Monday Frost

There is frost on the course this morning.  With the higher winds it should break by mid morning.  Thank you.

Frost delay

We will be experiencing a frost delay this morning.  The delay could last until mid to late morning.  Thank you.

Aeration

     It is time to talk about every golfers favorite word "aeration."  At Prairie Highlands we punched our greens on Monday the 23rd and Tuesday the 24th.  The crew completed holes 1-12 as well as all three practice greens on Monday.  The remaining six greens were completed on Tuesday.  

     The question that I get asked most often about aeration is "why?"  Trust me, if superintendents could avoid aeration they would.  But without those little holes filled with sand, the greens would eventually die.  Aerification has three important objectives:  relieving soil compaction, improving the soil mixture and preventing excess thatch.

     Here at Prairie, we first pull the cores to the surface of the green with the aerator.

The next step is to sweep the cores of the green.  This requires lots of man power.  It takes a crew of four guys 25-30 minutes per green.

After all the cores have been removed we then verticut the greens two directions.  This process cuts tiny slits in the green, helping to provide a healthy root system all season long. 

Now the greens are ready for sand.  We apply enough sand to fill the holes with a topdresser.  

After enough sand is applied then we begin to drag the sand into the aeration holes using specialized drag mats behind our carts.  

With the holes filled we then apply fertilizer and water them in.

 Now that the aeration is complete we will begin to remove excess sand by mowing and blowing off the surface of the greens.  I would like to thank all the golfers for being patient with us through the healing process.   

 

Our mechanic

     We had a head gasket blow on our John Deer spray unit at the very end of the season.  Our machanic, Mark Gaither, is one of the hardest working guys in the industry.  Not only does he take care of our entire fleet of equipment, he also services Hillcrest's (our sister course) entire fleet as well.  Here he is installing the rebuilt engine into the unit.

     It's rare when you find someone that likes what they do as much as Mark does.  He has lived in Kansas City his entire life.  He is also a former Lakeside champion driver and team owner.  He currently lives in Kansas City, Kansas, with is wife and daughter.  He tells me he only took the job for the free golf but I think it might be something else.  

     We are lucky to have a mechanic as good as Mark, and we wouldn't trade him for anyone else.  

About me

     This blog is intended to inform Prairie Highlands members and the Kansas City golfing community about the maintenance taking place on the course.  My name is Austen Gearheart.  I was recently promoted to head superintendent after spending 3 years as the assistant here at Prairie Highlands.  I am a lifetime Kansas City native.
     While in college I completed an internship at the National Golf Club of Parkville, Missouri.  I obtained my Associates of Applied Science degree from Johnson County Community College in December of 2011.  I began working at Prairie Highlands in the spring of 2012.
     I have spent my entire life here in Kansas City and love raising my beautiful daughter here.  My wife of 6 years is a preschool teacher in Kansas City, and she loves working with children.

     I am looking forward to the 2015 golfing season with great anticipation.  I hope everyone has a great season and "Hit 'em Straight!"