Waiting on Winter

Looking outside this morning its hard to imagine that folks are hoping to be teeing it up in just over a month. It still looks pretty white out there but spring is coming and the grounds crew at FSJ Links will need to be ready. As I mentioned last week one of the most important steps in prepping the course will be pulling the protective covers off the greens and tees and assessing the course for winter damage.

When it comes to covering or uncovering greens and tees timing is very important. The grass needs time to "harden" off and acclimate to colder temperatures in the fall. Installing the blankets too soon or too late could mean damaged grass in the spring. Similarly pulling the covers too early or too late in the spring can also result in weak or damaged grass. Anyone who has spent any time in the Peace country knows that our wildly unpredictable weather can make it a challenge to find just the right time to pull off the covers.

Moisture is the principal culprit when it comes to winter damage. Too much can lead to ice cover and winter kill. Too little and plants dry out and die. Snow cover provides insulation through the winter and valuable moisture in the spring, but can also provide good growing conditions for snow mould. Grey snow mould is a common disease of turfgrasses in areas where there are over 90 days of continuous snow cover during the winter. And, as with most problems, its better to prevent mould than to have to fix it later! Hopefully our fall preparations will see us get off to a great start this spring.

So, while we all play the waiting game, its even harder on the grounds crew than the golfers. Waiting to see the hand that Mother Nature has dealt us this year is a little bit like opening a Christmas present from a quirky relative. Will it be something great or a major disappointment. Whatever the result, we are still anxiously looking forward to getting at it!