Bonus Golf: Take Note of the Risks
By Darin S. Bevard, senior agronomist, Mid-Atlantic Region
January 31, 2012
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While
some light snow has fallen at times and reminded us that it is winter,
milder than normal temperatures have been the rule. Nicer weather has
allowed for more golf than usual to be played during the winter months,
but there may be consequences in the spring.
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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.
If there are any questions on winter play, give us a call. We will be
happy to visit with you about this issue and provide information that
may help with a tough decision.
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.
