By Greg Ellison

(June 24, 2021) Turf conditions at the Ocean Pines Golf Course have improved this season because of the remedial care it has received, but now that care is being adapted for the hotter weather July and August.

Course superintendent Justin Hartshorne provided an overview of current efforts during the board of directors last Wednesday.

Hartshorne said aerification has been performed to increase water and air movement.

“It’s one of the most important things we can do throughout the year to help course conditions,” he said.

Aerification tools employ coring tines to remove soil.

“An aerifer pulls plugs out of turf,” he said.

Resulting holes are filled with sand to aid quicker recovery.

“The goal is to fill the holes up when we’re completely done,” he said.

Hartshorne said aerification relieves soil compaction by removing organic matter and affects up to 10 percent of surface areas.

“It really helps to get oxygen to the soil profile,” he said.

Hartshorne said aerification treatments are required annually to address thatch layer build up.

“You want to disrupt around 20 percent of your surface,” he said.

By performing aerification twice annually, about 15 percent of surface area is disrupted with additional practices used to achieve the 20 percent target.

Other methods used include top dressing land surfaces.

“It’s just a light dusting of sand,” he said. “We’ve been doing it weekly since spring.”

Topdressing treatments help dilute organic matter, while improving putting greens firmness and aiding plant growth.

“It helps dilute thatch,” he said.

Ninja Tines have also been deployed to address ground conditions this year.

“It’s like aerification but has a much smaller tine and is less disruptive,” he said.

Ninja Tines are used for shallow aerification, removing materials up to two-inches deep to improve aeration and water flow.

“A lot of guys probably play behind it and hardly know we’ve done it,” he said. “Once we get it cleaned up and rolled behind, it’s not nearly as disruptive to play as aerification but is still helping us to remove some of that material.”

General Manager John Viola said a persistent layer of black thatch had developed over the past few years, but the Ninja Tines are helping to break through it.

At this point, Hartshorne estimated about one third of the recurring thatch has been disrupted from growing.

“We’re making progress and it’s going to take time because we’re disrupting a lot of the surface,” he said.

These combined efforts should significantly reduce thatch growth over the next three to four years, Hartshorne said.

“It is going to be a distant process,” he said.

Verticutting is another method used this spring, which involves cutting channels across course surfaces.

“It does the top half inch,” he said. “It cuts thatch at the surface and removes it.”

Verticutting, which affects relatively large surface areas, will be reduced during the height of summer and resumed in the fall.

“I haven’t heard too many complaints about playing behind this,” he said.

Adapting watering techniques and improving drainage have also been priorities this season.

Viola said too much water is counterproductive.

The bulk of watering to maintain playing surfaces is being done by hand in lieu of sprinklers.

“That changes on a daily basis,” he said. “Weather conditions drastically impacts how the golf course dries out and moves water around.”

Locating and clearing existing drainage pipes is also underway.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work with the drainage system,” he said. “We’re trying to clean sand and debris accumulated over the years.”

In other instances, new drainage lines have been installed to rapidly remove excess water from doused areas.

“The goal is to just get the water off of the playing surface as quick as we possibly can,” he said.

Soil testing has also been increased this season.

“You might not see it because it’s growing good right now, but I just want to make sure that all the nutrients that we have or need in the profile are there,” he said.

Hartshorne said the goals are to improve plant health and to address summer stress conditions so putting greens can be smooth and firm.

Viola said the revamped treatment schedule has left the course in top-notch condition.

“We’re doing the best we can,” he said. “The place looks fabulous and better than usual at this time.”