I like the coring of soft grass (bent) areas. This was successful when we had soft grass fairways, and produced good outcomes when we did it (early 90's). These days, we have warm-season grasses. Our practices have included scarifying (a deeper version of verti-cutting), coring with hollow tynes and top dressing (more expensive, but good for problem areas), stripping the sod off the top and, more recently, shaving the surface area.
It depends on the problem which solution is best. One thing is certain - the more that growth is promoted (through irrigation and fertiliser) the more frequently thatch reduction will also be needed.
James B