Frost Delays

Unfortunatly, the cold weather is uppon us, and the number of days with good weather for golfing are diminishing rappidly. We have had great weather to this point though. we have had an unseasonably warm October so far. We are expecting a hard frost this weekend. I wanted to get some information out to our golfers to let you know that I don't allow you to play golf in the frost for good reasons. I thought I'd let an outside source do the talking this time. So here's an article from the GCSAA (Golf Course Superintendents Association of America) about Frost Delays.


How can a footprint be a killer?

When it's a footprint made on a putting surface that's covered with frost. It's hard to believe that simply walking across a golf green covered with frost can cause so much damage, but the proof will be there in a few days as the turfgrass dies and leaves a trail of brown footprints. That's why most courses will delay starting times until the frost has melted. And it's also why golfers who appreciate a quality putting surface will be patient during frost delays.

Why does frost cause problems?

Greens are fragile. The putting surface, or green, is an extremely fragile environment that must be managed carefully and professionally. Remember that every green is a collection of millions of individual grass plants, each of which is a delicate living thing. Obviously, Mother Nature never meant for these plants to be maintained at 3/16 or even 1/8 of an inch for prolonged periods. This stress makes greens constantly vulnerable to attacks from insects, disease, heat, drought, cold -- and frost.

Frost is essentially frozen dew. It can form when the temperature (or wind chill) is near or below the freezing point. The ice crystals that form on the outside of the plant can also harden or even freeze the cell structure of the plant. When frosted, the normally resilient plant cells become brittle and are easily crushed. When the cell membranes are damaged, the plant loses its ability to function normally. It's not much different than cracking an egg. Once the shell is broken, you can't put it back together.

The proof is in the prints

Although you won't see any immediate damage if you walk on frosted turf, the proof will emerge within 48 to 72 hours as the leaves die and turn brown. And, since just one foursome can leave several hundred footprints on each green, the damage can be very extensive.

Thanks for understanding

The damage isn't just unsightly -- putting quality will also be reduced until repairs are made. Those repairs are expensive and, in some cases, the green may have to be kept out of play for days or weeks until the new turfgrass is established. A short delay while the frost melts can preserve the quality of the greens, prevent needless repairs and may even save you a few strokes the next time you play.

Aerification

Anyone who has played at the course in the last week knows that we have aerified the greens last Monday. They have been healing in great. Unfortunately on the day that we had planned to start the temperatures reached a scorching 96 degrees and caused a slight degree of damage to 4 greens. It is not severe damage, as I look through the damaged canopy area I could see green leaves trying to emerge within 3 days of aerifying.
I am trying some different methods this time, and so far I have been pleased with the results. I have increased the fertilizer levels by 25%. I have changed the type of initial fertilizer that I use also; the jury is still out on that one. I have also decided not to increase the height of cut drastically this year during the grow-in process. I am hoping that a tighter mowing practice through this time will encourage more lateral movement by the plant. I am happy with this process so far.
I know that nobody likes playing on greens that have holes and sand all over them. Keep this in mind, Tom Watson shot his personal best record low round on aerified greens. So, remember to hit it firm and at the back of the cup. We should be healed within the next 2 weeks.
Thanks for bearing with us.

Native Areas

It is finally Fall! Temperatures are falling, as the leaves start to also. This has been the hottest summer season that I can remember going through in the last ten years of working on golf courses in the middle Tennessee area. Thankfully, that is all over for now. Now is also the time to plant any cool season grasses that you might have been contemplating in your yard if you have bluegrass or fescue. I am taking advantage of this time of year to plant some natural areas in some wasted space on the golf course.
I am sure that most of you have noticed the dead tilled areas on the course where we have been working, sometimes creating a dust bowl. All of these areas have been seeded or will be seeded with a 3-way blend of tall fescue. After seeding we will do everything that we can to get as much water on the seed as possible, with a little help from Mother Nature hopefully. So if there is water running close to these areas please don’t call it in to the golf shop. After we see some seedlings emerging from the soil we will apply a starter fertilizer to really get the plant some food after it uses up its own reserves. We will continue watering throughout the whole grow in process.
When this project is complete we should have some areas that create a certain amount of separation between holes, provide barriers for homeowners, provide a natural habitat for animals, redirect cart traffic in the correct direction, and reduce some maintenance time so that we can work in other areas of the course. I have been approached by a few homeowners that have referred to these areas as weed areas. This is not correct. A weed is defined as any plant that is growing in an area that it is not desired. They are Native areas that serve many purposes. When they are all complete they should be about 3-4 foot tall large expanses of seed heads. It may take one growing season to get the plant to maturity. So, please bear with me on these areas I think that in time they will benefit the course greatly.
And, please, please, please don’t drive in these areas.