Winter 2021 Update

 

After a favorable late fall and early winter, more seasonable conditions have set in. The snow we received in early January did not last long as warm days and rain events melted the approximate foot of snow that fell over the course of the month. The latest storm dropped around 50cm of snow with a cold snap that immediately followed. Looking at the long range forecast the snow could be sticking around into March. With the course free of snow and ice beforehand, except for portions of 4 green this blanket of snow could be favorable for the turf as is has a breathable cover to protect from the cold temperatures we are currently receiving. There can be a fine line of comfort in this optimism as this amount of snow cover can lead to ice buildup should temperatures warm up, thereby melting a portion of the snow and then refreeze if temperatures dip again. Winter still has a ways to go and the amount of snow on the course now which will mean the ice that was on the fourth green will remain for some time. The longer the duration of ice cover, the increase in the likelihood of damage to the turf that will require some work to bring back.

Back to the fourth green, which is a potential point of concern. The depth of trees that line the left side of the hole causes the green receives much less sunlight than most parts of the property, particularly at this time of the year where the angle of the sun is much lower than during summer. The rain that we received in late January melted a good portion of the snow and ice. But the sunny and windy days that followed really bared things off completely in the majority of the property. With the green being shaded for much of the day and the trees inhibiting air movement, portions of the fourth green have a layer of snow and ice varying in thickness of approximately 2-5”. Should this layer remain through to spring the likelihood of having some amount of damage to the green is high.

Green is in shade for much of the day in winter

Shoveled paths for water to drain, hoping to encourage ice to melt 

Long term members of the course are aware of the beating that this green takes. Many years it is the slowest to get into shape. Last season it was the only green to take a hit. Recovery was slow and it wasn’t until July that we had all pin locations at our disposal. 

There are many tools in our arsenal when it comes to growing out damaged turf. Options such as aeration, vertical mowing, overseeding, and fertilization are among many practices that can increase germination of seed as well as growth of new leaves on existing stands of turf. All of these measures are a curative means of reparation. Often underutilized are preventative measures. By increasing sunlight and airflow the time it takes for snow and ice to melt is greatly decreased, both in the accumulation throughout the winter as well as the time it takes for the turf to bare off in the spring and begin to come out of dormancy by taking in water and metabolizing carbohydrates created in the photosynthetic process.

The photo below further illustrates the impact that shade can create. Geoff has been using an app that, based on GPS coordinates, show the path of the sun at various times of the year:

Courtesy Geoff Hay

As you can see, the yellow line shows the path of the sun on June 20th, where we receive the maximum amount of sun as we approach the Summer Solstice. Even then, it is approximately 8am before the green receives full sun. Looking below slightly we see the path of the sun near the Spring Equinox  where it is after 10am before the green receives light. Though not shown in the picture, it is not hard to imagine how little sun the green receives in the run of a day. 

Highly shaded side taking longer to melt

I think that trees are an essential part of the golf course. They add beauty to the scenery, can provide protection by separating holes effectively, and provide the various environmental benefits that nature provides. Like every other portion of golf course maintenance, trees need maintenance. Left alone, the overgrowth of trees manifest themselves in several forms: The desired tree location 20 years ago may not necessary be advantageous as the tree goes through its lifespan. Ideally, the height of a tree at maturity is factored into the decision making process as to where they are planted. A common mistake made when planting is being placed too close together for the mature height can cause issues years down the road. A larger issue that occurs when trees are not maintained is that the trees have been dropping seeds and their offspring begin to propagate in close proximity to their parent. From a turf management standpoint the essential elements necessary for life; Sunlight, Airflow, and Water are being taken dis proportionally away from the turf as the trees can out-compete grass plants for all essential environmental factors. Also important to mention is that these trees and other plants out-compete each other for these elements and can inhibit the desired trees from being as healthy as possible. 

From a golfer’s standpoint, pace of play becomes an issue. An affliction that affects many courses is that the overgrowth is a cause for many lost balls or balls that take a long time to find. Areas that have been diligently maintained do not suffer from this quite so severely. Also the amount of unplayable lies is much lower in areas where trees are selectively pruned and brush and other woody plants are cut back. When a player hooks, or in my case, slices a shot into the woods, being able to locate your ball and be able to quickly pitch out does wonders for pace of play and the playing experience in general. I think of southern golf courses like Augusta, or Quail Hollow. The properties are filled with many beautiful, massive pine trees. But the undergrowth and propagation of new trees is reduced to where all of the factors that have been described in the previous two paragraphs are kept in mind and kept in check. The goal is not to clear cut every tree on the property, but there are many areas that have become overgrown. By not selectively removing trees as needed, the passive or resistant standards employed are actively preventing the golf course from being as good as it can be. By removing trees that are overcrowding each other, trees that are dead/dying/diseased, and by removing trees that are contributing the most to detrimental turf growth the golf course while making every effort to leave the trees that are most desirable will look and play better and will still have an assortment of beautiful trees throughout Oakfield. I believe that the work the maintenance team has completed recently between number 1 and 6 as well as the work done on 12 exemplifies and illustrates the possibility of improvement in other areas of the property. Something that I have noticed to be a big difference is the conditions on 1 Green. With the green complex heavily guarded by trees and brush to the rear and to both sides the green was subject to poor air flow and when conditions were hot and humid the green required much more input of water management and furthermore fungicide efficacy windows were tighter. After the work that the crew did at the end of the 2019 season that green went from being a top 5 green in terms of difficulty of maintenance on the property to somewhere in the middle of the pack. I was expecting much worse in June when conditions were unseasonably hot and very dry (not just in terms of precipitation events, which were few and far between, but the relative humidity on a day to day basis was abnormally low) and was pleasantly surprised when the green was not requiring as much water as I was anticipating.

Stay safe, everyone. Golf season will be here before you know it.