Frost a Possibility for the Weekend

The night time temperatures will be dipping below 40 degrees this weekend so the presence of frost will be a concern over the weekend and for the remainder of the season. The following is from the USGA and explains why frost is an issue on the golf course:

Frost is essentially frozen dew. Ice crystals visible on the outside of the plant can also form on the inside of grass blades. The grass plant, normally resilient to footsteps or cart traffic, becomes brittle and fragile when ice crystals form. Under the pressure of traffic, ice crystals puncture living plant tissues and rupture plant cells. Damage will not appear right away, but it will show up in footsteps and tire tracks the following days as the plant is unable to repair itself and begins to die. Frost damage can occur on any turfgrass mowed at any height but it is amplified when the plant is mowed low, as on a putting green. In a best-case scenario, damage will be limited to leaf blades only, which will eventually disappear once active turf growth resumes. However, if the plant crown, or growing point of the plant, is compromised, damage will be more severe and recovery could take months.

Please check with the golf shop before traveling to the club during the morning hours. The practice green and the rough around the practice green are included in frost delays. Please do not walk on any turf if frost signs are posted without checking with the golf shop.