Ice On Greens.

#12 Green. Back left portion prone to ice and water
buildup due to topography.
(Taken March 26 / 2012)

 This past week I kept busy chipping away at low lying areas of ice on the greens. Some areas are worse then I expected with almost 75mm (3 in) of ice. The worse ice accumulation I have ever had here. Pictured are some of the worst cases. Time will tell how they look once the area dries out and I'm able to pull back the tarps. Today marks the 91st day that we received a large amount of rain and the beginning of ice on the course. If you recall from my "Wacky Winter" post (Feb 21 / 2012), bentgrass can survive ice cover from 90 - 120 days and poa roughly 60 days. We have exceeded the poa threshold and quiet possibly the bentgrass threshold as well. I will update you soon on the condition of these areas on the greens.




#12 Green. 50mm (2 in) of Ice cleaned up
and water shovelled away.
(Taken March 26 / 2012)

 
On a positive note, the weather has co-operated the past few days and I expect all 20 greens to be ice free by Sunday or Monday. Currently about half the greens are already clear. With warmer temps, it won't take long for the tarps to "work their magic" and break the turf from it's dormant state. Next week will be a busy one for me as I monitor green conditions and begin prepping the course for play. There is still a ton to do particularly cleaning the course of branches, burning around the dug out, #1 and 2 pond and the long area beside the driving range. The old putting green tree also needs to be bucked up and hauled away. I think Lance may also open the range either this weekend or very early next week?

#8 Green. Another low lying area prone to ice and water
accumualtion. This area had over 70mm (2.75 in) of ice.
(Taken March 30 / 2012)

#8 Green after Ice and water removed.
(Taken March 30 / 2012)







One Week Since I Snow Blowed Greens.

#4 Green. Compare this picture with the one I took Mar 15
right after snow blowing.

 The weather has co-operated fairly well this past week. Clear night skies has allowed temperatures to dip well below zero but we are still ahead from where we were last year at this time. The forecast for next week looks very favourable and I expect the greens to be ice free by the end of next week. The importance of surface drainage at this time can not be over stated enough. 


#14 Green. Prior to snow blowing last week, this green
had 23cm (9 inches) of snow.

 Over the next few weeks, we will be keeping a close eye on the greens and making sure to "push off" any standing water that may be present. Standing water on the greens which has the ability to re-freeze can lead to crown hydration and disease issues. ( See Feb 21 / 2012 Post)
At times like this, any sub-surface drainage that maybe present is not operational since the ground is frozen.




 



#12 Green. Back left corner of green and collar holding
excessive water/ice from poor surface drainage.
I'm anticipating winter kill issues here.




#15 Tee. There was 25cm (10 inches) of snow here. Clearing
off now will allow the tee to melt a lot quicker and recover
in time for course opening.







Snow Blowing Greens.

Yesterday I plowed all the cart paths so that we have full access to the golf course. Today I rented a Toro Dingo with 48inch snow blower attachment and I have to say I'm very impressed with this machine. The rubberized tracks provide plenty of grip and the diesel engine has enough grunt to throw the snow a long ways. The one downside is the drive and steering controls. It's very tiring for the thumbs and wrist but I'll suck it up for the efficiency it provides. In 5 hours I was able to blow off greens #2, 3, 4, 6, 9 and the nursery. If all goes well I will have the back 9 done by the end of tomorrow. This is the first time in my 10 years at the club that I have snow blowed the greens. With warm temps expected for the next few weeks, I thought it best to rid the greens of potential water (snow) and ice and let the greens breath a bit. As stated in my earlier post
( Feb 21/2012)  ) I'm very concerned with the amount of ice that has blanketed the golf course this winter. It's been a winter unlike any I've ever seen.

Dingo in action on #4 Green

#4 Green done and cleaned down to ice. Ice is approx. 35mm

#3 Green. Keys are sitting on top of tarp. Notice ice in background
which is no longer clear in color like it was in January.

#3 Green. Our worst green for snow and ice build up.
The berm around this green drains and retains water
which makes no sense why it was built this way.
Before I snow blowed, there was 37cm (15 inches)
on the backside of this green.

A Whacky Winter

Going into my 10th year at the Lac La Biche Golf Club, I have yet to experience the type of winter we have so far. Even life long locals can't remember experiencing a winter like this. Above normal temps (with the exception of Jan 14-21), rain (minimal snow) and the occasional high winds has created a virtual ice scape of the golf course. Good news for a relatively "easy" winter but potential bad news for the golf course. There are 4 winter kill concerns golf superintendents dread in this province. I will highlight each and explain why they damage turf.

1) Turf Pathogens (Disease)

   

Pink Snow Mold

The most common winter turf diseases that affects our turf is pink snow mold (Microdochium nivale) and grey snow mold (Typhula incarnata). Pink snow mold (also called Fusarium Patch or Microdochium Patch) is most common in spring and fall when temperatures fall between 0 and 10 degrees Celsius. It's name can be misleading since snow cover is not necessary for the disease to be present. It's relatively easy to diagnose especially when white-pink mycelium is present on infected leaf blades. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus (Fuzz seen on mold). Cool and moist conditions on growing turf can favour the development of the disease.

Grey Snow Mold

Grey snow mold (also called Typhula Blight) generally requires at least 60 days of snow cover to develop. It's problematic especially if turf is high in nitrogen (not hardened off), high in moisture, poor draining and high in excessive thatch. Control of these diseases is best utilised using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. This entails a combination of Cultural, Biological and Chemical controls which I will discuss in a future post. 

2) Crown Hydration

         Crown hydration occurs when turf breaks dormancy, takes in water and then suddenly freezes. Damage usually occurs when warm temperatures are followed by quick drops in soil temperatures. Plant hardiness is generally reduced at this time when exposed to thawing. Free moisture(usually from melting snow or precipitation) around the crown of the plant freezes and draws water from the cell. This form of winter kill is more likely to occur in early spring once the snow begins to melt and there is excessive moisture present. Low-lying areas on turf where water sits, poor drainage, and heavy soils are more prone to crown hydration. Problematic greens on our golf course are:
#3 (back), #4 (middle) #5 (right side) #8 (left side), #11 (middle), #12 (left side),
#13 (right side), #15 (middle), #16 (middle) and #17 (middle).


3) Ice Damage (Anoxia)


Ice Damage on a Green

       Perhaps our most problematic winter kill issue. Typically we experience a January or February thaw. This free water then collects into low lying areas of the greens and re-freezes causing ice. The formation of an ice layer prevents oxygen from reaching the turf (anoxia). Because the turf is suffocated, toxic gases are produced (carbon dioxide) and the turf dies. Studies have shown that bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) can survive ice cover 90 - 120 days whereas annual bluegrass (Poa annua) can survive up to 60 days. These numbers are not exact and winter kill can occur in as little as a months time. Greens mentioned in the crown hydration section are at particular risk of ice formation. Unlike fungicides that can protect turf from diseases form 120 to 150 days, no amount of fungicides can protect the turf from ice damage (anoxia). The best control is not allowing free water from occurring in the first place. A next to impossible task in our climate.

 

4) Dessication (Wind)

     

      Desiccation can best be described as "drying out" or dehydrating. Plants that are dormant do not actively take up water like they do during the growing season. When turf is exposed to dry wind, leaf tissue and other above ground plant parts may dry to the point of unrepairable damage. Open areas and very low amounts of soil moisture can increase the potential for dessication damage. The best control is a consistent snow layer which insulates the underlying turf. Normally not a problem here but potentially so with our lack of snow this winter.

#3 Green (50mm of Ice)

My biggest concern this winter is the potential for severe ice damage on our greens. We recorded over 70mm of rain the first week of January. This was followed by freezing temperatures that encased the golf course in ice. Last week I chipped away on the back of #3 green and found 50mm of ice. This currently represents our thickest ice on the greens while the average is roughly 20mm. It would be easy for me to stress and lose sleep over the amount of ice on the course. The reality is, time will tell if we experience any winter kill. The good news is we had a great fall where the turf hardened off, my fungicide applications went down without a hitch, I top dressed all the greens heavily with sand and all 20 greens were tarped. Lets hope for an early spring so that the ice layer doesn't exede the 60 or 90 day window.





Clearing Off Driving Range Tee.

This afternoon I decided to clear off the driving range tee. Like most of you, I'm looking forward to swinging my golf clubs and dusting off some winter rust. If the warmer weather continues, the driving range maybe open for Easter weekend?


Clearing D.R. of Snow (Apr. 8, 2011)





(Apr. 8, 2011)



The condition of the turf under the snow looks pretty good at this time. The freeze thaw conditions we experienced in February and March created minimal ice formation. I'll have a better perspective next week once I'm able to check potentially problematic areas. I am noticing fairly moist conditions on the turf which could mean pink and grey snow mold in spots. My experience here at the club has shown ice damage to be much more problematic then winter disease.

Winter Green Damage.

I came across this picture the other day while surfing through all my JPEG files on my computer.
After removing the tarp in the spring of 2009 this is what we saw. Any ideas what that ugly brown streak is?



#4 Green



#4 Green

What you're seeing is the result of a snowmobile driving on the green. It's analgous to a golfer who walks on a heavily frosted green. Their weight crushes plant cells within the crown (growing point) of the plant (grass) which in turn leads to plant death. At the time, there was roughly 12 inches of snow on the ground.

In 2008 I took it upon myself to fence off areas around the golf course to keep this common occurrence from happening. (#11 Fairway and Green, #12 Tee, #13 Tee and Fairway, Access Road into Shop, #4 Green and #7 Fairway Beside Dugout)

Some how this snowmobile found a spot and was actually on his way to gain access to the lake when he came across my new fence behind the green. He turned on the green and realised after traveling the course the only way out was the way he got in.

To fix the damage, I core aerated the area and then overseeded and topdressed. Spring conditions that year were optimal and within 4 or 5 weeks the damage had healed.