8/18/2017 6:08 AM
We're trying to come up with the best solution for aerifying and removing cores on 25 acres of fairways. In years past, the prior Superintendent(s) used a drum style aerator and then went out with a mat of some sort and broke up the cores and essentially dragged everything back in. The crap we're pulling out of these fairways definitely should not be going back in the holes so complete core removal is the only option.
For a variety of reasons, we've got about a two week window to get it done. The aerifying is the easy part as we've got a John Deere 2000, but removing the cores is our challenge. What we have at our disposal is a couple of older core harvestors that I don't really trust could make it through the operation and would probably kill the operators. We also have a TC125 that we could dig out of the blackberry bushes and try out. I've also thought about getting a Nordic plow or a core collector to push/drag plugs into the rough but our fairways aren't very smooth and I worry the cores might not make it into the rough.
The option I'd really like to try is the split tines from Titan that essentially break the core in half and they could then be blown into the rough. We do have two buffalo blowers so that seems like the easiest solution. So I'm curious if anyone has tried the split tine or has any other ideas or thoughts.
Rocky Tharp
West Seattle Golf Course
Seattle, WA