Winter Golf Play

It is that time of year, cabin fever is starting to set in and spring is right around the corner.  Members have been asking when will the golf course be ready to play again?  Opening the golf course in the winter is one of the toughest decision for a Golf Course Superintendent to make.  Conditions have to be perfect to allow golf play and especially to allow golf carts out on the golf course.  The ground has to be COMPLETELY thawed throughout the soil profile and water can not be present near the surface of the ground.  Allowing golf play on a half frozen or a saturated golf course can quickly lead to many problems.  The colder air and soil temperature make it impossible for grass plants to metabolize and repair damaged tissue causing:

• Thinning turf
• Soil compaction
• Shearing action across the roots, rhizomes, and growing points of the plant, which is comparable to cutting the roots by using a sod cutter.

Turfgrass can become extremely susceptible to damage throughout the winter, so this must be closely monitored on a daily basis before allowing golf play.