Topdressing

This year we have made it a goal to frequently light top dress our greens every 2 weeks.  Generally this practice will be accomplished on Monday's when the course is closed.  The process involves spreading out a fine layer of sand on all of our greens including the practice areas.  Coupled with this process, we will be verti-cutting or needle tining the greens. 

After putting out sand,  the greens are brushed to move the sand into the greens canopy.  The greens are then mowed and rolled to improve the playing surface.  Finally the greens are watered to help move the remaining sand down into the greens and to replenish moisture that was lost through the process.

Players may notice a trace of sand on the surface for a few days after top dressing.  Generally the sand sand does not effect ball roll, but it can accumulate on the golf ball when conditions are moist.
We also top dress tees, and approaches through the season.  Also during fall aerification, aerification cores from tees, approaches, and fairways are busted up and used as topdressing on their respective areas.


Topdressing

Benefits:
- Provides a smoother more consistent putting surface
- helps fill in ball marks and minor imperfections 
- improves playing consistency of the green
- helps create a firmer playing surface
- helps in preventing accumulation of thatch
- aids in drainage
- Improves consistency green to green


Brushing in sand


Disadvantages:
- Can be labor intensive
- Sand dulls reels and bed knives of mowers
- Can cause mechanical injury to playing surface from brushing