Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Snow

That was quite the storm last week. 10-14 inches depending on where you are located, makes for a beautiful setting but also required a lot of cleanup. Thanks to the work of our great staff here we were able to have the clubhouse open the next morning. 

I have been asked by numerous people how does the heavy snow fall impact the course? The snow cover has its pros and cons just like everything else. A heavy snow will provide a blanket of protection for the turf, keeping soil temps at or above freezing. It protects the turf from subzero temperatures and desiccation from strong, cold winds. This blanket however can promote snow mold on the turf, even though we treat in the fall preventatively for the disease. Snow mold is a fungus that thrives in cool, damp conditions and the insulation from the snow creates a perfect environment for it to thrive. If we happen to see some snow mold damage in the spring it will grow out once the soil and air temps warm enough to promote growth, but it definitely has an ominous appearance. You will more than likely see snow mold in the roughs come springtime as we do not treat them in the fall for economic reasons. At your home you will likely see snow mold as well in your lawns, especially where snow was piled. A good tip would be to rake these areas in the spring to help promote growth and loosen up the matted down turf. 

Below is a picture of university trials for snow mold prevention. The area on the left in the control or untreated area. Doing nothing is probably not the best option. 

Snow Mold trials at Wisconsin University



There are some issues that we may face due to the melting of the snow. While we would all like it to melt rapidly, this will cause flooding especially here at HMGC and Ten Mile Creek. On the other hand if we melt slowly the cooler night time temps could cause the water to refreeze and can kill turf, especially on greens. We apply a heavy coat of sand to greens when we close them in the fall to try and combat any ice freezing directly to the plant during the winter and with the freeze and thaw of springtime. 

Hopefully our preventative measures will be enough to not suffer any negative impacts of the winter. We will be monitoring all areas over the next few weeks and adjust accordingly to insure a smooth opening in the spring. 

Enjoy the warmup and maybe get out for a walk or two.