There’s no doubt about it, this winter has put the entire Southeast on arctic alert. Superintendents have been forced to remain vigilant over their golf courses while balancing the demands of winter play against unusually harsh environmental conditions. From ice storms in Tennessee, to significant snowfall in the Carolinas, to falling iguanas in South Florida, the region has experienced a winter we want to forget. Maintenance staff members have braved the elements just to get to work, staring in disbelief at the temperature display on their dashboards.
During prolonged cold snaps, protecting putting greens requires the use of covers, careful moisture management, and reduced mowing and traffic. After extended freezing events, superintendents must evaluate turf response before returning to normal maintenance routines. As weather conditions improve and temperatures rise, the focus on greens should shift toward disease prevention and root health through timely fungicide applications of azoxystrobin (Heritage), tebuconazole (Torque), cyazofamid (Segway), mefenoxam (Subdue Maxx) and aluminum tris (Signature XTRA Stressgard or other phosphonate products) for Pythium, fairy ring and other soil pathogens to support the spring transition. Additionally, be vigilant with drier weather patterns as they will increase the risk of nematode damage. Preemergence herbicide applications across the golf course should be carefully timed based on soil temperatures and not on calendar dates that may differ significantly from last year with all the cold weather we’ve had. Right now, superintendents are calling audibles, and that’s OK. Mother Nature has the final say when it comes to the tactics and timing of golf course maintenance practices.
Even as many of us in the golf course maintenance industry gathered in Orlando for the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, the Sunshine State delivered its own winter blast. As we head back home, we do so recharged by education sessions, fresh ideas discovered on the trade show floor, and a renewed sense of camaraderie. You may be returning to cold weather, downed branches or concerns about winter injury – but hopefully you can do so with sharpened focus and readiness for the challenges awaiting on your golf course. Don’t worry, spring will arrive in the Southeast before we know it!
Southeast Region Agronomists:
Jordan Booth, Ph.D., senior director, USGA Course Consulting Service – jbooth@usga.org
Chris Hartwiger, director, Agronomy – chartwiger@usga.org
Chris Neff, agronomist – cneff@usga.org
Mitch Leininger, agronomist - mleininger@usga.org