2010 TURF UPDATE

 So far, the winter of 2009/10 has been relatively mild except for a brief cold spell in mid-December. The golf course went into the winter in very good shape.

All greens were core aerated, top dressed and then deep tine aerated (verti-drained) in the last two weeks of October. By November 24, all greens were covered with permeable (breathable) covers except for numbers 2,3,12 and 11. These greens were covered with a permeable cover, followed with a layer of straw and another permeable cover. This hopefully will keep these areas from freezing and allow any water that accumulates to get away through the soil profile and eventually to the drainage tiles reducing ice build-up and subsequent turf injury.

Heavy rain on Boxing Day and January 25 made me a little nervous, but after touring the golf course on January 28 and exposing areas on # 2,3,12,13,16 and #1, I found no ice build-up and unfrozen turf. The rain accumulation I saw under the snow on January 25 had moved through the soil profile.

Hopefully, the remainder of the winter will see moderate temperatures and precipitation in the form of snowfall rather than rainfall...and with any luck we'll see an early melt and be able to start golfing sooner rather than later.

Randy Le Clair
Superintendent
Upper Canada Golf Course

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