Turftime Equipment Blog


Golf Course Aerators: Learn & Shop Here

a golf course aerator working on a fairway

Have you ever wondered how golf courses create rolling fairways and picture-perfect greens? The secret lies in aeration—a process that keeps turf healthy, lush, and ready for play.

A golf course aerator perforates the soil with small holes to let air, water, and nutrients reach the grassroots. This process promotes healthier grass growth, leading to lush, resilient turf.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the importance of golf course aerators, how different types of aerators work, and which models are best for your course. Ready to elevate your greens? Read on to learn more or click below to explore our selection of aerators:

 

Aeration: An Important Step in Golf Course Upkeep

Regular aerification golf course maintenance is a key part of what makes golf course grass so uniform and healthy. Below, we’ll answer a few common questions about golf course aerators and their role in golf course upkeep:

How do Different Types of Aerators Work? There are two distinct types of aerators: core aerators remove small cores of soil from the ground, and spike aerators puncture the ground without removing any soil.

cores emerging after aeration golf

Should I use a Spike Aerator or a Core Aerator for my Golf Course? For golf courses, we recommend spike aerators. These golf course aerators won’t leave behind soil cores that could affect players’ games!

Should I Aerate My Whole Course or Just Sections with Thinning Grass? It is recommended that you aerate your whole course, even spots where grass seems to be growing well. If you avoid aerating sections, they are prone to standing water and compaction.

When Should I Aerate? Aeration should be done during the growing season so the turf can grow back quickly. For cool-season grasses, this means spring or fall. For warm-season grasses, early summer is the best time to aerate. Avoid aerating in the heat of summer or the dead of winter, as the grass might grow back patchy. Click here to learn more about when to aerate lawns for optimal results!

How Often Should I Aerate? For most lawns, aeration can be done once a year. However, golf courses experience heavy foot and cart traffic, meaning you might have to perform aerification golf course maintenance more than once a year to avoid soil compaction. You’ll likely want to aerate 2-3 times a year.

Why is Aeration Important for Golf Course Upkeep? High quality turf is essential for the game of golf. No one wants to spend their time and money playing on courses with patchy grass, pooling water, and bumpy greens. Aeration promotes healthy grass growth.

Aeration is the first of many steps in golf course upkeep. Click here to see our full Golf Course Maintenance Equipment Guide!

 

Different Types of Aerators: Greens Aeration vs Fairway Aeration

fairway aeration behind a tractor

Greens and fairways have distinct needs for playability. Because of this, greens aeration and fairway aeration differ. Here’s how:

  1. Frequency: Since greens are high traffic and are mowed consistently, they require more frequent aeration. You’ll want to aerate your greens two to three times a year. Fairways, on the other hand, can be aerated once or twice a year.
  2. Size of Aeration Holes: The goal of greens aeration is to minimize the disruption as much as possible, keeping the turf smooth and while still improving soil conditions. Smaller tines can keep the playing surface free of debris. For fairways, you can perform aerification golf course maintenance more aggressively. Use larger tines to promote deep root growth.
  3. Size of Equipment Used: Heavy equipment can damage a green. Because of this, you want to use smaller, specialized aerators for greens. Fairway aeration is different; because of the large area you need to cover, you’ll want to use heavy equipment to cover the ground as efficiently as possible.

Ultimately, greens aeration and fairway aeration require different strategies for best effect. For greens, we recommend our Pro Aerators. This golf course aerator is lightweight and comes in several different widths, giving you precision and performance without damaging your green.

greens aeration behind a turf tractor

For fairway aeration, we recommend our Heavy Duty Aerators. These are larger golf course aerators that can cover large swaths of ground efficiently and effectively. The weight tank and sport tines let you get maximum soil penetration, helping your grass get enough nutrients and water to grow deep roots.

 

Get Aeration Golf Equipment Here!

Nothing is more frustrating to a golfer than patchy grass and uneven greens. Aerification golf course maintenance is a simple process that can revolutionize your course’s playing surfaces. If you’re ready to elevate your golf course’s reputation, add a TurfTime Golf Course Aerator to your maintenance fleet.

TurfTime Equipment provides golf course maintenance equipment to some of the most well-known golf courses in the country! Our equipment is durable, versatile, and can easily hitch to a tractor or mower.

Contact us today to talk to an expert about our commercial aerators. We’ll be able to find the perfect type of aerator for your needs and budget.

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