It has been cold this week and the course is not happy about it! We had two days in the mid to lower 40’s and I pulled a 50 degree soil temp from the greens on Wednesday. When the air and soil temps get that low our warm season grass growth substantially slows down. When that happens, the plant slows down, it produces less chlorophyll and goes “off color”. The hybrid Bermuda TifEagle greens tend to exhibit the most dramatic color change and can look purple and brown during cold weather. These conditions are usually temporary and once the temperatures rebound into the 80’s, the turf will start to green up again.
Here are a few examples of greens that look dry but in reality are really just cold 🥶
During this time of year when growth is slow it is especially important to take care of the course. That means practicing proper course etiquette:
90 degree rule
(see this video on how to properly execute the 90 degree rule https://youtu.be/xqND6Xzc-X8?si=lSxO_aMmk7jP8bJN)
Keep all 4 tires on the cart path around tees and greens
Fill divots in the fairways
Repair ball marks on the greens (see below)
Pick up your feet up so that you aren’t scuffing up the green surface
Pulling the pin or using the ball lifter to remove your ball instead of reaching into the hole to get the ball out of the cup
Here is a picture of scuffing on the greens. The scuffing below is just one area but can often be the entire length or width of the green.
As you can see in this picture, part of the cup edge gets displaced from reaching into the cup with your hand or putter. Often times the back of the had brushes the edge and knocks it off, damaging the edge.
I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf!
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