As the soil begins to freeze and the weather gets too cold for most people to play golf, a small jump in winter temperatures can create sudden excitement to play. A day with high temperatures in the low 50s can entice a golf course to reopen for play to make golfers happy and generate winter revenue. While it may be nice to sneak in some “bonus golf,” it is important to consider golf course agronomics before reopening. If the soil at the surface is thawed from the warmer weather but remains frozen below, root shearing is possible.
Root shearing occurs when the upper layer of the soil is soft and malleable, while the roots below are solidly frozen in place. When the upper layer of soil moves due to cart or foot traffic, the roots that are still frozen below become severed. When the soil is completely frozen or completely thawed, root shear is less prevalent. Damaged turf from root shear will be evident the following growing season, especially in the early spring.
The effective rooting depth of turfgrasses impacts how efficiently they can obtain water and nutrients. Grass plants with shorter roots, such as those that have experienced root shearing, are less traffic tolerant and more likely to become drought stressed. It is hard to remediate the damage from root shearing in the short term, so prevention is much easier.
When warmer weather comes this winter, evaluate the risks of root shearing before reopening the course. Golfers must also understand that course conditions will not be optimal. Certain maintenance practices, like mowing or rolling, may not be performed to minimize root shearing and other disruption to playing surfaces. If you have any questions or concerns about winter play on your golf course, reach out to your regional USGA agronomist.
Central Region Agronomists:
Zach Nicoludis, regional director – znicoludis@usga.org
Tom Gould, agronomist – tgould@usga.org