Michigan Golf Journal October 2018

ŽƵƌƐĞ ŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ƌĞŵŽǀŝŶŐ Žƌ ƚŚŝŶŶŝŶŐ ƚƌĞĞ ĐĂŶŽƉŝĞƐ ǁŝůů ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ƚƵƌĨŐƌĂƐƐ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ ŵĂLJ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ƚŚĞ ŽĚĚƐ ŽĨ ƚƵƌĨŐƌĂƐƐ ƐƵƌǀŝǀŝŶŐ winter. 2. Surface Drainage >Žǁ ƐƉŽƚƐ Žƌ ͚ďŝƌĚďĂƚŚƐ͛ ŽŶ ƉƵƫŶŐ greens where water collects and then ĨƌĞĞnjĞƐ ŽǀĞƌ ŝŶ ǁŝŶƚĞƌ ĂƌĞ ƐƵƐĐĞƉƟďůĞ to winterkill. For greens that lack ƐƵƌĨĂĐĞ ĚƌĂŝŶĂŐĞ͕ ƐƵƉĞƌŝŶƚĞŶĚĞŶƚƐ ŵŝŐŚƚ ĐƵƚ ĐƵƉ ĐƵƩĞƌ ŚŽůĞƐ ŝŶ ůŽǁ ĂƌĞĂƐ ĂŶĚ Įůů ǁŝƚŚ ŐƌĂǀĞů Žƌ ĐƵƚ ƐŽĚ ƐƚƌŝƉƐ ĨƌŽŵ ŐƌĞĞŶƐ ƚŽ ĨĂĐŝůŝƚĂƚĞ ǁĂƚĞƌ ŵŽǀĞŵĞŶƚ Žī ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶƐ ŽŶĐĞ snowmelt begins. 3. Punch Holes and Let it Grow! &Ăůů ŝƐ ƉƌŝŵĞ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ƚƵƌĨŐƌĂƐƐ health that many of us golfers lament. ŽƌĞ ĂĞƌĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƐĂŶĚ ƚŽƉĚƌĞƐƐŝŶŐ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůLJ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞƐ ƚƵƌĨ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ďƵƚ ŵĂLJ ŵŝƟŐĂƚĞ ǁŝŶƚĞƌŬŝůů ďLJ ŝŵƉƌŽǀŝŶŐ drainage. Raising mowing heights as ĂƵƚƵŵŶ ƉƌŽŐƌĞƐƐĞƐ ǁŝůů ĂůƐŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ƚƵƌĨ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ ĂŶLJƚŚŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞƐ ƚƵƌĨ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ǁŝůů ŚĞůƉ ƚŚĞ ƚƵƌĨ ƐƵƌǀŝǀĞ winter. 4. Turfgrass Covers ^ŽŵĞ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ ƵƐĞ ĐŽǀĞƌƐ ƚŽ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚ greens in Michigan, but most do not. The reasons for not using covers include ĐŽƐƚ͕ ƐƚŽƌĂŐĞ͕ ůŝĨĞƐƉĂŶ͕ ĂŶĚ ƵŶƉƌĞĚŝĐƚĂďůĞ ǁŝŶƚĞƌ ǁĞĂƚŚĞƌ͘ dŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ covers, some let the greens breath ;ƉĞƌŵĞĂďůĞͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ŽƚŚĞƌƐ ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞůLJ ƐĞĂů ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ ƐƵƌĨĂĐĞ ;ŝŵƉĞƌŵĞĂďůĞͿ͘ WĞƌŵĞĂďůĞ ĐŽǀĞƌƐ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƟŽŶ ĨƌŽŵ ůŽǁ ƚĞŵƉĞƌĂƚƵƌĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĚƌLJ ǁŝŶƚĞƌƐ ďƵƚ ƚŚĞLJ ǁŝůů ŶŽƚ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƚ ĚĂŵĂŐĞ ĨƌŽŵ ŝĐĞ ĐŽǀĞƌ͘ /ŵƉĞƌŵĞĂďůĞ ĐŽǀĞƌƐ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚ the turf from ice cover damage but are ŶŽƚ ŶĞĐĞƐƐĂƌŝůLJ Ă ƉĂŶĂĐĞĂ ĨŽƌ Ăůů ǁŝŶƚĞƌ worries. 5. Snow Mold Ɛ ǁŝŶƚĞƌ ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚĞƐ͕ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ƐƵƉĞƌŝŶƚĞŶĚĞŶƚƐ ĚŝůŝŐĞŶƚůLJ ƉůĂŶ ƐŶŽǁ ŵŽůĚ ĨƵŶŐŝĐŝĚĞ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ƚŽ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚ the golf course. Pink snow mold may occur throughout the fall while gray snow mold is more likely to occur under extensive snow cover throughout the ǁŝŶƚĞƌ͘ &ƵŶŐŝĐŝĚĞ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂƌĞ ĐƌŝƟĐĂů ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌŝŶŐ ƚƵƌĨ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐƉƌŝŶŐ ŽĨ ϮϬϭϵ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƌĞĂĚLJ ĨŽƌ ƉůĂLJ͘