Two parts of info. While it may seem like evrytime that your home course gets good and you are bringing in the friends to play the wicked greenskeeper chooses to punch holes, it really isn't you. It has to do with multiple issues. Are they punching for air and water movement? Are they attempting to remove thatch build up? Also it is very scientific as to when is best. Moisture, tempature, and when they can do it are all part of the equation. Making your home greens great really is a multiple pronged approach. There are several ways to aid in air movement and thatch management. Vertical morning, grooming, topdressing, fertilization, and water management all play a big part. While many feel the maintenance just does it to piss you off that just isn't true. A good supt. is as close to your greens as he is to his wife. For me I always watched the new plug, when changing cups, for many signs. Root depth, root color, sand moisture and consistency, thatch layer, and even smell. A great course shouldn't plan when to punch 6 weeks out but punch when it is best for the course. A great program knows when and how often by observation not hitting somebodies calendar. Sure you have major events you work around.
Second is how long it takes to heal. Many factors here as well. I will say higher end courses tend to heal faster. Way to many factors to list but it comes down to man power and equipment in many cases. The more man power and newer equipment make the punch be much cleaner. Running equipment at designed speeds helps greatly. Clean punch heals much faster. Even how fast you get the holes filled back in makes a difference. I wanted sand in the green within 1 hour of last hole punch on that green. Many muni just don't have that man power. How you drag new sand in and even sand quality matter. How are the greens rolled back in for smoothness. Add to that when do they make first mow after and how good are the blades. Mowing fresh sand destroyes bed knives. All of that along with how the nutrient load is before the punch all have an impact on outcome. As listed above 1-2 weeks. That being said I've seen high end courses punch and have great greens 3-4 days later. It all has to do with quality of job, knowledge, -and size and kind of hole punched.
Greens staffs catch way too much flack for what they do. Some suck yes but most are very skilled at what they do. If you want your course punched less take care of the course. Driving your fat butt down the middle of the fairway with a cooler full of beer and your 100 pound golf bag that you look like a dooms day prepper all impact the frequency of maintenance needed. I encourage you all to care for the course and educate yourselves where you can and you will be less concerned about a few little dimples on a green. I know you pay a lot to play but I could share some budget numbers with you guys and you would see owning a golf course is a loss many times. Labor, equipment, and fuel eat up a budget quick. Want to complain about being taken advantage of look at the goods in the pro shop. The course you pay to play has almost no mark up. The shirt you wear my friend and the ball you hit in the drink robbed you blind.
Don't know if you can find it but as an ex supt. See if you can find a poem by Edgar Gist called proof of a golfer. If I find it I will post it. Gave it to a few members back in my day and they almost always became my friend and productive members. Really is about working together.
Hope this helps and doesn't hack any off. I gave up Golf Maintenance a while back. Not best field to raise a family in. I have worked US opens, worked on national top 100 couses and built more than 1 top 50 Texas course. I give this info freely to hope to help you understand why you putt over bumpy greens and why they can't tell you exact dates. It isn't to be a bad product. It is due to the complexity. Many times if greens are terrible be nice and ask if any help can be done. Sometimes they will give you half off next round. Most the time if a course will not work with you it is because they are strapped for cash. You don't build or run a course to get rich. I promise you that.
Hope you find great greens but most of all peace and relaxation out on the old course. Here's to hitting it pure and high and dry.
