Golf courses require rigorous maintenance and it is one of the most important aspects to guarantee an unbeatable experience. The Los Naranjos Golf Club wants to provide quality services and among its philosophy is the care of the green to allow golfers to enjoy the game to the fullest. Do you want to know why the green is punctured in a golf course? Don’t miss what we have to tell you.
What does the aerification work consist of?
Aerification work is a term that refers to green aeration work and more specifically, cultural aeration work. This technique provides an optimal exchange of air, water, and nutrients between the soil and the roots to allow the turf to breathe and maintain optimal conditions.
What is the purpose of this technique?
The main objective of green spiking is to achieve aeration. The perfect ratio for an optimal turf should be 50% solid, 25% air, and 25% water. However, with the players’ footsteps, the weight of the machines, and the wear and tear of the balls, this balance becomes unbalanced. This causes the surface to compact and prevents water and air from entering the deeper layers.
The main objective of green pinning is to maintain optimum levels of solids, air, and water which, with player traffic, the weight of machinery, and substances incorporated in the regenerated irrigation water used on golf courses, tend to unbalance this equilibrium.
The Los Naranjos Golf Club, to recover the balance, uses specific machinery and incorporates different amendments to help the roots of the plant to nourish again.
How is the aerification process carried out at the Los Naranjos Golf Club?
The development of the aerification work requires some essential steps for the result to be spectacular. The first thing to do is to fertilize so that the grass gains strength and then continue with the following actions.
The punctures
With specialized machinery, holes are drilled in the surface of the course, extracting cylindrical hollow tubes. The entire green is filled with 12mm diameter holes with a depth of 12 centimeters. The purpose of these holes is to allow air and water to filter through, as well as to help with soil decompensation.
The Recebo
After the entire surface has been cleaned and spiked, a layer of substrate will be applied. Then, a sweep will be made on the greens to ensure that all the holes are filled. The result should be a uniform turf, without holes.
After the entire surface has been pricked and the extracted material has been collected, the open holes will be filled with sand; if it is necessary to apply amendments, these will be mixed with the sand.
Recovery
The recovery process is an essential time and the field has to be kept as neat as possible. It can take seven to 12 days to fully recover, depending on weather conditions. However, the recovery period to reach optimum ball roll and speed varies between 20 and 30 days.
When is green pinning carried out?
Normally, hollow aeration is performed twice a year, once before summer and once before winter. The objective is to prepare the root zone of the green to minimize the decline in natural root development that this type of turf has in the summer and winter months.
After all, a golf course with a green in perfect condition allows you to control the decisive shots and the Los Naranjos Golf Club wants, above all, to satisfy the players.
The importance of irrigation, mowing, and cleaning at the Los Naranjos Golf Club
The Los Naranjos Golf Club carries out exhaustive maintenance work to achieve an impeccable balance. Golfers want to be able to walk in a well-kept environment and to achieve this, three factors must be taken into account.
Irrigation
The use of water on golf courses is fundamental. Every drop is important to keep the grass alive and that is why irrigation must be proportional so that it reaches everywhere. To achieve this, sprinklers are used to distribute the water evenly, as well as a centralized irrigation program that allows control of each area of the course.
Mowing
In addition to green pinning, it is important to keep the course mowed. The primary role of mowing is to keep the lawn at a uniform and constant height. There is no single measure universal for the green, but it is known that the standard size is usually 2.5-3.5 mm.
Approximately, the intermediate cut that usually includes tees, fairways, and green surrounds is between 8-13 mm, and in the case of tall grass (known as rough), around 25-50 mm.
Cleanliness
Golf courses should be kept clean so that players can fully enjoy the playing experience. Objects that could interfere with the activity or that could pose a risk to golfers must be removed. At the Los Naranjos Golf Club, we take the satisfaction and well-being of our players very seriously, and that is why we maintain a rigorous cleanliness of the course.
Obtaining a golf course in optimal conditions requires a detailed and delicate care process, but it is worth it to offer players a golf session with an impressive nature at the Los Naranjos Golf Club.
If you want to see the complete maintenance work, don’t miss our latest video: