WRITTEN BY JACK CREVELING, GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT

You lay your driver down hard against the ball supplying it with such force that it leaves the sound of thunder echoing throughout the course. It’s your perfect swing! As you pick up your tee you realize that the course has recently been aerified and in an instance your feeling of doing well today just went down the hole. Then you remember! PGA Tour Tom Watson, of Kansas City, shot a record-breaking game at his home course soon after it was just aerified. The hope for playing the best game of your life is still in sight.

So Why Aerate?

Aerification is merely a short-term disruption that has long-term benefits. According to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, aerification (also known as aeration) achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green’s roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch.

To keep the look and feel of such prestige, the Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club maintenance team times the aerification of the greens down to a tee. The United States Golf Association states that core aeration is ideally timed when turf is healthiest and growing vigorously so that it can withstand the stress of aeration and open holes recover more quickly.

To meet the Florida weather timeline for ideal aerification, the Golden Ocala maintenance team will be implementing a final aerification starting Aug. 17. This last and final aerification will help Golden Ocala meet its goal of having the greens in top form from Labor Day through the following nine months – leading up to the summer of 2016. Between now and Aug. 17 you will be witnessing a little TLC of routine vertical mowing and sand top dressings.

Aerification may poke holes in your game but it’s designed to define the greens by enhancing the conditions of them. This process literally creates holes throughout the entirety of the course. But don’t be alarmed! This process can turn an average green into a professional one with just a few aerifications.

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” The Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club maintenance teams live by this notion. When dealing with grounds keeping in Florida conditions you must be aggressive in your approach to maintenance. One false turn can set you back significantly. And that is the reason why we are calculated and proficient in providing the best maintenance schedule for your golfing needs.

Check Us Out!

Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club offers players a 10-acre short game area with two practice hole and a driving range. The Golf Shop at Golden Ocala offers clubs, clothing and a wide variety of golf accessories, stocking only the finest in the sport. Private lessons are available with Golden Ocala’s PGA professional instructions, led by acclaimed by golf instructor John Elliot, Jr.

Come and experience the sport of golf at its finest .Keep up with all of the latest news from Golden Ocala by following us on Facebook and Twitter.