By Darin S. Bevard, senior
agronomist, USGA, Mid-Atlantic Region
January 31, 2012
For the past several weeks there have been many opportunities for golfers to
get out and enjoy the weather, and their favorite golf course. With the extreme
wet conditions of late summer/early fall, this bonus golf has been great for the
golfers, and has helped the bottom lines of many golf courses. The mild weather
has also rekindled the debate over winter play and the potential agronomic
downside of excess traffic, especially on greens.
In the last couple of years, frequent snowfall and cold temperatures have
rendered the winter play conversation a moot point. This winter we have been
blessed with plenty of days to play golf, and golfers who want to play. The
result - the back and forth debate over whether greens should be open or closed.
There is no right or wrong answer to this question because of the different
needs of individual golf facilities and the different weather conditions.
Common sense dictates that winter play is bad for grass, especially greens.
Extra traffic under often marginal conditions causes wear. The difficulty is
quantifying the cost of this damage from the perspective of impacts on in-season
playing quality in addition to the cost to repair damage that may (or may not)
occur with winter play.
Some golf courses simply close completely or close their greens during the
winter. If this is an option for your facility, great. Even if only a few greens
that are already difficult to manage in season could be closed, the reduction in
winter wear will be beneficial. If your course chooses to play golf during the
winter, decisions on playability of the golf course should be made on a daily
basis. If it is too wet or the greens are partially frozen, the risk for damage
is greater. The worst case scenario is thawed conditions at the immediate
surface and frozen conditions one or two inches below the surface. The bottom
line is, you must weigh the pros and cons for your individual situation and act
accordingly.
With the relatively warm weather, there are agronomic concerns too. On Poa
annua greens, isolated areas of active anthracnose have been reported this
winter. Monitor these conditions for the remainder of the winter and beyond. The
other major concern is whether Poa annua has even hardened-off
sufficiently to tolerate low temperatures. Warm temperatures reduce hardening in
Poa annua, making the grass more susceptible to winterkill. Without snow
cover, the grass has less insulation from sudden drops in temperature, which is
the primary cause of crown hydration, especially in grass that is not
sufficiently hardened. Time will tell, but this is a cause for concern in the
northern tier of the region. Enjoy some bonus golf when the opportunity arises,
but realize there are still concerns from winter traffic and Mother Nature.
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This article is from the most recent publication of the USGA Green Section Record. If you would like to subscribe for free to the Green Section Record follow this link. Green Section Record
Since 1921, the USGA Green Section
has published information on the proper maintenance and upkeep of golf
courses. Published under various titles, the Green Section Record
magazine, which many consider the authoritative voice on golf course management,
debuted in May 1963. In July 2010, the print publication changed to a weekly
digital magazine offering the latest information on golf course management,
turfgrass culture, environmental issues, research, and economic sustainability.
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