Frost and temporary greens

[cliveb]

What's peoples thoughts on whether temporary greens are necessary after a frost?

My current club insists on putting us on temps whenever there's a frost.

Previous club left us on main greens regardless and there was no discernible damage to the greens come spring. Greenkeeper there said that you'll only get damage if the ground is frozen hard and the very top layer thaws.

 

[Neilds]

No temps at our place. Frosty this morning and all main greens open.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

We stay on greens when it’s frost until it becomes consistent and you have at least 4/5 days of frost

and that is when there is a bigger issue of the roots shearing due to the soft top and very frozen underneath

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Frost this morning - course status says course open with no mention of temps.

 

[Golfnut1957]

We haven't had temps for years, thank god. The club took the decision to do away with them and as you say it has made no difference to their quality come the playing season.

We have two low-lying greens that get taken out each winter (they are replaced with proper, dedicated winter greens). These two greens are always the slowest come the spring.

 

[upsidedown]

Been on full greens in Winter for the last 4 years now and having played at nieghbouring course in inter club scratch match on Friday am so glad we are.

 

[IanM]

There appears to be conflicting views across green keepers/clubs about this.

I play at clubs who "stay on" and the greens "appear" to be no worse for it.

I play with a guy (an accountant by trade) who bangs on about what the green staff are doing wrong. When he pitched for my business, I told him Paul (the head green keeper) did my tax returns!! Point made.

 

[LincolnShep]

I play with a guy (an accountant by trade) who bangs on about what the green staff are doing wrong. When he pitched for my business, I told him Paul (the head green keeper) did my tax returns!! Point made.

Every club is filled with agronomy experts. I don't remember studying turf management at school - I must have been off that day because everyone else seems to know about it.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We never have temporary greens, ever. No sign of any issues come April/May but to be fair, we aren't the busiest of courses.

I don't mind temps as long as there is some effort put into them. If it's a flag in the fairway then it's a waste of time and I definitely begrudge that .

 

[Imurg]

We have, what we call, Extreme Weather holes
Basically temporary greens on fringes or approaches if they're required
I think it's happened twice in the nearly 6 years I've been at the club.
To be honest, like this morning, if the greens are frozen or frosty I very rarely play.
I've played enough in those conditions to realise it's a waste of effort unless it's your only chance to play..

 

[jim8flog]

We ran a test on our 9 hole course many years ago to test the effects of playing on a frosted green the result of which is that we no longer have temp greens on that course.

We still have temp greens on the main course but do not use them on a morning like this morning when there was frost overnight which will be gone by this afternoon. My understanding now is that is when the green has been frost covered for several days the damage can be done when it starts to defrost because the ground under the grass will still be frozen and the grass can shear from the frozen ground so we go to temp greens at that point.

 

[kp17]

Don’t know enough about it all but what I do know is the greenkeeping team at my place have the course immaculate at times during the year, so when they say they need winter greens and tees on in the winter then fine by me

 

[Springveldt]

Current place has full greens on my whole time here but I’ve heard the new course manager wants temps on if frosty this winter. Doesn’t make sense to me as the greens are rock hard during the summer anyway.

Last place had temps on way more than main greens through the winter be it for a slight drizzle, any sign of frost etc. Temp greens were basically a hole cut on the fairway with a white circle draw round it, it’s like trying to putt in your back garden.

 

[rulie]

We can't go on the course in spring or fall when there is frost. Tee times are delayed (sometimes two hours) until the superintendent says ok to go. We don't play winter golf here, season is typically mid-March to early November.

 

[CliveW]

We sometimes need to have preferred lies and winter greens.

 

[KenL]

We are normally on normal greens unless it is a heavy frost.

If the ground is brick hard and the ball is bouncing everywhere it is pretty pointless playing anyway.

 

[cliveb]

Thanks for everyone's input.
It looks to me as if there are a large number of clubs that are happy to continue playing on frost-covered greens.
I will try and find out what the rationale is for my club not doing so. It's possible they have a very good reason.

 

[chellie]

Our "new" club doesn't have temporary greens. It was wonderful today to play.

No doubt it will be temporary greens tomorrow at our "old"club. Waste of time in a competition.

 

[YandaB]

We don't have any temporary greens but we do have wait for frost to go before we can play.

 

[KenL]

We don't have any temporary greens but we do have wait for frost to go before we can play.

No temp “greens” where you have a hole on the fairway?

Does waiting means days if a heavy frost hits?