All nines are now open at Stoney Creek!

Although the weather did not fully cooperate, we are finally done with aerification at Stoney Creek. All three nines are now open and healing nicely. By now, most golfers are all too familiar with traditional core aerating and topdressing. However, what you may also notice, on our greens, are slices. It looks as though the green has been pinstriped. This is a process called verticutting.

What are the benefits of verticutting?  Verticutting provides several benefits.  For the plant, it helps with thatch removal (thatch is a layer of decomposed plant material that builds up over time), and promotes new growth of shoots, which leads to a denser stand of turf.  And for the golfer, the result of verticutting is a surface which is immediately smoother, and with increased density and less lateral grain, a faster one.

Verticutting the practice g