Our program consists of a light dusting of sand that requires no dragging or brushing. Overhead irrigation will knock the sand down into the turf's canopy. As mentioned in a post last season regarding topdressing, this process is done to dilute organic matter and creates a smooth consistent putting surface. Weekly topdressing also allows us to do it without regards to the weather. Heavy topdressing is almost always avoided when it's hot. Heavy sand topdressing and dragging can be detrimental to the putting surfaces as the heavy layer of sand can cause bruising to the turfgrass and can absorb to much heat. However, we still like to monitor surface temperatures at any time when it's hot. Below is a picture of an infrared thermometer used to check canopy temperatures on the putting surface following our topdressing.
