Incorporation of New Sand in the Tees

Over the next few years, the maintenance staff at Kinloch will be incorporating new sand into the tee and fairway surfaces.  The course was originally built and subsequently amended with a gray sand.  While this sand provided firm conditions and great nutrient retention, it has become increasingly fine and we have decided to discontinue use.  Therefore, the management team researched new sands that will blend well with the current rootzone.  After finding a sand with the right particle size and uniformity, we began the process of amending the current tee surfaces.

Rather than just applying the new sand on top of the older sand layer, which could cause water bridging, we wanted to incorporate it into the current rootzone. To do this, we begin by poking holes in the tee surface with solid tines.  These half inch holes will allow the new sand to penetrate into the existing sand mixture. Shown below is the process.

The surface is then topdressed with the new sand and, using our new Sweep-and-Fill, swept into the holes.  This new equipment has provided us the ability to incorporate the new sand without disrupting playing conditions.

The above process allows the sand to be incorporated into the existing surface, rather than just layered on top of the current rootzone.  This process, along with yearly aerifications, will allow us to completely amend the tees and fairways with the new sand.  Golfers can expect to see firmer conditions and healthier turf due to better surface drainage.