Update: Why the Course is Closed?

The snow has melted, but there is still no golf?  This is the question that I am sure that all of you have asked yourself, so I am going to answer the why.  Though the snow has melted, the playing surfaces have only thawed to about 2 to 3 inches.  There are other golf courses in the area that are open, and I want to explain why?  Hickory Ridge and Franklin County have greens that probably are thawed.  Hickory Ridge has 18 greens and Franklin County has 9 greens that are comprised of predominately sand particles in the rootzone.  Sand rootzones tend to drain water and thaw more quickly than the modified push up or soil greens that we have at Crab Orchard.  Our greens have a fair amount of silt and clay.  These soil constituents help the profile hold more water than a rootzone made of 100% sand.  If we remember, we had a large amount of rain in December, and the greens froze due to sub normal temperatures after this rain event.  The water from these previous rains, plus the water from the melting snow, have made the greens very wet.  Earlier, I stated that our greens have thawed about 3 inches.  Under the thawed layer, the surface is still frozen, and there is no place for the extra water from the thaw to go.  The extra water is making each and every step on the greens bring significant amounts of water to the surface.  This is especially true on Green #5.  This green has no drainage and an adjacent underground drainage line that has collapsed.  This situation is allowing the green to be so saturated that the cup is completely full of water.  This situation is why when the course opens, there is a possibility that the course will be limited to nine holes.  So, you can imagine the frozen layer being like a concrete surface and the thawed layer being like a wet piece of bread.  The traffic from footsteps on the greens would be compacting the thawed layer and shearing the root length of the bentgrass.  It is important to remember that as a golfer walks across a green, the amount he weighs is distributed in # per square inch of his shoe size.  I weigh 226#, so that is 226 # per square inch of each of my foot steps.

This is why we as Superintendents, often have to make play calls that are beneficial for the turf, but not for the membership.  I have posted a link below that I feel will explain in detail by a USGA agronomist, why winter play is of a critical nature when talking about the health of the turf in the following growing season.

By Adam Moeller, Agronomist
December 16, 2008Many golfers will argue that winter play has virtually no impact on putting green health and that greens should be available for use throughout the year. This is an argument that superintendents and course officials often face this time of year as the pressure builds to keep the greens open. Putting green damage from traffic stress may occur when frost is present, and often results in tee time delays in the autumn/spring. Traffic on frozen greens has less potential for significant permanent damage (i.e. compaction, severe foot rutting), but it is important to remember that turf thinning is common because recovery at this time of year is unlikely, so damage is cumulative until growth resumes in the spring. If frozen greens thaw during the day, however, golfer traffic may cause shearing of the upper profile (the thawed layer) from the still frozen soil below, which could severely compromise turf health and future playability. As such, closing the greens on days when thawing is possible is recommended. Unfortunately, the moderate temperatures needed for thawing frozen greens are enticing for winter play by golfers, which obviously compounds the pressure to keep the greens open. This leaves us at a crossroad. Do what's best for the turf or what's best for the golfers? The answer is undeniably do what is best for the turf!

If winter play is a controversial topic at your facility I urge you to ask the following question. What is the purpose of winter play? I doubt golfers want to compromise turf health or future playability. Instead, winter play allows golfers to work on their swing, get outdoors, and stay active and exercise. It is nearly impossible for the maintenance staff to prepare the course, much less the greens, to a high quality level with smooth, consistent surfaces during the winter months, which most golfers (hopefully) understand. That being said, it is unlikely that golfers are trying to shoot their low round of the year or fine tune their putting stroke. In the Northeast, scores are not posted for handicap purposes in the winter. Therefore, well planned temporary greens can accommodate equal playability for golfers while providing them all of the previously mentioned benefits. More importantly, temporary greens virtually eliminate the potential for traffic stress on the putting greens, so eliminating winter traffic on greens leaves them in better shape for the prime season when conditions count most.

The argument for closing the greens during the winter months is the same for every course in the Northeast. The decision is ultimately up to superintendent and course officials. Nonetheless, ask yourself the following question. What is the purpose of winter play at our course and can we accommodate those golfers without compromising putting green health and future playability with temporary greens? My hope is the answer is YES!

Northeast Region Green Section- Dave Oatis, Director doatis@usga.org ; Adam Moeller, Agronomist amoeller@usga.org ; Jim Skorulski, Senior Agronomist jskorulski@usga.org .

Thanks and I hope you have a better understanding of why we can't allow play during certain times of the winter, and how it will affect the turf quality in the Spring of the year!  Again, if there are any questions, put a comment in the comment box below.

Shannon