First Tee
Fortunately for the greens at The Briars the snow cover has acted as an insulator to keep the soil temperatures from fluctuating. There is a good amount of frost in the ground but not as much as you may think considering all the cold temperatures we have had. We have looked at multiple locations on the golf course and there is a minimum of 2.5 feet of snow cover and no ice on the surface of the greens. A build up of ice can smoother the grass and if it stays on the surface too long it can produce winter damage. Also, in the freeze/thaw times in the spring, the ice can take more time to thaw and therefore increase the chances of winter damage.
Looking at our long range temperatures we will be leaving the insulating snow cover on the greens until we see the temperatures consistently increasing and it begins to feel like spring is coming. Timing will be very important due to the long duration of the snow cover. With our greens covers underneath the snow, the length of time our winter chemical applications will stay effective, and the carbohydrate storage in the plants being used up when the temperatures change we will want to get the snow removed.
11 Fairway towards Green
