Golf courses in areas such as Lake Tahoe and Flagstaff, Arizona, endured a winter that did not deliver a consistent snow “blanket” which helps to insulate and hydrate turf in winter dormancy. A mix of rain, snow and freezing temperatures resulted in thick ice that persisted for months on some golf course surfaces – from late November through April in some cases. In this update we will review the areas most damaged, the turf varieties experiencing the most damage, whether courses could have prevented the damage and how courses are working to recover – acknowledging that it will likely be mid-June until conditions are closer to golfer expectations.
Courses experienced the most damage in the following areas:
North-facing slopes and shaded areas
Closely mown turf on tees, fairways and approaches
Low areas or poorly drained areas
Higher-cut turf in roughs was generally spared
The turf variety experiencing the most damage:
This is an easy one – Poa annua experienced the most damage by far. This is no surprise and is consistent with previous years. However, Poa annua also has the greatest potential to fill in bare areas.
With the deep and persistent ice cover, even Kentucky bluegrass and bentgrass were not immune to damage on north-facing slopes and shaded areas.
Could courses have done more to prevent the damage?
The short answer is no. In fact, several superintendents with years of experience managing turf in these severe conditions revealed that they deployed more preventative measures than ever! Yet they still had severe and widespread damage.
Road to recovery:
Imagine walking a marathon, that is about the pace of turf recovery for courses in these high altitudes. Freezing nights and soil temperatures that won’t reach the mid-50s until early June will inevitably delay turf recovery.
Countless labor hours have already been spent clearing snow to improve sun exposure and thaw the frozen ground.
Shallow, solid-tine aeration on a tight spacing with three or four passes over damaged areas in fairways helps speed perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass seed germination and maturity.
Permeable seed germination blankets, tarps or even large rolls of Visqueen plastic sheets taped together are effective at warming the soil and expediting seed germination and maturity.
Dark-colored fertilizer products and painted kiln-dried sand are already being applied to increase soil temperatures.
Courses are seeding perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and even chewings fescues to encourage recovery.
Applying sand on top of seed is generally more successful than mulch. Multiple sand applications speed germination and recovery.
Daytime irrigation cycles are essential to encourage germination. This practice may require delaying course opening but is essential to maintain adequate surface soil moisture.
Light, frequent vertical mowing helps to encourage recovery and improve turf density.
Finally, observations from winter turf damage in 2019 revealed that Poa annua seemed to recover faster than anything else, likely from the robust seed bank stored in the soil. The images above were captured from April through June in 2019 on a course that experienced winter damage. While recovery was slow, the combination of Poa annua in the soil and seeded perennial ryegrass allowed this course to regain acceptable standards by June. Capturing images on a weekly basis can be very helpful to demonstrate recovery this year and for use in future years if similar winter damage occurs again.
At this point, courses are using all the necessary tools to expedite recovery, but the freezing nights and cold soil temperatures will remain a limiting factor. Golfers arriving to these fine courses from other climates are encouraged to show patience and know that damage at your course is likely similar to that experienced at neighboring courses.
Best wishes to any courses affected and please do not hesitate to contact the USGA agronomists in the West Region for more information. Through a Course Consulting Service visit, we can help you develop a detailed recovery plan specific to your course.
West Region Agronomists:
Brian Whitlark, senior consulting agronomist – bwhitlark@usga.org
Cory Isom, agronomist – cisom@usga.org
Information on the USGA’s Course Consulting Service
Contact the Green Section Staff