Snow and Ice - the USGA's take

A noticable ice layer under all that snow on #3 green.

By far the number one question of late has been "is this snow cover good or bad?"  Most of you have heard me lament about snow mold and various issues that can arise with extended snow cover, but it hasn't been a concern in recent years due to warm winters.  This year is a different story.  We have been under snow cover for the better part of 2014.

Snow itself isn't really much of a concern.  In fact, it has likely been a help with the record low temperatures we've had this year.  Much like an igloo, it provides protection and insulation from wind dessication and extreme temperatures.  Snow mold pressure is definitely a concern, but with the plant protectants we applied in the late fall, we should still be ok.

The thing we worry about is ice.  Since our greens are between 50-90% Poa annua, continuous encasement in ice can be a worry (bentgrass can handle winter much better).  Toxic gases can build up and cause damage especially after 40-60 days of continuous coverage.  Our greens were quickly thawed and refrozen by a rain storm during the brief thaw and rain in mid-January followed immediately by more snow.  This created an ice layer on our greens between a quarter and three-quarters of an inch.  The more shaded the green, the greater the ice (add this to the long list of why we don't like trees around greens).   I was hoping the thaw we just got through would take care of the problem, but as you can see, it didn't really do much at all.

The problem also is that going out and removing the insulating layer may do more harm than good.  Speaking with other superintendents and turf scientists at Ohio State, the snow melting and constantly re-freezing on an uncovered green can be even more of a problem than a few extra days in ice coverage.  Looking at our coming weather and temperature pattern, I would be more worried to remove the protection as of now.  There have been superintendent's out already (mostly at higher-budget well-staffed facilities) that have been blowing and shoveling off their greens all winter long even using aerifiers to bust up ice layers for removal.  I don't believe this is necessary and could even be detrimental in some cases.  Most people in our area are adopting a "monitor, wait and see" approach.

I am not too concerned.  I have been out to several greens and chipping through the ice and sniffing for the distinct sulfur smell that could indicate trouble (see article below).  As of now, I haven't detected any.  Should the ice coverage last too much longer, we will continue to be diligent and monitor conditions.

Below is a link to an article from the USGA Green Section that explains their take and gives a few more details for consideration.

Click Here - Our USGA Regional Agronomist gives his opinion on snow/ice removal

Click Here - USGA Article on snow cover

Water Project Update - Everybody's grumpy.

I haven't written about our water project in awhile because quite frankly everybody is grumpy.  This long cold winter is taking its toll on people and the last thing I want to do is provide more "fuel" for the "grumpy fire".  However, Spring is sneaking up on us and it's time to put out the grumpy fire and start a fresh conversation on this important project.


Last summer, when test well number one was being drilled, there was excitement and curiosity throughout the membership.  People were into the project and the energy was positive and inquisitive.  After this long winter, the time people have on the conversation seems embroidered with more skepticism and second-guessing.   It's also tough to have a serious conversation about sprinklers in the dead of a snowy winter.   It may sound weird but I honestly feel we will be in a much better frame of mind in the spring to look at our project with a positive and optimistic light.  The course will be open, Vitamin D will be coursing through our veins from the sun, and people will be back in their optimistic and inquisitive frame of mind like last summer.

I'm not going to lie, things are going more slowly that we had hoped.  I had dreams of getting the plan finalized and off to a membership vote before the end of 2013.  Unfortunately we were unable to pull that off and the reason is simple.  We (myself, the board, the contractors, the committees) want to get it right.  The worst thing we can do is rush the process and not get as many answers as possible to all the questions people may have.  There are a lot of entities involved in this planning process and a lot of "cats" to herd and quite frankly, it's going to cost a good amount of the club's money.  This is the biggest and most important project the club has taken on since the building of the pool.  If we are going to move this project forward, we need to proceed carefully and thoughtfully and we are doing that.

All that being said, here's where we are.  The plan has not changed.  We will dig a second well, hope that there is as much or more water than well number one, plumb it into a new pump house with a new pump station and hook it up to the sprinkler system.  Install a new electrical supply that is safe and true to code.  Simple.  No more damming the creek, no more wires in the creek, and an endless supply of fresh, clean water that will serve the golf course for decades without being at the mercy of the quarry.  Simple.

What has changed are some options available to us through Toledo Edison.  With help of a former member who knows the electricity business, we are exploring some options with Edison that could potentially save the club thousands over the years with an increase in up-front cost.  Unfortunately, as I have lamented in the past, getting concrete information from Edison can be like trying to squeeze apple juice out of chicken turds.  Despite this, I feel it is important we do our due diligence and fully explore the option.

We are approaching this the right way.  I hope that as a member, you would appreciate a methodical approach  knowing that we had the best plan possible before seeking approval from the membership.  This is an important, necessary, and expensive project and we are doing our best to make sure we do it right.