This has to be one of the most consistent winters I can remember. Besides a little rain around late Christmas, the winter months were....winter. We didn't experience any super cold snaps or a winter thunderstorm. As March arrived, we finally started seeing a gentle warm up. The 6" snow layer across the golf course is starting the recede and the turf is starting to poke through. Rain and temperatures near 50-degrees are fore casted for the next several days. If the weather personnel are correct, most if not all of the snow should be gone by early next week.
Then what? I am in the process of calling back some of my key seasonal employees. We will begin the cleanup process. Winter surprisingly brings down a lot more tree litter than most realize. All 100+ acres of the golf course will be raked into piles. Bunker sand will need to be repositioned. Gravel cart paths will need to edged and smoothed. And turf areas prepared for the first mowing.
As spring continues to bring warmer weather, it is very important to remember that turf responds to soil temperature. Even though we may experience a sunny 55-degree day, which feels great to our winter skin, the ground will most likely still be in the 30s or low 40s. The turf doesn't start growing until the soil temperature reach 50-degrees. It is at that point that turf can begin recovering from any winter damage or hold up to spring play.
As the snow continues to melt and expose the golf course, I'll be able to report on the status of the fairways as well as the other fine turf areas.
Oconomowoc Golf Club's Turf Care and Golf Course Maintenance Site
