Aerification – A Necessary Evil

It’s a gorgeous, sunny day and you and your mates have just left the first tee. Hustling down the fairway to your ball, you’re oblivious to all around you as you size up your approach shot. One by one, the four of you fire at the pin; your ball comes to rest about eight feet below the hole. You’re feeling pumped and ready to draw first blood; you know you’re within birdie range. Then you see them, @#%^+=! Hundreds of pesky little holes – the greens have just been “aerified”!

You’re totally ticked off because your nice little “eight footer” has now been taken completely out of your hands. The roll of the ball is totally dependent on the erratic bouncing and drifting that these little “airholes” create. Although understandably frustrating, aerification is really a short term intrusion that has long term benefits for the golf course. Please remember that without these little holes, the greens would eventually die. So the practice of aerification is an important and essential part of successful golf course maintenance.

Aerification is important for three reasons. (1) It relieves soil compaction, (2) It improves the soil mixture around the high parts of a green’s roots and (3) It helps reduce the accumulation of excess thatch. In order for grass to thrive and grow, it must have deep, healthy roots and good roots demand oxygen. In good quality soil, the roots get their oxygen from tiny pockets of air that is trapped between soil and sand particles. Aerification is a process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting and healthy grass.

In most cases, aerification is done by removing ½-inch cores from the compacted soil, allowing for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces are then filled with sand, known as “top dressing” that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward. Remember that a little preventative maintenance produces the best greens over the long run. The bottom line is that aerification is very necessary, so before you curse the superintendent for ruining your day, just think that without aerification, the greens would die. Below is a Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Maintenance Schedule for 2010.

2010 Proposed Aerification