WINTER GREENS PLAY

Yes we are closed again after last Monday and Tuesdays snow /ice event. The snow and ice are melting, but slowly due to colder temperatures and the ice over the snow cover. This weekend the temperature is suppose to reach almost 50 on Sunday. But the greens will take a little longer to thaw out. With bentgrass greens playing on frosted, frozen, or partially- thawed greens is a big dilemma, and often the most heated discussions! Golfers understand frost delays, but believe that playing on frozen greens does no damage. To a large extent, this is simply not the case unless the frost line is three to four inches deep and play is very light. Greens thawed out in the upper 1/4 to 1/2 inch are subject to the greatest degree of damage because, under traffic, the roots are shear off at the the frost line. Partially - thawed conditions usually occur in the Carolina's more this time of year then anywhere else in the country. So winter golfers here have to learn to be more tolerant to restrictions. To answer the next question often ask about why carts are restricted to the path more in winter. Wear injury on frozen dormant bermuda may be less acute. Bermuda can recovery relatively quickly from foliar damage during warm growing weather. However longer - lasting or permanent damage can be can be expected when traffic injures the crow or basal stem region where the plants regenerative tissues are located. this damage to the crown area occurs during during periods of thaw. when soft or saturated surface soils overlay frozen soils. winter traffic will thin the turf canopy in areas where traffic is concentrated or play is heavy. This damage can be noticeable well into spring and early summer. The soil is also impacted severely by winter traffic. Totally frozen soil is damaged the least. But wet or partially thawed soil over satured soil is most prone to damage from compaction and rutting effects. This effects not only drainage but the hard compacted soil will remain cooler in the spring(delay growth) and retain more heat in in summer. So cart restrictions are in use more in the winter then summer, due to other issues then just being wet from rain or snow.