This morning I hit the local 9 hole/Driving Range before work.

On the practice putting green, the maintenance crew had spread soil so that it completely covered the green in about a 1 inch layer and they were using plastic snow shovels (wide, sturdy, flat leading edge) to remove the soil. (By gentley pushing the shovels in long, slow, rows across the green.)

Can someone explain exactly what they were doing and why?

Quick answer: Sand between the blades of grass makes them stand up.

I didn't know that. Thanks.

But this looked like rich, potting-soil type dirt. If it helps, it's just now spring here in Seattle. (And by "Spring", I mean that it only rains half of the day.)

Did you see them spreading dirt, or were they just clearing it off?

It sounds like they aerated the greens and whatever machine they used didn't clean up the plugs and they had to be removed by hand.

I only saw them clearing it off. But this was definitely more than plugs. there was a layer of dirt and they were pushing the shovels across the green like you would push a vacuum cleaner - but only forward, very slowly, and in long, uninterrupted rows.

It looked like they were trying to fill in between the blades of grass, and then remove the soil that remained on top.

If they saturated the green with water after removing all of the excess (on top) soil, would that be a way of replentishing the soil?

what course was this at?

Calling this location a "course" would be a stretch. (I just go there for the driving range.)

Its the Interbay Golf Area in Seattle. It's a short 9 hole course, mini-putt area, and driving range.

But they were just doing this on the practice putting green, not the whole course (as far as I could tell.)

It is called topdressing. You do it to help fill in the greens and make the grass stand up. Time honored tactic. Same concept as putting sand on the greens after aerification but you do it to hlep the greens grow. The shovels push the dirt into the green. We used to use flat boards mounted like a rake.

Top dressing is typically done with sand, but maybe other places use dirt....guess it just depends on where you are in the country, and the base composition of the greens.....Just like someone said earlier they most likely just aerated and were filling in the holes....Just a guess though....as I did not see the surface...

DG

Ahhh! Thank you.

yeah, definitely topdressing. Many places use additives/fertilizers in addition to or in place of sand to fill deficiencies in soil composition.

i know interbay, haha.

i ask because i used to live in kirkland, so i know the area fairly well.

i've never heard of top dressing with dirt, especially in such a rain-prone place.