If you've played the course recently you will have noticed that the greens appear to have been sliced and diced and left with a bit of a waffle like pattern embossed across their surface. This effect is the result of verticutting - a cultivating process designed to reduce thatch and improve playing surfaces. Special reels with vertical blades are run across greens cutting into the surface to reduce thatch and promote both quicker putting surfaces and stronger grass growth. In terms of playability its a case of short term pain for long term gain.
One way to look at verticutting is as a method of pruning the greens much like a gardener might prune trees or rose bushes. The cutting process slices downwards, cutting the plants lateral subterranean shoots and stolons and lifting and reducing the thatch layer through which the individual grass shoots grow. The cut material is left on the surface of the green and is easily picked up by the regular greens mowers horizontal reels.
There are many potential benefits to vericutting a green. The turf is opened up providing greater access to sunlight and moisture. The vertical slicing allows for easier top dressing so sand and fertilizer can be easily added to a green.With lateral growth controlled grass plants redirect energy towards stronger vertical growth, generating plants that stand straighter and provide a smoother faster putting surface. Grass is a hardy and resilient plant. Properly watered and fed, a verticut green will respond with new growth, quickly healing over any scars the cutting process might impart.
Some may ask why verticut at this time of year when the days are getting shorter and growing conditions may not seem as strong as earlier in the year. The answer lies in the type of grass used on the greens and in the way the greens have played throughout the season. Optimal vericutting times for northern climate grasses come towards the beginning and end of the playing season. The process puts the plants under stress and promotes a stimulating hardening response as the plants react to cultivation. At this time of year, as vertical growth begins to slow, it is important to set the plants up for end of season processes that will help them survive the winter. Having been cut and played all through the summer, the thatch layer has built up to the point where a good verticut will have a positive impact when the greens are opened up to more sunlight and moisture.
Many course follow a more aggressive program of verticutting and top dressing. At Links we try to monitor the turf carefully in order to maintain a healthy balance of cultivation processes. Verticutting is a very aggressive cultivation process. Doing it too frequently can cause more harm than good. Through the earlier part of the summer Links uses other methods such as rolling to establish faster greenspeeds.
In two weeks time Links will be hosting its club championship. By verticutting now, the grounds crew should elicit a positive response from the greens resulting in their being in top shape for the year's grand finale event. Similarly, the Mens's Commercial League is winding to a close, with weekly league play giving way to the playoff rounds. It might not be on the scale of the Fed-ex Cup but the club championship and commercial league playoffs do generate considerable competitive spirit amongst some of our members and its best if the grounds crew can do our bit to have the course play to its full seasonal potential.
As the season starts to change, people are becoming aware that the number of opportunities to get out for a round are also winding down. Verticutting is just another sign of the season, and though the criss-cross cuts may be briefly disconcerting, they will be with us for a short time only. In the long run, the verticutting process help ensures that putts can run true for the rest of the season and that the greens are ready to deal with the winter to come!
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