Every year, problem spots develop on tees and fairways that would benefit from some additional aeration during the prime playing season. This leaves superintendents with a familiar challenge: How do you improve soil conditions without disrupting playability too much? Venting with knife or bayonet tines is one way to strike that balance. These narrow-profile tines create deep channels that improve water infiltration and gas exchange while leaving the playing surface largely unaffected, making them an excellent option during the busy playing season.
One of the greatest advantages of this tine style is how quickly the surface recovers. On turf maintained at tee and fairway mowing heights, the slits are often difficult to see almost immediately after the operation is complete. This minimal disruption provides superintendents with the flexibility to make multiple passes and increase the number of channels, maximizing the venting benefits while preserving surface quality.
Slicing tines are also durable, perform well in heavier soils, and are very versatile. Their strength allows them to penetrate dense soils that may present challenges for other cultivation tools, making them a dependable option across a wide range of site conditions. In my time as a superintendent, I found them to be ideal for addressing localized dry spots and other targeted aeration applications, but they can also be part of your routine cultivation program. Perhaps the most overlooked benefit of slicing tines is their cost-effectiveness. Most golf courses already own a compatible aerator, so incorporating this practice typically only requires purchasing the tines rather than investing in an entirely new piece of equipment.
Venting with knife/bayonet tines should not be used to replace more aggressive cultivation practices such as hollow-tine aeration, but this practice is an excellent mid-season component of a comprehensive cultivation program. With minimal disruption, rapid recovery and meaningful improvements to soil function, slicing tines can provide significant agronomic benefits while keeping golfers happy – a combination every superintendent can appreciate.
West Region Agronomists:
Brian Whitlark, regional director, West Region – bwhitlark@usga.org
Ross Niewola, agronomist – rniewola@usga.org
Heather Schapals, agronomist – hschapals@usga.org