Winter Play

I have noticed that we have had some play on the course during times that we are closed. I would ask you not to do this. The following is an article from the USGA explaining why golf traffic on turf during winter conditions can be detrimental. Please read the section of the article provided, or at least the highlighted sections. This should help with a more scientific explanation of why winter play must be closely monitored by the superintendent and the turf staff.  Please allow us to make the decisions on when golfing is acceptable during winter weather.  This is in the best interest of the conditions of our club.

Thanks,
Klint Ladd
Golf Course Superintendent

 

 

Playing Par with Jack Frost

By Charles B. White
Director, Southeastern Region, USGA Green Section Reprinted from the USGA Green Section Record
1984 Sept/Oct Vol 22(5): 8


As winter begins, the golfer lays aside his clubs for a time and settles down to watch football. But, loving the game, our minds quickly return to golf , and our bodies avidly follow. Thus we encounter an age-old problem: morning delays to allow the frost to clear or enable the green surface to thaw. Often a confrontation arises between the golf professional and/or the superintendent on one side and club members on the other. Consider the problems of playing greens in the winter when frost or freezing occurs, and why play must be delayed, or even prevented, for a period of time. Everyone knows frost must clear off the grass before play can begin, but few people know why. Frost on the grass blades tells us that the water inside the leaves is frozen. Remember that water is the primary component of plant tissue. When this water is frozen, traffic on the turf causes the ice crystals in the cells to puncture through the cell walls, killing the plant tissue. Little damage is done to the crowns (growing points) or roots if only a light frost appears; however, when the frost is heavy, cell disruption may occur at the crown, thus killing the entire plant. Frost damage symptoms include white to light tan leaves where traffic has passed.

Traffic damage can be minimized by melting the frost with a light syringing of the greens when soil and air temperatures are above freezing. The simplest approach is to avoid traffic until the frost melts.

Another dangerous situation exists when the soil is completely frozen to the surface but the grass blades have thawed. Provided there is no frost or ice on the grass under this condition, then limited foot traffic creates little damage, if any.

At these times, heavy traffic or golf carts should be restricted from greens, tees and even fairways. This is the most favorable winter conditions, because when the soil is frozen it does not allow as much penetration of compaction and spikes, thus preventing damage to the grass roots. Since the blades are not frozen, they retain the resiliency needed to withstand light foot traffic.

Traffic damage on frozen turf areas usually occurs during periods of freezing or thawing. The most devastating situation occurs when the grass blades and the upper one-half to one inch of soil has thawed, but the ground beneath their level remains frozen. Traffic will create a shearing action of the roots, rhizomes, and crown tissues at this time. This is comparable to cutting the plant tissue from the underlying root system with a sod cutter. Complete kill of leaves, crowns, and rhizomes can occur if the temperatures soon drop below 20° F. Symptoms from this severe injury include whitish to dark brown leaves that may mat on the surface.

Once temperatures allow thawing to a depth of three to four inches, the probability of turf damage declines since about 75 percent of the root system is in the upper four inches of soil. Frequently soil probing is the only positive way to effectively monitor the freezing level. Traffic should be adjusted accordingly.

*If you would like to read this article in it's entirety please go here: http://www.usga.org/course_care/articles/other/winter_play/Playing-Par-with-Jack-Frost/