Golf Tees Aeration

Aeration will be carried out on a regular basis, using a variety of methods and changing the depth of aeration where possible.

Maintaining a well rooted, stable, and resilient sward is essential if divot recovery is to be optimised and good sward coverage is to be maintained.

A range of practices might be employed, and a ‘typical’ programme might be along the following lines, although this will be influenced by soil conditions as aeration will want to be carried out in dry to moist soil conditions, not when the soil is moist to wet:

• Slit tine: fortnightly to monthly during September to December.

• Solid tine: alternating depth of aeration using pencil tines, typically during April to August on a monthly basis.

• Shallow sarel type aeration: May to July on a monthly basis, in between that of solid tine aeration.

• Decompaction work using a deep solid spiker during September, or October if in the South of the country.

• Hollow-tining: if required on compacted or thatchy surfaces, but maybe on a routine basis of every 3 years, being carried out in September for summer tees coming out of use for the winter, or April for winter tees coming out of use for the summer. Where tees are used all year round then a September hollow-tine activity would be the focus of attention.