Notice anything missing?

With the end of the golf season approacing, the grounds staff has begun removing course accessories from the golf course. The drinking fountains located at the bathrooms on #6 were disconnected last week to prevent water from freezing in the lines and causing damage. In addition, the water coolers and tee signs were brought in and put away for the winter. The next item to be brought in will most likely be ballwashers. Ballwashers need to be brought in before the liquid inside freezes as this would cause them to crack. Along with course accessories, most of the hitting mats on the driving range tee were brought in and the remainder will be taken in Friday in conjunction with the closing of the range for the season. These tasks are completed once we get caught up blowing and mulching leaves and periodic mowing. All of this work is to prepare the golf course for winter and make sure we are not surprised when the first snow comes. The next few weeks will be busy as we will be blowing out the irrigation system, applying snow mold protection, and preparing to cover greens just to name a few things. Lets hope the weather in November cooperates and we are able to complete everything without any problems.

First frost

Monday morning (10/14) we had the first frost of the fall season. Overnight low temperatures were down in the low 30's and skies were clear which is a combination that will almost always result in frost. However, having temperatures around or below freezing does not neccessarily mean frost will develop. Heavy cloud cover can trap heat given off by living organisms and keep the ground warm enough to avoid frost. Conversely, air temperatures can be in the mid to upper 40's and frost can still develop if skies are clear overnight and there is no wind.

It is important to stay off the turf when frost is present. Frost occurs when the water in the turfs cells freeze. Traffic on this turf can cause the ice to rupture the cells resulting in turf injury.