Post Aerification Topdressing- go if wet? Cancel The title field is required!

1. Murray Ian W

   
   9/9/2011 11:09 AM

   [u">CHALLENGE!:[/u"> If you were getting an unpredicted rainstorm at noon tuesday, 1 o'clock, and 2:15pm on a tuesday aerification of eighteen holes at 1/2", 2"centers, 4"deep.... how would you go about topdressing?
   
   Would you try :
   A: To begin first thing and drop sand on dew?
   B: Wait for dew to disappear and try again?
   C: Heck with it, wet sand, wet drag.
   D: Put out wet sand, on wet turf, but drag when dry.
   
   And lastly, do you feel that there may be a point of excess dragging where you are doing more harm than good?
   
   I have been fortunate to have 12 years of 3 times a year aerifications that never got interuptted by rain. I have a golf pro and other who will have differing opinions (suprise, suprise) and ws wondering what you would have done. Thanks in advance, Ian

   
   
   
   
2. Kinney Brian

   
   9/9/2011 11:09 AM

   How do you know it is unpredicted if its gonna rain at noon, one, and 215??????????????????????? j/k
   
   went through this two weeks ago. just have to communicate the facts to the powers that be, that sometimes you cannot control the speed at which you would like the process to go. I buried mine in the rain, could not successfully move any sand for 2-3 days because they never dried out enough. Sure enough, 3 days later, moonsoon rainfall and sand is gone......had to add two more light apps since.........it is always a battle here.

   
   
   
   
3. Wahlin Scott B

   
   9/9/2011 12:09 PM

   I am gonna go with "C" with only one time around with the drag mat. The half inch tine is not bad, but 2" spacing and 4" depth might need some protection.

   
   
   
   
4. Steven Huffstutler

   

   11 posts
   
   9/9/2011 4:09 PM

   I would wait. I've been down that road and it's.....it's not good.

   
   
   
   
5. Keith Lamb

   

   3 posts
   
   9/9/2011 4:09 PM

   Any other roads you want to warn us about Steve?

   
   
   
   
6. Steven Huffstutler

   

   11 posts
   
   9/9/2011 7:09 PM

   Watch out for the big turn on HIghway 24. Other than that, nothing comes to mind.

   
   
   
   
7. Homme David R

   
   9/9/2011 11:09 PM

   I don't know what the big deal is agronomically, it's just mostly an inconvenience. I've punched, topdressed and brushed in the rain a few times and what happens is the sand smears. The rain helps push the sand down somewhat. First sunny day, re-brush in an afternoon. May need a top up of sand at some point, but that's often the case anyway. If it's me, I push on cause once you get clearance to punch and line it all up, it's go time.
   
   I haven't seen any detriment to my turf under these conditions. Perhaps hot and humid would be different, in my area we don't deal with that often.
   
   Dave Homme
   Falls Resort

   
   
   
   
8. Nowakowski Michael J

   
   9/11/2011 1:09 AM

   Why are you in such a hurry to put sand down in the rain? Would waiting until it dries up not be a better option, and cleaner too?

   
   
   
   
9. Douglas Eggert

   

   1 posts
   
   9/11/2011 6:09 PM

   Try the topdressing and leaving the sand in the rain trick at a public course and see how play reacts to that...
   
   I used to leave the holes open and aerate near Oct 1, had better luck with the open holes. But my Pro in his infinite wisdom insisted that I fill holes. So I make him close the place the whole day. If it rains, he has to close the course the next available day we can aerate. His deal.
   
   I also aerate the PG 1st, topdress it last. Keeps clubhouse people out of my hair.

   
   
   
   
10. Christopher Lewis

    

    0 posts
    
    9/12/2011 7:09 AM

    Rain? What is this rain that you speak of? Is that the stuff that falls from they sky at 1" per hour and then goes away for 8 weeks?
    I have tried both methods and I feel that waiting for the sand to dry is the best bet. Dragging wet sand just causes the sand to bridge over the holes. This leaves more sand on the surface and then when the sand dries you need to drag more to break the 'bridge' and push the sand into the holes.
    I have had more success fighting the clubhouse and making them wait until the sand dries, makes a better playing surface and reduces golfer complaints in the long term.

    
    
    
    
11. Border Ricky H

    
    9/12/2011 11:09 AM

    Ran into that situation last fall. We pulled out the hoses and washed in sand with water pressure worked great, probably not quite as fast. Lemons = Lemonade

    
    
    
    
12. White Robert G

    
    9/13/2011 5:09 PM

    I watched a demo at Torrey Pines in California on the 18th green of the South course when it was raining off and on in July last year. They had taken cores and cleaned, looked like 3/8" maybe, top dressed and tried to drag the sand in. The sand was literally smeared over the entire green and looked like a real mess. To top it off, since it is a public course, they had play coming just four holes away. There were at least 30 of us watching, including superintendents, USGA, Pace Turf, and a bunch of suits, probably the mayor of San Diego, who knows. They brought out this turf brush and we all couldn't believe it. With the first pass all the sand disappeared and the aerification holes were full. They did some figure eight brushing then circled from the middle out. Wet sand or not, no sand was visible on that green within 20 minutes. Beautiful. Torrey Pines bought two on the spot and we bought one the next day. We don't get wet sand where we are very often but use this thing all the time. Probably the best money we have ever spent. The Calif/Nevada distributor is http://www.turfbrush.com not sure who sells it where you are but they can guide you.

    
    
    
    
13. Fleegel Timothy

    
    9/13/2011 5:09 PM

    I'm surprised how long it took for somebody to say something about that brush. Seems like somebody is always on aerification threads pitching this brush.

    
    
    
    
14. White Robert G

    
    9/13/2011 6:09 PM

    timfleegel said: I'm surprised how long it took for somebody to say something about that brush. Seems like somebody is always on aerification threads pitching this brush.

    
    
    I am surprised too. I've never seen anything work that good...

    
    
    
    
15. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    9/15/2011 1:09 PM

    Yea its called a terra broom and it works really well for fillin holes. If its rains it cleans the greens up nice, but it doesnt fill the holes completely. Once the sand dries and settles in the hole it usually require another brushing

    
    
    
    
16. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    9/21/2011 6:09 AM

    Since we deep tined our greens yesterday I took a pic of the terrabroom in action. I usually do it in two passes, first working the very center of the green. Since you can angle the broom you just drive it in circles from there and work everything to the outside of the green. It pulls a pretty thick windrow of sand ahead of it and as long as the sand is dry it falls right in the holes. The second pass just cleans the green up and tops off the holes. If you look at the other pic you can see the holes are full right to the top. Holes were 1/2", 9 inches deep. Total brushing time for 9 holes was just over 4 hours with only one person.

    
    
    
    
17. Chris Wiedenmeyer

    

    0 posts
    
    9/21/2011 6:09 AM

    I see the TB 200 on every thread about aerification. Anybody know the cost by chance?

    
    
    
    
18. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    9/21/2011 12:09 PM

    I think we spent 1500 on ours 11 years ago and it was worth every penny. I would guess around 2000 in todays dollars

    
    
    
    
19. Chuck Barber

    

    0 posts
    
    9/21/2011 12:09 PM

    The TB 200 if memory serves is like $4500 or so new.

    
    
    
    
20. White Robert G

    
    9/22/2011 8:09 AM

    We paid around $5k plus some shipping.