As a result of temperature swings through much of the North Central U.S. this winter, golfers have had the opportunity to sneak in some rounds during warm stretches. Even though temperatures may be warm enough for golf, the turf is still dormant and not able to recover from wear and tear caused by play, especially divots.
Considering how many golf courses see rounds played well into the fall and early winter, it is likely that unrecovered divots are still visible from the last rounds played in 2023. These divots, along with any generated during late winter and early spring, will not recover until soil temperatures increase and growth resumes. The offseason is an opportune time to get creative with tee marker placement so more divots are taken in areas that are not typically used during the golf season.
Placing the tee markers in underused locations spreads out wear on the tees. It also takes some pressure off the primary landing areas since shots will end up in different locations. Golfers get a different look at certain holes and have a different club in their hand, which adds some variety to their experience. Who knows, you may find new options for setting up the golf course that can occasionally be worked into the rotation in summer. You have a lot of flexibility with teeing locations at this time of year because golfers are not recording scores from rounds played at northern courses, so their handicaps will not be impacted.
Getting creative with tee marker placement during the offseason may not solve the divot issues at your course completely, but it will certainly help. For more tips on managing winter play, reach out to your regional USGA agronomist.
Central Region Agronomists:
Zach Nicoludis, regional director – znicoludis@usga.org
Paul Jacobs, agronomist – pjacobs@usga.org