I think its officially here, we haven't had a "winter" in what seems like a few years. Not only are we having daily and weekly snow events but now we will have a polar vortex and the coldest recorded temperatures since 1994.
We are always asked what is the best kind of winter weather for the grass. With so many strange weather years over the last few seasons, its definitely hard to quantify what has been best, but we know that we don't want the grass to be exposed to the cold and wind or even ice for too long.
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| Greens roped off and ready for snow |
Prior to the snow we received a few rain events, this is good because it gives the ground and grass a bit of moisture helping keep everything well hydrated. Then by having a good blanket of snow we know that the grass is well protected and insulated from the harsh winter wind protecting the grass from dehydration and desiccation.
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| Groomer in Action |
With snow on the ground we have been open for ski season. All of the golf course greens were roped off to keep skiers off of the greens, and we wait for a six inch base before grooming to insure that there would be limited damage to the grass/ground underneath the snow.
Due to the volume of snow we have been grooming regularly, almost once a day but on average four days a week. We will not be grooming trails during the brutally cold days, but we will continue to groom based on snow and the amount the trail is used.
Respectfully,
Nick Marfise
Golf Course Superintendent
