19 Sep Stay Off The Frost
The attached photos show the resulting damage of cart and foot traffic on frozen turfgrass.
It’s important to stay off of frosted grass. Frost is nothing more than frozen dew that crystallizes on the grass. Being composed of 90% water, a grass blade freezes very easily, thereby making the normally pliable grass rigid and inflexible. Once frozen, the simple act of walking on the grass will cause it to break and rupture cell walls. Once the membrane is ruptured future re growth of the grass blade is significantly hindered. Golf Course grass, mowed shortest on fairways, tee boxes and greens is less robust and most susceptible to breakage.
When frosted grass is walked or driven on, immediate damage is not seen until about 48-72 hours after the damage has occurred, causing the grass to turn brown and die. The destruction of the grass, especially on the putting surface, opens the door for the growth of weeds and disease.
No signs of frost on the first tee? That doesn’t mean you will get the “all clear” sign for golf. Once the frost is totally clear, the maintenance staff will need time to catch up on course preparations before play can begin.
If you have an early tee time and it’s a cold morning, give the golf shop a call to check for a frost delay. If you are out for a morning walk on our trail system and you come to sections on the course, please stay on the trail or on the cart path when the turf is frozen.