Spring is Coming

Published March 31, 2004

In light of the winter damage that occurred last winter it was a long wait to see how the golf course faired over this winter. The long wait is finally over and it looks like Old Man Winter spared us this time. Although we were spared, many golf courses in the Pittsburgh area are reporting severe winter damage to putting greens and fairways. As I explained last year, this type of damage occurs somewhere in the United States every year and is an situation that cannot be predicted or prevented without considerable expense.

The photo below is an example of the damage they are experiencing this year in the Pittsburgh area. I'm sure glad we don't have to go through that again!

Winters in the Erie area are typically harsh and often cause varying degrees of damage. One of the most frequent forms of damage comes in the form of "Snow Mold". This winter disease is easily prevented with a pre-winter application of a turf protectant. Because of budget restraints, greens, tees and fairways are the only turf areas treated for snow mold leaving the rough areas exposed to this winter disease.

The photo below shows the occurrence of "Pink Snow Mold" around our 14th tee (spring 2004). What's interesting is the defined line where the snow mold stops. The difference between the affected and unaffected areas is the type of turf. The unaffected area is composed of Kentucky Bluegrass while the affected area is mainly Annual Bluegrass (Poa Annua). Since our rough is mainly comprised of Poa Annua, the onset of Pink Snow Mold is a common occurrence on our golf course.

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