Greens On Crack

Yes our greens cracked again this year as they do every year.  The cracking was probably even more severe because the frost went very deep into the soil.  The picture above is on the right corner of 11 green.  This crack actually heaves upward by about an inch every year but as the frost comes out of the ground it goes away.  Most cracks do not exhibit this heaving process but it illustrates that there must be some sort of mini-fault lines within the soil because the cracks return in the same places annually.  Most years the grass survives along the crack and it becomes unnoticeable once growth starts.  However during severe winters the exposure along those cracks can kill the grass leaving a noticeable browning for a month or two.

Aeration Benefits

I leave these pictures up because they explain the need for some of the practices that we continue to do year after year to improve the course. 
Superintendents are always defending their aerification practices by extolling their benefits to golfers who think we are just out to make a mess.  Many times the benefits derived from aerification are unnoticed, but I have some pictures that clearly illustrate the virtue of poking holes.  In the first pictures you can see some broken darker green lines which is where the holes are.  That grass is obviously healthier and happier!  The bottom two pictures illustrate that the holes punched by the aerator definitely improve water infiltration.  The dry brownish squares you see are where the aerator was picked up to miss the sprinkler.  Proof that we are accomplishing something when aerating and not just "making a mess".