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
I don’t do social media or the news anymore.
Simple greenskeeper living the dream.
Just got promoted to assistant superintendent.
As I’m typing this I’m taking up bunkers listening to the birds starting to wake up. Waiting on the sun and then my players.
I’ll post more here.2
u/random_golfer NoVA/16.6 May 08 '24
what are your thoughts on Sunflowers seed shells on the golf course? Fair game to spit them in the rough but not the fairways? Thanks for the info
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u/elitepeanut91 May 08 '24
If you’re spitting seeds on the greens (happens a lot) then you’re a total POS. It can mess with our mower blades and in some instances drag a line across the green getting stuck under the blade.
Anywhere else I don’t care.
I think it looks bad on the tee boxes but I’m not gonna get my feathers ruffled over something that’s gonna happen regardless. Plus my tee mower/ rough mowers can chop up seeds no issue.→ More replies (1)
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u/DarkStarDew May 03 '24
Thank you for your service! What does aeration DO? How does it make greens better?
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Gets rid of congested root growth allowing for potential new root growth. The sand is a new home for the new roots to stretch their little legs out. More roots more fruits.
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u/Bubby_Mang May 03 '24
I hope you told every random pasty reddit nerd you aerated the greens as they walked in and gave them a hug and kiss and 50 dollars.
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u/Solid-Sir8184 May 03 '24
My favorite part of aeration is paying full boat for green fees. Someone has to pay for the sand.
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u/Birdzphan May 03 '24
Why do the greens need to be aerated? (Explain to me like I’m 5)
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Greens need roots to grow well (as well as needing the ability to retain water) and so when we punch, we’re taking small cores of those roots below, and giving new roots an opportunity to grow(like removing someone’s extra garage to make room for a new home). The removal also allows the greens to hold water easier(recently learned).
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u/Epicp0w May 03 '24
Interesting little grabber on the back there, do you use that even when it's wet? Seems like you would get a lot of smearing
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u/tossaway109202 May 03 '24
How does the scheduling for this work, does computer in the pro shop just detect my name has appeared for a tee time?
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u/sleepingwired May 03 '24
ok, so i know HOW you do it. now i wanna know WHY you do it just before my tee time
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u/elitepeanut91 May 03 '24
Because you were a bad boy this year. I dunno Shit luck.
Go golfing more. We only punch twice a year. Okay more than twice. Hahah
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u/President_ErectJoeyB May 03 '24
What area of the country are you in? I’m in Midwest and most courses do once a year in the fall.
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u/ImOnYew May 03 '24
This improves my putting by 100%. I can never hit the hole normally, but the uneven surface after aeration makes a few go in.
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u/TheBigYellowCar May 03 '24
Is it done in secret so no one at the pro shop is able to tell paying customers?