Groundkprs hiot the nail right on the head. The need and priority of core aeration is in direct proportion of the amount of physical tracking and comaction of the turf areas in relation to the soil types, such as clay. The reasons golf courses do it, is because they have 5 to 600 people per day walking on it's greens, and fairways, and with football fields, well, let's face it, that's self explanatory. Now, *** far as baseball fields go, well, while they don't get the volume of traffic as the others, they certainly get their share in machine compaction, as the pro fields are cut every other day, and at time, two days in a row.
Now, I have derations for nearly twenty years now, and I have properties that have been untouched with an aerator that look great, and others that have been aerated that look great, and others that don't look as well (non-irigated). On the irrigated properties, where fertilization is kept up, there is essentially no need for this. I have no slpoes that are suffering, and the CEC rates are great. Would aeration HELP these properties? Probably. Would it be worth it to the customer when the money could be better spent elsewhere ( turf management-wise)? No. I could easily seel the aeration, and do it, but I won't.
I have also had properties that after drought-like conditions, wouldn't take water very well, especially if there were slope areas, and aeration played a major benefit to these props. Generally, as a rule of thumb, if the soil is good and moist, and providing it's not clay, it's usually in good shape of not needing aeration. As it stays wet, it has a tendency to be softer. It's when it dries out, hardens up that it needs aeration, even if it's moist again, it can still use it at times. But places like I described earlier, that are irrigated all season, are soft enough that they really don't need it, as there is no traffic on them as well.
