GREENS AND GROUNDS
PCC GOLF COURSE UPDATE There has been a lot going on out on the golf course recently. The turf is thriving in the warm temperatures and course definition is getting more and more dialed in with every time we mow, along with some increased fertility to help with plant health and combatting foot traffic and cart traffic. In addition to staying on top of regular course maintenance, this is a very busy time of year with some big time events on the calendar over the next few months including Dryject and Crown Cup in May, and course aerification week at the end of June. The last time we used the Dryject process on greens was back in 2020. Dryject involves using specialized machines to inject kiln-dried sand into the greens using water pressure to blast the sand downward into the greens soil profile. Doing this creates channels of sand, while disturbing the greens mix to disrupt and dilute layers, thatch, and other pollutants below the surface. During the Dryject process, 35 tons of sand will be injected into the greens. Even though Dryject is considered a non-invasive process, we will still bump up fertility for a faster healing time. The process for greens aerification this summer will be a little different than it was last year. We will start the week before with extra nutrients and fertility to ramp up plant processes for speedy recovery after the aerification process is complete. The plan is to pull 5/8 inch cores and fill the holes with 45 sand. This is a little finer sand than we used last year and should fill the larger holes with ease. Pulling cores should remove plenty of organic matter and allow us to “hit the reset button” with thatch management. Thatch is the layer just beneath the canopy that is made up of organic matter, stolons, and rhizomes. Too much thatch can cause the greens to become soft, can prevent nutrient and water infiltration, hinder gas exchange and root growth, and promote root disease if fungicides can’t reach the root zone. Both Dryject and aerification will benefit plant health drastically and allow us to manage things easier throughout the summer months. See you on the course, MARK SCOTT Golf Course Superintendent
THE PROVIDENCE PRESS
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