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| SUNRAYS NOVEMBER 2014
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
GOLF
Frost Delays
By Gary Wilson, Director of Golf Course Maintenance
Frost delays are no fun, placing golfers,
staff, and course superintendents alike
at the mercy of Mother Nature. Also,
maintenance crews are held up during
these cold snaps, as they are unable to
work in frost conditions and need to get in
front of play to set the course for the day.
Frost is dew on the grass plant that
crystallizes, making the plant hard and
more susceptible to damage from traffic
of any kind. Once damage occurs on a
frozen plant, it may not be noticeable
for a day or two, but the damage is
irreversible.
There are many factors that can play
a part in frost and how long it lasts.
Temperature (of course) is the main issue
and also is part of the misunderstanding.
It definitely can frost above 32 degrees,
and we see it regularly in this area. Most
temperature readings that you see are
not taken at the soil surface and, most
likely, are the air temperature about six
feet off the ground. On a clear, cool night
with little wind, the surface temperature
can be several degrees cooler. When the
plant is cooler than the surrounding
temperature, it will begin to have
moisture (dew) from the air condense
on it. When the temperature dips near
freezing, the dew will form the frost.
Watering the night before can have
a positive effect on the amount of
frost the next morning by keeping
the soil temperatures above freezing
(provided the irrigation takes place
before a freezing temperature occurs).
Also, there are chemicals which can be
sprayed to make a plant incapable of
creating dew, thereby eliminating the
frost. Another option is to apply water in
the morning to melt the frost; however,
this method, if not done properly and
at a high enough air temperature,
can cause a light frost to turn to ice,
resulting in a longer delay. The best
practice is to be patient until the frost
turns to dew under normal conditions,
and enjoy another cup of coffee.
Images below show frost damage from
normal foot and equipment traffic when
no delay was taken.
I
:
.
Equipment and footprint damage, Fossil Creek Golf Course, Fort Worth. It doesn’t
take long to cause irreversible frost damage to a green.
WGA 9-HOLE CLUB CHAMPION
Sylvia Quillin was named the WGA
9-Hole Club Champion with a gross
score of 98!
The winner was determined by
adding the scores from both the
front and back nine of Legacy Hills
in a tournament that took place on
two different Tuesdays. That final
result means Sylvia hit the ball only
98 times in 18 holes of play!
Congratulations, Sylvia!
