Joel Jackson

As far as Florida winters go, the winter of 2006-2007 goes down as one of the warmest on record. On one hand, the temperatures have certainly been pleasant overall for human beings. On the other hand, trying to execute a turf management program that in the fall was gearing up for cold temperature turf management has been modified. In fact, this winter has been more like perpetual fall or spring.

So what does that mean for golfers? It means that while the superintendent may have been trying to grow-in a nice thick crop of cool season grasses in the overseeding, it stayed warm enough for the host bermudagrass to compete with the new seedlings keeping the winter stand of grass thinner than usual. It may all look green during the warm spells, but a severe cold snap will show how much or little the overseeding took hold.

Meanwhile, this eternal springlike weather has also spawned a lot of dismal, overcast, cloudy days mixed with periods of light to heavy rain showers. The mild weather, the lack of sunshine and the moisture set up excellent conditions for turf stress and for diseases not usually seen in winter when it is colder and the crisp bright skies provide plenty of sunshine for strong healthy turfgrass.

The best defense for continued healthy putting surfaces during poor growing conditions is to raise the height of cut temporarily until the sunshine returns for longer stretches of time and the moisture levels are back to normal. This will mean a variation in green speeds over perhaps normal expectations, but why risk thin bumpy greens when all it takes is a little flexibility and patience on the golfers part?

A combination of double cutting at a taller height combined with rolling a few times a week and the difference in putting speeds is not really noticeable to all but a small percentage of single digit handicap golfers. Meanwhile, the majority can enjoy a healthy, smooth and consistent putting surface until the weather permits more intense grooming if needed.

Be aware that late February and/or early March cold snaps may expose the thin overseeding stand with a “purplish” color to the host bermudagrass. The bermudagrass will green up again within a few days to a week of subsequent warm temperatures so don’t think there is anything wrong with your turfgrass. The speed of green-up will vary depending on the grass type you have Tifdwarf, Ultradwarf (TifEagle, Champion, Mini-Verde) or Seashore Paspalum on your course.

On the bright side, slightly off-color and slow growing greens and fairways will give you lots of roll on your putts and drives. Good golfing for the rest of the “winter that wasn’t.”