Frost Policy
When frosts occur it is important to alleviate plant stress as much as feasibly possible. Frost as we are all aware generally occurs between the months of November and April when grass is at its slowest growing or winter dormancy has set in. During this time damage caused to the plant tissue will heal slowly if at all, leaving the plant in a weakened state and making it vulnerable to disease pressures, particularly in the early spring. Frost on the golf course generally presents as three types them being, grass frost, partial profile frost and deep profile frost often similar to a perma frost.
In each situation, it is important to remember that every frost is different and decisions relating to the use of temporary greens are always made in the best interests of the turf. Frost as with any type of Ice causes water to expand therefore swelling cells within the grass plant. Damage can occur to the turf by trampling swollen plants that then fracture as a result of the pressure. This damage becomes noticeable at around 48-72 hours after the incident, appearing as dark bruising which can in extreme cases result in turf loss.
Although frost is an issue on all courses, we are aware of the need to balance playability of the golf course with turf agronomics. Each has to work hand in hand to the benefit of each other. Therefore in certain instances, greens will remain in play during times of frost. When making a decision about the state of the greens for play the green staff will take various factors into account including the type of frost, depth of frost, ground and air temperatures, long term temperature forecast, time of year, amount of play and visual turf condition.
Not an easy decision as you may imagine!
In regard to turf health though, the most dangerous frost for our turf is partial profile frost. In this instance, greens will freeze partially in the upper profile or partially in the lower profile depending on whether this is a new frost or a slow thaw from a full profile frost. When this occurs the unfrozen and frozen portions rub against each other like geological tectonic plates sliding across each other. This friction and shifting causes roots to snap at the junction of the frozen section, resulting in significant and catastrophic damage to the plant.
As a general rule of thumb then the following guidelines would apply in a frost.
- Surface Grass Frost – In times of plant grass frost if the temperatures are set to steadily increase as the day progresses, greens may remain on as the member of staff will have deduced that the frost will lift quickly and play will not be detrimental to the plant.
- Full Profile Frost - In times of full profile frost play may also continue as the profile will set like concrete making footprinting unnoticeable and resulting in no pitch marking. If a full frost of this nature continues for more than a couple of days then greens will return to temporaries to protect against sustained leaf damage.
- Partial Profile Frost – In times of partial profile frost greens will come off and be placed onto temporary surfaces for the protection of grass roots and the lower portion of the profile.
In all instances, any decision made is done so after careful consideration and is made for the good of the golf course with future surface preparation in mind. Although these guidelines above are there they are not set in stone and any decision made regarding the use of temporary greens will be done on a daily basis, having first observed turf condition and health. As greenkeepers, the health of the plant is always our number one priority, but please rest assured that if we can get a full course in play we will always endeavour to do so.
Regards Golf Course Manager
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