How long will the delay be?  Why can we not practice putting?  What really will happen to the turf?  These are all questions that are presented while waiting out the frost delay.  Today we encountered our first real delay of the season and it was just over an hour.

"Frost is basically frozen dew that has crystallized on the grass, making it hard and brittle. A grass blade is actually 90 percent water, therefore it also freezes. Because of the short mowing height and fragile nature of the turf, putting greens are most affected by frost. Walking on frost-covered greens causes the plant to break and cell walls to rupture, thereby losing its ability to function normally.

 Damage from frost usually comes 48-72 hours later as the plant leaves turn brown and die. The result is a thinning of the putting surface and a weakening of the plant. While it may not appear to be much of an issue if a foursome begins play early on frost covered greens, consider the number of footprints that may occur on any given hole by one person is approximately 50. Multiply that by 18 holes with an average of 235 rounds per day and the result is 211,500 footprints on greens in a day. Thats 6,345,000 in a month."

 Last night the moon was bright, clear skies and it got down to 27 degrees. The perfect setup for a frosty morning.  

This morning to speed up the proces we attempted to throw some water.  It is very important to wait until the air temperature is above 32 degrees or it is possible to make the situation worse.  We also spread out the staff and made adjustments such as spot raking bunkers and rolling greens versus mowing. All of these changes were made allow the golfer to enjoy the day as soon as possible.  Being patient is sometimes tough, but we are only attempting to protect the golf course and keep it moving forward for all to enjoy this season.