From an agronomic perspective; less disease, better drainage, deeper rooting, superior wear tolerance, fewer earthworm poa planting casts, competitive advantage for bentgrass over poa annua means less winter-kill potential, fewer summer stress situations, organic matter control, less scalp potential, fewer chemical inputs, better drought avoidance means fewer irrigation events and the ability to use equipment much sooner after heavy rains and snow melts. All of this equates out to economic and quality sustainability.
To reap all of the above you need at least a 2" layer of sand and the maximum you can safely apply in the cooler spring and fall period is 1/4" per application and this is best done in two 1/8" applications with incorporation of the sand into the canopy between the 1/8" applications. During the summer months 1/20" to 1/16" should be the target so as to avoid the smothering of turf and tissue damage that would be caused by incorporation techniques of higher quantities.
Our goal is to apply 3/4" of sand per year with a ultimate target depth of 4". Once the 4" depth is attained our yearly total will be reduced to just over 1/4" for maintenance of the surface.
