Fore the Golfer: Frost Delays
F
rost is essentially frozen dew. Ice crystals visible on
the outside of the plant can also form on the inside
of grass blades. The grass plant, normally resilient to
footsteps or cart traffic, becomes brittle and fragile when
ice crystals form. Under the pressure of traffic, ice crystals
puncture living plant tissues and rupture plant cells.
Damage will not appear right away, but it will show
up in footsteps and tire tracks the following days as the
plant is unable to repair itself and begins to die. Frost
damage can occur on any turfgrass mowed at any height
but it is amplified when the plant is mowed low, as on a
putting green. In a best-case scenario, damage will be
limited to leaf blades only, which will eventually disappear
once active turf growth resumes. However, if the plant
crown, or growing point of the plant, is compromised,
damage will be more severe and recovery could take
months.
Keep in mind, a foursome typically takes several
hundred footsteps on each green, so even allowing just
a few groups to play when frost is present can be very
damaging to the greens, and the rest of the golf course
for that matter. It is not completely understood when frost
will cause damage, so the decision to keep traffic off the
golf course must be made conservatively to protect the
condition of the course. For this reason, golf facilities are
wise to close the course to play or delay starting times
until frost has completely melted. ~ By USGA
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Connecticut State Golf Association