Deep Freeze

The frigid temperatures we experienced this morning were some of the coldest that I can remember in several years.  And even though we don't always like it, the cold weather benefits the golf course.  Freeze/thaw cycles, along with frost heaving, is nature's way of aerifying and occurs when soil moisture freezes.  The resulting ice fractures the soil and literally pushes it apart, creating new channels for air and water.  As the temperature warms in the Spring the heaved soil will return to normal as it thaws, but some of the fractures that formed during the winter will remain.  These fractures allow for improved air, water, and nutrient movement, which ultimately leads to new root growth.  The other benefit of cold weather is the suppression of insect, fungal pathogen, and weed populations.  Mild winters the last couple of years have allowed the populations of these pests to grow, and our primary means of control has been through chemical use (insecticides, fungicides & herbicides).  If we continue to experience freezing temperatures over the next couple of months the populations could be reduced to a level that allows us to use less pesticides during the season.

Course Update 1/11/2013

Even though the forecast calls for milder temps, the golf course will be closed to all play this weekend.  There was still a considerable amount of snow in some areas this morning, which when combined with the rainfall during the day and already saturated ground, leads to an extremely wet golf course.  Compaction occurs very easily under these conditions, and walking on saturated turf can have lingering effects.  A good practice after snow melt/rain events during the winter is to check all the surface drains and make sure they are not blocked and working properly.  Standing water around a backed up drain will turn into ice which can kill turf if it persists for too long.