Frost and snow conditions are always interfering with early tee times. Getting you on the golf course is our first priority, but Mother Nature can be difficult to predict some days. Occasionally we require that the course be delayed for opening to prevent damage to the turfgrass.
The coldest part of the day is sunrise. The sun pushes the cold air in the atmosphere to the surface and this is when frost develops the most. Yet, the sun is certainly needed to melt the frost so the plants are playable.
North and west facing areas of trees and buildings are always the last to melt due to the lack of sun if any. Any trees to the east and south of greens, tees and fairways can help delay early tee times. If these areas are to congested with trees they do can far more damage than just delay tee times. Excessive shade to turfgrass can prohibit the development of the plant and it is not prepared to handle stress, especially heat and high traffic.
On a clear morning in the late fall, winter or early spring, it is a sure bet that frost will occur and be fairly heavy. Without clouds, there is nothing to buffer the ground from the sun pushing the cold air to the earth. You will notice on cloudy mornings far less chances of frost development, though it still can occur. The worst scenario is a clear morning and shortly after sunrise the clouds move in. The clouds trap that cold air at the surface and we see longer delays.
Later tee times in the winter usually take care of delays, though they still can occur. As I have mentioned in prior blogs, winter damage is the worst, because the plants can not recover at this time. Damage must wait until spring and proper growing conditions.
As snow melts and the grass reappears, the ground is still saturated. Before allowing carts on the golf course following a snow storm we are careful to make sure all areas are safe for cart traffic. With the many slopes on the course, our concern is the safety of the golfer and the turf.
North and west facing areas of trees and buildings are always the last to melt due to the lack of sun if any. Any trees to the east and south of greens, tees and fairways can help delay early tee times. If these areas are to congested with trees they do can far more damage than just delay tee times. Excessive shade to turfgrass can prohibit the development of the plant and it is not prepared to handle stress, especially heat and high traffic.
On a clear morning in the late fall, winter or early spring, it is a sure bet that frost will occur and be fairly heavy. Without clouds, there is nothing to buffer the ground from the sun pushing the cold air to the earth. You will notice on cloudy mornings far less chances of frost development, though it still can occur. The worst scenario is a clear morning and shortly after sunrise the clouds move in. The clouds trap that cold air at the surface and we see longer delays.
Later tee times in the winter usually take care of delays, though they still can occur. As I have mentioned in prior blogs, winter damage is the worst, because the plants can not recover at this time. Damage must wait until spring and proper growing conditions.
As snow melts and the grass reappears, the ground is still saturated. Before allowing carts on the golf course following a snow storm we are careful to make sure all areas are safe for cart traffic. With the many slopes on the course, our concern is the safety of the golfer and the turf.
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