Aeration of the greens: essential care for a unique course at Golf Bastide de la Salette

At Golf Bastide de la Salette in Marseille, we do our utmost to offer our golfers optimum playing conditions all year round.

Maintaining the greens is an absolute priority, and mechanical operations play a major role in preserving their quality. These technical and meticulous operations are essential to ensure the good health of the grass and guarantee uniform, high-performance playing surfaces.

The greens are the most heavily used areas of the course. Every day, they are subjected to the repeated passage of players, the impact of balls and the action of mowers and other maintenance equipment. This intensive use gradually compacts the soil, reducing the circulation of air, water and nutrients needed by the grass roots.

Without regular aeration, the roots weaken, the lawn becomes more vulnerable to disease and growth is slowed. By promoting air and water penetration, aeration helps to keep your lawn dense, strong and healthy all year round.

Aeration of the greens is based on several techniques adapted to the needs of the carefully selected grasses and the climatic conditions. We use specialised machines to perforate the surface of the soil in different ways, creating openings that facilitate the infiltration of air and water deep down.

The stages :

• Passage of a tool to loosen the greens
• Aeration by coring with extraction: this involves removing small cylinders of earth to lighten the soil and encourage gas exchange.
• Sandblasting: before or after aeration, we apply a thin layer of sand to fill in the holes and improve the flatness of the greens. This technique also improves drainage and limits future compaction.
• Matting to improve sand penetration and rolling of surfaces

Regular aeration of greens has many benefits for players. By maintaining a strong, healthy turf, it ensures more even playing surfaces, with a better quality of ball roll. A well-maintained green offers a more enjoyable and predictable playing experience, while providing greater resistance to climatic variations.

What’s more, by limiting the appearance of moss and disease, this operation extends the life of the turf and maintains the aesthetic appeal of the entire course.

We are aware that this work may temporarily impact your game, but it is essential to guarantee the beauty and playability of our greens in the long term.

Thanks to these carefully planned interventions, usually twice a year, we ensure that Golf Bastide de la Salette continues to offer an exceptional setting for all golf enthusiasts.

We thank you for your understanding and loyalty, and invite you to enjoy your passion to the full on greens maintained with care and expertise!