Golf Course Closed

The golf course is closed today due to the frozen/thawing turf, we hope that the warm weather will allow for play on temporary greens later next week.  Attached is a further explanation from the USGA concerning the impact of freeze and thaw effects on the surfaces from foot traffic.

"Traffic damage on frozen turf areas usually occurs during periods of freezing or thawing. The most devastating situation occurs when the grass blades and the upper one-half to one inch of soil has thawed, but the ground beneath their level remains frozen. Traffic will create a shearing action of the roots, rhizomes, and crown tissues at this time. This is comparable to cutting the plant tissue from the underlying root system with a sod cutter. Complete kill of leaves, crowns, and rhizomes can occur if the temperatures soon drop below 20° F. Symptoms from this severe injury include whitish to dark brown leaves that may mat on the surface. Once temperatures allow thawing to a depth of three to four inches, the probability of turf damage declines since about 75 percent of the root system is in the upper four inches of soil. Frequently soil probing is the only positive way to effectively monitor the freezing level. Traffic should be adjusted accordingly (USGA, 1984)."


Please stay tuned for updates on twitter, the Golf shop and the Grounds Blog.


Thank-you,


Pat O'Brien


Grounds Superintendent