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Greens Venting..




Today (Monday) we will be venting our greens. This process involves using our greens aerifiers to punch very small holes with solid tines. This process does not affect play or the roll of the golf ball. However, it does greatly affect the amount of beneficial air that we can get into the root zone of our greens.

This season we are using a very precise moisture meter to measure moisture in our greens. The maximum % that our greens should ever read is approximately 35% (at field capacity). Currently we are getting readings of anywhere from 40-59%. This tells us that the soil has reached complete saturation and cannot take on any more water. Our greens are drained, but the amount of precipitation that we have received is overwhelming to the soils and drainage system. With this much water holding in our greens profile, there is little room for vital root growth. The heat and humidity that is upon us now coupled with these high moisture levels can be very detrimental to the health of our greens. This is a preventative measure that can reap huge returns down the road this summer.

As you can see from the picture, the venting tine is dwarfed by a pen. Once rolled, the holes are virtually undetectable.

Here is a link to a video of this process at Oakmont CC....6 days before the Women's U.S. Open

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