Brrr!!! It’s been a little chilly by Florida standards. Aside from the need to bundle up, what does this mean for our golfers? It means we need to be extra mindful when caring for our golf course.
Winter started early this year with several cold fronts pushing through in November and December. While they might not have seemed cold compared to northern winters, they definitely have been noticed by our turfgrass and landscaping. Many cloudy days with temperatures in the 60's means that the plants are not photosynthesizing or able to make food for themselves to grow. In fact, when we think the weather is perfect for golf in the low to mid-70's the plants are just able to wake up a little. In reality, it's those high-70's - low 80's days with bright sun that the plants need to truly wake up and start growing again.
While we had a few spurts of unseasonably warm weather in December, we have had many waves of cooler, cloudy days that are unfavorable to our turf's growth. This detrimental effect on growth is becoming noticeable in areas of high cart traffic as well as some minor thinning and significantly slower ballmark recovery on greens.
Over the next few days, I will be writing blog posts that focus on how we can best care for our golf course as we progress through the winter months. In the meantime, think warm thoughts full of bright sunshine.
This photo goes back to one of the many "gray days" in December.
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