A bit about insulation.

Left side of nine fairway, note the exposure at the top of the mound

In one of our earlier posts we talked about the insulating properties of snow.  While out checking the course last week we took this picture that illustrates the theory.  This mounding, on the left side of number 9, had the upper portion exposed to the wind and cold, while the lower portion was covered with snow for most of the winter.  As you can see the exposed portion is dried out and wind burnt, and bottom looks relatively healthy.  Obviously the lower portion of the mound will have a faster recovery rate than the upper portion.  Our concern at this point is that if we have an extended cold period, the lower portion will be exposed to conditions that will set it back.  Ideally the winter would provide us with enough snow coverage that the turf is insulated, and then in the spring when the snow melts, the conditions stay warm enough as to not damage the turf.  We have proven this using the information from the data loggers, the thicker the snow layer, the less fluctuations in temperatures. In Atlantic Canada we can't rely on how much snow the winter will bring, so to protect the more exposed greens from the cold wind and temperature flux, we cover them with tarps.  In the spring, when the snow is gone (if we have had any), the “green house effect” from the tarps helps to maintain warmer conditions.  

Right side of six in the rough. 

The drawback to having the snow coverage for most of the year is the possibility of snow mould forming under the snow.  To prevent this we spray a fungicide on the higher priority areas of the golf course.  All greens, tees and fairways are treated with this fungal protection; however an application to the rough would be far too expensive.  The snow mould development in the rough is less of a concern because the turf is grown at a longer length and under less stress than the close mowed areas.  We took this picture of a mounding on the right side of number six.  The snow mould has developed and scarred the Blue grass, but the turf should recover when the environmental conditions no longer support fungal growth.  When treating the greens in the fall we often spray a lap around the outside of the collar to prevent the snow mould from creeping into the green.  The picture on the left shows the line where the rough was treated and untreated.