Writing a regional update on a 50-degree day with full sun and no clouds makes me, and everyone else, think spring has finally arrived. Meteorologically, March is the onset of spring and this brings excitement to golf course maintenance staffs and golfers alike. Watching the snow melt outside your home or office window lets your mind wander to the upcoming season and all the great shots and courses you plan to play.
I do not want to stop your daydreaming, I am doing the same, but there needs to be a reminder that the weather getting better does not necessarily mean the course is ready for play. All the water from melting snow needs somewhere to go. While the snow might be gone, the ground could be frozen in areas. This will create saturated conditions because water cannot penetrate the profile. Even if the ground isn’t frozen, cool temperatures and relatively short days mean it will take a while for courses to dry out from the winter.
Soggy, saturated soils are not good for golf anyway, and they certainly are not conducive to handling traffic. Even when the course is finally snow free, it is likely wetter than it appears. This is unfortunately the case every spring and this year will be no different. Whatever traffic damage occurs in the coming weeks will linger at least until the grass resumes active growth, which could still be 30 days from now.
Daydream away, I certainly am, and do not get down that the golf season might not arrive as soon as you want – it will be here very soon. In the meantime, let the maintenance staff wrap up winter projects and prepare the course for another great season.
Northeast Region Agronomists:
Adam Moeller, director, Green Section Education – amoeller@usga.org
Darin Bevard, director, Championship Agronomy – dbevard@usga.org
Elliott Dowling, agronomist – edowling@usga.org
John Daniels, agronomist – jdaniels@usga.org