Verticutting of Tees

Over the course of the last few days, the Kinloch maintenance staff has completed the verticutting of all the tee boxes.  This is a necessary cultural practice that should be completed at least once a year.  Throughout the golfing season, the tees are mowed in the same pattern in order to produce the definitive lines Kinloch is known for.  The process, however, can cause the grass to continuously be pushed and grow in one direction, a term we call grain.  Excessive grain in turf can cause scalping and irregular growth.  In order to correct this grain, we verticut the turf perpendicular to the mowing pattern.  This allows the plant to stand upright, correcting the growing direction.  The process of verticutting also allows the lateral growth of the plant to be cut, which causes the plant to grow in a tighter, denser pattern.  By competing this process, we can ensure that the turf is healthy and beautiful for the year to come.

Shown below is a close up of the turf surface after verticutting is complete.  Notice the small lines going away from the camera.  These are the slits that were cut into the surface.  They will heal quickly and not cause any effect on playability.