USGA Update

From The USGA:

Tee it up! Golf activity always parallels the weather. A mild winter and warm early spring conditions have been welcomed by golfers across the country. Golfers are

not the only ones loving the weather, however, as golf facilities are seeing boosts in early season revenues. Obviously, the unanticipated financial gains are important to all golf facilities but especially helpful to courses that suffered abysmal margins last year

due to extreme weather conditions, most notably the severe drought in the

southern U.S. and excessive rain and heat in many Midwestern and northern

states. As golfers gain an early start honing their game in 2012, golf course superintendents are busy with course preparations roughly a month or more ahead

of schedule. Staffing is limited at this time and the labor hours available are

typically reserved for completing offseason projects, such as drainage

installation, tree maintenance, bunker renovations, etc. With full staff levels

still several weeks away, turf managers are scrambling to condition golf courses

to meet expectations while still trying to complete scheduled off-season

projects. Labor is the largest line item in a golf course maintenance budget, so the

obvious concern in bringing seasonal employees back early is an effect on

the bottom line. An early start to the golf season equates to an extended

golf season, and this requires more labor and resources for course conditioning

and setup. Operating budgets are determined well in advance and on

the assumption of a golf season moretypical in length. Unless serious adjustments

are made to the “to do” list, it is unlikely that turf managers can operate

within the approved operating budgets created months in advance. Keep

these early-season expenses in mind as the season progresses.

In addition to labor concerns, a few other factors need to be considered as

they relate to the early spring.

● A significant amount of winter and/or early spring play on putting greens

that are not actively growing could lead to turf thinning and bumpy

surfaces. Turf may be green but not actively growing and therefore unable

to recover from wear injury. Or, if it is growing, is it growing fast enough

to stay ahead of wear? Additional nitrogen inputs and light topdressing

may be necessary to promote active growth for recovery from traffic stress.

Additional aeration and rolling may also be necessary to smooth the

surfaces from winter play. To further complicate early season turf recovery

efforts from increased winter play, sometimes regional challenges exist,

with one such example being a state regulation in New York that does not

allow golf courses to apply nitrogen until April 1.

● For cool-season turfgrasses, spring is the time to produce a healthy

and deep root system, which is an indicator of how well the turf is prepared

for hot summer conditions. An earlier spring could equate to a longer period in which to build a deep, healthy root system before summer. However, root production is directly related to mowing height, so potential gains in rooting could be thwarted by earlier than normal ultra-low mowing heights on putting greens.

● Pre-emergence herbicides used to suppress summer annual grassy

weeds (e.g. crabgrass and goosegrass) will need to be applied earlier than normal because soil temperatures warmed up so early. With the early application, some herbicides

may not last the entire season, and this could lead to weed breakthrough later in the season. An additional pre-emergence application may be necessary for season-long control, or additional post-emergence control may be necessary.

● An early rise in air and soil temperatures brings with it earlier insect emergence

and activity. Proper insecticide timing is crucial for control, and the early spring dictates that adjustments to planned control strategies will be necessary. Not only are insecticide

applications needed earlier in the year for control, but the extended season may also require repeat applications. For the northeast U.S., the annual bluegrass weevil, a tiny,

yet devastating turf insect, becomes active as spring weather warms. The insect has become active already in many areas weeks ahead of schedule,which will add to the challenge of preventing this pest from damaging golf course turf.

● Disease prevention programs may require adjustments, especially for

pathogen control that is implemented based on soil temperature (e.g.,

summer patch). Many courses will need to make initial applications earlier than normal and potentially require more total applications for the season. For instance, summer patch

disease prevention in most situations requires control from mid May through August. That window may be extended by an extra month this year. Other turf diseases may become active earlier as well, extending the need for fungicide applications,

which will add significant costs. Remember, heavy traffic and slow turfgrass growth increase disease occurrence, reduce the effectiveness of control efforts, and exacerbate

disease damage.

● Earlier than normal maintenance may also mean earlier than normal impacts on the budget. Regular mowing and other routine maintenance tasks cost money. Enjoy the

additional early season revenue, but remember the potential impacts that this may have on your maintenance budget! Golf courses are busy and that is a great thing! Just remember that with all the benefits of the early spring warm weather, there are season-long implications for the turf and operating budget. Some golf course maintenance

practices may need to be examined and adjusted. Of these, labor resources

will be the most limiting. Golfer patience and understanding become even more

important.