Featured Story /// Golfing with Jim Riek


The Rite of Spring


Story By: Jim Riek


 This is the best time of the year for golf, right? Not too hot, not too cold and hopefully your greens are com- pletely healed from that spring ritual called aeration! Yeah, when the greens are poked with thousands of holes, making any putt a real  So, why in the world do we have to endure the annual annoyance?


Every three-foot putt is an adventure, and the course is usually   greens superintendent at Fulton’s Tanglewood golf course. His short answer: aeration pays dividends for an enjoyable year of golf with smooth greens. His long answer might surprise many golfers.


72 /// May 2025


Greens soak up too much water, whether from Mother Nature or frequent scheduled watering. The excess water prevents the  which makes for a smooth year-round putting surface. Without the aeration, the roots don’t grow long enough and the greens become a mess, often becoming too spongy from the lack of roots. Schroeder says golfers can get a good idea of the root system  is good; a splatter is bad.


Once the holes are punched with the aerator, sand is poured into the holes, which results in channels for water and air to move. This process helps speed up healing. So does good weather. Schroeder


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