What a difference a year can make.  Last year we were experiencing the warmest March on record and his year there is snow on the ground the last week of March.  This has the golf course in a very different place than we were a year ago.  Soil temperatures are still cold causing no growth to date of the turf on the golf course.  With Aerification scheduled for next week I hope we see some nice weather to wake up the turf and get some golfers on the course.

Understanding frost delays

Presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

In many regions of the country, golfers occasionally face frost delays in the spring, thus pushing back starting tee times. When frost is present golf course superintendents delay play until the frost has melted. This is done to prevent damage that affects the quality of the playing surface and could potentially be very expensive to repair.

Frost is basically frozen dew that has crystallized on the grass, making it hard and brittle. A grass blade is actually 90 percent water, therefore it also freezes. Because of the short mowing height (sometimes as low as 1/8 inch) and fragile nature of the turf, putting greens are most affected by frost. Walking on frost-covered greens causes the plant to break and cell walls to rupture, thereby losing its ability to function normally. When the membrane is broken, much like an egg, it cannot be put back together.

Golfers who ignore frost delays will not see immediate damage. The proof generally comes 48-72 hours later as the plant leaves turn brown and die. The result is a thinning of the putting surface and a weakening of the plant. The greens in turn become more susceptible to disease and weeds. While it may not appear to be much of an issue if a foursome begins play early on frost covered greens, consider the number of footprints that may occur on any given hole by one person is approximately 60. Multiply that by 18 holes with an average of 200 rounds per day and the result is 216,000 footprints on greens in a day or 6,480,000 in a month.

As golf enthusiasts superintendents do not like to delay play, but they are more concerned about turf damage and the quality if conditions for the golfer. Frost also creates a hardship on a golf facility's staff as all course preparations are put to a halt until thawing occurs. Golf carts can cause considerable damage, therefore personnel cannot maneuver around the course to mow, change cup positions, collect range balls, etc.

One technique employed to reduce possible frost damage is to raise the cutting height of mowers to create a hardier surface. It may also be possible to reroute play to holes where the frost melts more quickly. But regardless of these methods, the best medicine is for all to understand the hows and whys of the delay and in turn gain a greater appreciation for the golf course. It would also be wise to give the course a phone call before heading out to play to see if tee times have been pushed back due to frost.

The rock project on the hillside below the first tee is complete.  Thank you to the MGA and LGA for their help with this project.
What a beautiful day we had for golf today.  I hope that everyone is prepared for the cooler temperatures we are supposed to receive over the next few days. We may see a little frost on the pumpkin over the weekend!

Oh what a difference a few weeks can make.  March felt like summer and April feels like spring.  The golf course continues to round into shape.  Greens continue to heal from spring aerification and putting quality is improving everyday.   The picture above is of the green surround on #18.  Currently we are removing the cool season turf from the surround and replacing it with Zoysia. We are removing the Zoysia from #10 fairway for this project.  It will take a few weeks for the Zoysia to get established but once it does this will be a big improvement.  Green surrounds have been a weakness on the golf course during the heat of the summer over the past few seasons.  The Zoysia will hold up to the traffic and heat far better than the cool season turf giving us a far superior playing surface.

Source: Lee Miller, University of Missouri

March turned out to be the warmest March on record. The first mow of the fairways was completed on March 29th.  This is roughly three weeks earlier than over the past few seasons.  Spring aerification has been completed on the greens.  The weather cooperated and the work was completed on schedule.  Although aerification is an inconvenience to the golfer it is vital to the health of our turf.  Aerification relieves compaction and allows oxygen to get down into the soil profile.  This creates a healthier plant that can better with stand the stresses of a Missouri summer.   In just a few short weeks the greens will be back to normal. Thank you for your patience.

It has been a wet week around the golf course.  As of this morning we have received 4.25 inches of rain since Monday.  Here is a picture of the landscape bed on #11. We cleaned it up, put down landscape fabric and mulched between rain showers. 

This past week we rebuilt both of the bridges on #7.  The top photo is before, the second photo is of demolition, and the third is the finished product.

The weather continues to warmup.  Fertilizer and pr-emergent herbicides are starting to go down .  Soil  temperatures are on the rise hoovering in the upper 40's to  low 50's.  Five consecutive days of temperatures above 55 degrees will cause crabgrass to begin to germinate. If any of you are planning to fertilize and pr-emerge your lawns you will want to get the product out over the next couple of weeks.