Thanks for the note, Jamie. I sent your note on to TJ Congleton, head pro at Emerald Lake, and he sent me the reply below. I also went out last Sunday and played the front 9 with TJ. I found the greens to be in very good shape, considering the recent aeration. I think the staff there did a great job making them very playable so soon after aeration. The greens were fairly quick, the sand did not alter putts significantly and the holes were completely filled. So I understand they weren’t perfect, but the conditions were not bad, especially considering the reduced weekend price.

As for your suggestion that I send out questionnaires for local course managers to respond with aeration and condition updates, that’s a GREAT idea. I have a few friendly contacts with several courses, but I could use any help my readers can provide as far as introducing me (virtually by email is fine) to local course managers that you know. I can definitely send out regular emails or letters to get maintenance schedules or special condition updates. Thanks for the suggestion.

Here’s TJ’s note about Jamie’s experience (note that I withheld the name of the other course):

We have just hired a new Assistant that came over from [another local course]. I just talked with him about this, and he said that he was instructed at [the other local course] to NOT TELL anyone when they were punching. I have told him about our policy of telling everyone when they call that we have punched (even before we did punch) but, he might have let one slip. I take full responsibility for this. I may have been outside, or not in the shop. If I had been inside, I would have stopped him on the phone, and made sure he did actually tell them that we had punched. I have talked with him about this as soon as your email came through.

It is a fine line when it comes to telling people about aerifying greens, but we do feel that it is very important to be upfront and honest with people so that we do not encounter issues like this one. I know how it would feel (I have been in that position before) to get to a course, pay your money, and go to the first green to find they are punched. It is not fun, so coming from this stance, I know that it is very important to tell everyone that you have and be honest with them from the start.

If you want to test it, give us a call, and make a tee time. I guarantee that who ever picks up the phone to make your time will give you our typical breakdown of what’s going on… “We did punch Monday and Tuesday, using a small pencil tine, which is the reason for the reduced rate, but I assure you that the greens are in fine shape, they have been cut, top-dressed, and are rolling fine.”