Why Top Dress
Top dressing is carried out at various times during the playing season to improve the playing surface and underlying soil.
Here at Ralston Golf Club, on the recommendation of our agronomist, we dress our greens with Washed Dune Sand. We dress on a monthly basis using about half a ton of sand per green. This will increase to around a ton per green following aeration work.
Propass 180
Applying top dressing has many benefits. Most noticeable to the golfer is that a truer / smoother playing surface is created. There are, however, many other reasons for top dressing. The application of Washed Dune Sand will help to improve drainage and water penetration on the greens. It will also help to break down thatch and discourage moss. The soil exchange achieved after aeration is vital in trying to combat the inherent problems we face with clay based putting surfaces.
We now apply dressings using our, tractor towed, Propass 180 top dresser. This machine allows us to achieve an even spread in a short period of time. The dressing is then brushed in using our ride-on Huxley Brush. When brushing in we ensure that the sand does not smother the tip of the grass plant. The whole process is carried out in dry weather conditions to prevent the material “balling up” when brushing in.