[Carl Johnson]

I an curious as to exactly how the Graden process results in firmer greens, which is why our club has begun the project this week, they say.  We have never before used it (that I know of).  We're about 16 years out from new USGA spec bent greens which have been lovingly cared for to date (usual core and verti-cutting).  The concern is that our greens aren't firm enough because it's too easy to stop approach shots on the greens and the pitch marks are too deep.  The purpose, I am told, is to make the course more difficult to play.  Is it that packing more sand into the greens will make them firmer?  I don't think we have a thatch problem with the greens.

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[Ian Mackenzie]

We used the Graden at our club for a few seasons.
The results were mixed and the recovery times on the greens caused widespread consternation.


In the end, we solved the problem:


WE hired a really, really good greenskeeper who sold the Gradens.
He then used less water, more sand and better use of chemicals.


Our green surfaces today are fantastic.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Graden's focus is the removal of the thatch/OM in the top 1/2". It's essentially a very deep verticut. The more modern units drop dry sand immediately into the newly formed channel. I have always tried to do this 1x a growing season.


Some might call this liner aerification, it's a consistent, solid line. I believe its benefits & focus are much different that core aerification.



Graden demonstration - Contour Sand Injector (youtube.com)

[Carl Johnson]

Graden's focus is the removal of the thatch/OM in the top 1/2". It's essentially a very deep verticut. The more modern units drop dry sand immediately into the newly formed channel. I have always tried to do this 1x a growing season.


Some might call this liner aerification, it's a consistent, solid line. I believe its benefits & focus are much different that core aerification.



Graden demonstration - Contour Sand Injector (youtube.com)

Thanks.  But is one of its benefits firming up the green so that it will be harder to hold shots?  That is the stated objective.  I've not heard anything about a thatch problem, and to my untrained, uneducated eye there does not seem to be one.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Graden's focus is the removal of the thatch/OM in the top 1/2". It's essentially a very deep verticut. The more modern units drop dry sand immediately into the newly formed channel. I have always tried to do this 1x a growing season.


Some might call this liner aerification, it's a consistent, solid line. I believe its benefits & focus are much different that core aerification.


Graden demonstration - Contour Sand Injector (youtube.com)

Thanks.  But is one of its benefits firming up the green so that it will be harder to hold shots?  That is the stated objective.  I've not heard anything about a thatch problem, and to my untrained, uneducated eye there does not seem to be one.

100%. The right sand will always be firmer than organic matter that holds water. It will make them firmer, roll more constantly, less footprinting in the afternoons.

[SB]

I have only used it for very bad thatch conditions.  As noted, it's a very intense verticut, and intended to get a lot more sand into the profile than you can get with core aerification. 


It will absolutely mess up your greens in the short term, but we had a great experience in the long term.  It seems a little late in the year to be doing it, but I am not an expert.

[Cal Carlisle]

The course I used to work at used a Graden, Dry Ject, and core aerifaction in one fell swoop in the early spring. I was actually amazed at how quickly it healed. I don't know what the percentage of disturbance was on the greens, but it got a good chunk of the annual target of 25% green disturbance out of the way very early.

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