Tomorrow's forecast calls for a high in the upper 30's, a first for this fall. Today's frigid winds and tomorrow's low ceiling come as yet another indicator that we are well into the time to prepare for winter.
Soon we will be closing the greens to get them ready to winter the snow. There are a couple things you will notice when this occurs.
The first is what will look like piles of sand on top of our new expansions. We will be "burying"these areas to help them overwinter. The turf in these areas is still new which makes it even more vulnerable to extreme cold and hard frost. The sand we will cover it with will act as a blanket throughout the winter, helping to keep it safe. Though the sand may look odd, it is completely intentional.
The second set of sights you should expect are the temporary pin placements. In the coming weeks cups will be cut into the fairways to keep any lingering play away from the greens. It is a sight we all know well, and one that we grudgingly accept in exchange for the increased safety of our greens.
The things we are doing now to prepare the course are meant to protect against all that we can foresee, which- when it comes to mother nature- is usually but a fraction of what we actually get. Many meteorologists and historians are predicting a particularly harsh winter; I wonder if they are including this past winter in that comparison? Nevertheless We will do all we can to ready the course, and then wait out whatever comes just like everyone else. When spring comes (and it will come), we will be here to set any wrongs right.
See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling
