Dear Members,
This is an excerpt for the latest USGA Green Section email I received and thought everyone could benefit from knowing just what we do when we can't get outside.
"Obviously, this is a rhetorical question for golf course superintendents. However, golfers are often unaware of winter work. Although there are few agronomic issues to discuss in the Mid-Atlantic Region with recent weather patterns, the golf course maintenance staff still has a lot of important work to do. With freezing temperatures and, in many cases, snow cover, golfers tend to stay away from the golf course and believe that the maintenance operation is dormant. These same golfers may ask, “What can possibly be going on at the maintenance facility when there is no grass to mow or bunkers to rake?” The answer is -- plenty.
"Outdoor projects, such as tree pruning and removal, drainage, etc. are obvious when spring arrives. However, some of the inside projects often go unnoticed. Those brand-new ball washers and benches that you see in April? They were sanded and painted over the winter for that like-new appearance. The same is often true of tee markers, hole liners and other on-course items. Often, these items are not replaced; they are simply refurbished to look like new. Equipment overhauls and heavy maintenance are also a major part of the winter season. When it does snow, the parking lots and sidewalks don’t plow themselves. While all may seem quiet around the golf course, rest assured that your maintenance staff has plenty to do in preparing for the upcoming season during the Mid-Atlantic winter."
This has been the most snow fall that I have seen this early since I have been here at WLCC. I am not sure of the totals, but we have had (3) snows I know of totaling anywhere from 12 to 24 inches plus. The good thing is that temperatures haven't stayed cold enough to keep the snow hanging around for more than a couple weeks at a time.
Last Winter it snowed 30 inches on December 17, 2009 and then it stayed cold so any snow that fell just made a tough situation worse. We saw our first glimpse of the course (the back left corner of 17 green on Feb 17, 2010). If anyone has snow totals, I would love to have you share them with me. I am thinking of doing my own weekly update on Face Book, so check it out if you have time. We have much to do when the weather breaks and I plan to give updates as the work progresses.
Stay Warm!
David
The Winter Program
Will return in March of 2011. We are however available to open for your special event or suggestion, Contact:
828 680 9771
WLCCEvents at frontier dot com
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