Smile Away the Black Layer

Surface water removal is critical to healthy turfgrass.  Subsurface water removal is equally important.  As mentioned in a previous post, several of the greens here at Champions lack adequate positive surface drainage due to poor finish shaping, poor design, and/or damming of the collars.  This spring we will address these problem areas by removing the turf, installing smile drains at the point of intersection of greens mix/greens barrier/native soil, and correcting the grade where applicable.  A smile drain is a perforated, flexible drain pipe that provides an avenue for water captured at the low point to escape the green's cavity before creating anaerobic conditions.  When trapped the water occupies pore space in the profile depleting the space of oxygen and thus suffocating root systems.  The result is referred to as black layer and will be identifiable on the surface by the symptom of thinning turf.  The priorities this spring will be the greens on Holes #10, 18, 14, and 3.  Below are some photos of the project completed on #10 green: