Snow

February hasn't offered much in the way of playing golf. Giving the golf course a much needed break from traffic normally doesn't hurt my feelings in any way, but the lack of life out there is beginning to wear me out. This winter hasn't been one with large amounts of snow, it has merely been a case of the little snow we have gotten not going away. The average daytime temperature is still ranging in the lower 30's and we have yet to break into the 40's for more than an hour or two. Unfortunately, Colorado's front range is not the only area to be lacking in snow totals. Unless March brings some snow with her, this might go down as the worst ski season in recent memory. I realize that snow and local golf enthusiasts usually don't go together, but snow totals play a major role in how the golf course is managed throughout the season by way of runoff. The large retention reservoir adjacent to 3West fairway and 5West tees is the major source of our irrigation water and is solely fed by runoff. The reservoir is currently at 22.5" and is looking good for the time, but without some higher totals in March, I fear this supply will not get us through the season and force us to fire up the lower pump station to supply the golf course. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, but looking at the big picture, going through another draught year isn't something we are all looking foreword to.

Making the Cut

Since being with the club, I annually cut a few cups from some select greens around the course and place them in the green house to get an early look at what we're going to be dealing with once the soil temperatures elevate in the spring. It's almost like looking into my agronomic crystal ball. This practice gives us an idea of how much desiccation we will be needing to recover from and what percentage of the Poa Annua took a hit. After about a week in this controlled environment we can usually notice some signs of life, but not always. Normally, after getting back from the GIS, I have the chance to monitor the progress of the cups we cut and usually have some perspective on where we sit. Well.......not this year. After another failed attempt to put a cupcutter in the ground today, I've decided I need to wait. Having to deal with the Mother Nature is something I should have learned to deal with by now, but in general, Golf Course Superintendents are some of the most impatient people on earth and somehow, I fit in well with that crowd. Pictured above, is the only plug I was able to take from the course. This sample was taken from the nursery green and is almost two inches in depth, (half the depth of what I would like to have in a sample). While its not as representative to the course as I would like, it will have to do until the deep freeze of winter releases its grip.

ICE

As it stands, this winter has given us a few circumstances that we can do little about. Although this is my 7th winter in Colorado Springs, there haven't been two that have been similar. I've learned that there are two constants in these months, cold and wind. Unfortunately, once we get into spring, all the preventative measures taken in the fall turn into reactive practices. While the golf course staff continues to monitor the ice levels on the course, our main focus will always tend to focus on our putting green surfaces. Having 30 greens to consume our time, getting around to clearing snow and ice from tees and fairways has proven to be an impossible task. Like any other living thing, turfgrass requires a few staples of life. Whether it be the warm months of summer, or the harsh winter season, air circulation and water are two things a plant must have to survive. One of the major types of turf damage comes in the form of ice accumulation and can cause terror to golf courses in the Rocky Mountain region. As mentioned before, Poa can usually survive short periods under ice while bentgrass has an easier time surviving longer periods of snow and ice cover. At times, it is vital that we remove this layer to allow our greens to breath. Pictured above, is Assistant Golf Course Superintendent, Steve Blais spreading the humates to the green. You will also notice how these small, dark granules attract heat from the sun to melt the snow and create 'breathing tubes' for the greens beneath.

Heading to San Diego

While most of you football fans will be watching the Super Bowl this weekend, Assistant Golf Course Superintendent Steven Blais and I will be heading out west to attend the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show. Like the title says, this year's event will be held in San Diego, California and will offer us something other than the single degree nights we have been experiencing this last week in Colorado. While the focus of my classes will be in environment planning and sustainability, the show also offers valuable points towards my upcoming Class A certification. Although this is a long week away from my family and the golf course, this is a huge educational opportunity to touch on the most up-to-date turfgrass research and industry standards. I'd like to thank the Sunrise Company for its commitment and financial backing to further education in turfgrass maintenance and look foreword to the applying these new practices to the golf course upon our return.