The Big Melt

Another week of North Peace weather has left many of us wondering if spring will ever arrive. Much of the preseason prep work done at Links was brought to a halt or buried by the latest round of snow falls. When asked Thursday when play might begin, Len could only shrug and say "as soon as the white stuff is gone". The good news is it will go, and go quickly. Environment Canada is calling for double digit plus side temperatures and, as a drive trip to Dawson Creek or Grande Prairie demonstrates, the big melt is already underway in the South Peace. We just seem to be a week or so behind.

The bad news is, when it comes the big melt could also slow things down. Before the last round of snow, the effects of rapid runoff were easy to see in FSJ's streets. Foot deep puddles, clogged drains and manholes that looked more like geysers were keeping city workers and steam trucks hopping as they tried to guide the flow to less harmful or inconvenient places. The same process will be in play at Links. Run off ditches along number 9 fairway, the drainage paths on 1 and 5, the trees between 3 and 4, the stream behind number 2 green and number 3 tee box are all low spots prone to run off overflow. The manhole cover near the washroom at number 5 tee is tied into the city storm drains and has been known to back up in the past, and the swamp between 8 and 9 fairways can only hold so much before it overflows onto cartpaths and fairways. At Thursday's Commercial League meeting Len mentioned the new water hazard on 5, but for the short term every hole on the course will be a water hole!

Run off has to go somewhere, and where it prefers to go is down. Low spots are to first to puddle up. Compounding the issue is that frozen ground is not a receptive media. Turf that will thirstily soak up surface moisture in June simply will not accept it in April. Most of the air pockets that would take up the run off are still clogged with ice, and so the water surges on. So long as it stays in or near the ditches, ponds or dugouts created to guide its flow, problems are limited to stream bank erosion. Once water has left its regular courses though, damage can get more extensive and expensive. 

Fortunately turf grass has its own defenses. Well rooted and thickly established grass protects soil providing a barrier between flowing water and valuable topsoil. Saturated greens and fairways will puddle up, forming areas of standing water, but still puddles are not nearly as damaging or as difficult to deal with as running water. Water itself is a penetrating and thawing force, and as temperatures warm up, standing water is quickly reabsorbed by the course or evaporated by sun and wind.

So, for at least one more week, patience is still the name of the game. The warmer weather is on its way and the great melt has begun! Easter comes late this year and sadly, opening day might too, but as sure as the suns going to rise and waters going to flow, golfers are going to be back at Links sooner than you think!