Putting the Course to Bed

What do we mean when we say "We are putting the course to bed"? Well, we are basically preparing the course for it's winter rest.

A frosty fall morning

From our perspective, the course is literally sleeping in the winter. The turf begins to go dormant, or cease metabolic activity in the late fall, but we actually begin putting the course to bed long before this occurs, usually in late September to early October.

Fall fertility of the turfgrass is very important. Helping the plant produce and store carbohydrates for the winter will increase its chances of survival. Both timing and  type of fertilizer are very important in ensuring the plant's health as it heads into winter. If we apply too early the plant will use up too many carbs, and if we are too late the plant will not be metabolizing enough produce carbs through photosynthesis. Fertilizers with high potassium are desirable as this is the nutrient that promotes carbohydrate production and storage, as well as silica, which has recently been shown to provide strength in the cells walls of the plant, aiding it in its winter survival.

The next step in putting the course to bed for the winter is when we blow out our irrigation system; this usually takes place in late October before temperatures dip down below zero. This is a laborious task, that requires a commercial sized air compressor and alot of driving around to turn on irrigation heads and quick coupler valves. The whole process usually takes two people about two days to complete.

The mist of Irrigation Blow out

Winterizing our pump house and the course bathrooms are also on the list for putting the course to bed and are usually done around the same time or shortly after the blow-out of our irrigation system.

Applying fungicide to prevent the formation of snow mold pathogens on the turf is the most expensive treatment we apply on the course all year, but for good reason. Without these chemicals, our turf would be mostly desiccated by disease and we would not be able to open the course until June or later, as we try and re-establish the turf. We spray our greens, tees and fairways in early to mid November before the snow begins to fall.

Fungicide Application

Sand topdressing of the greens is one of the last things we usually do before we complete our task of putting the course to bed. Sand topdressing helps protect the crown, or growing point of the plant, from desiccation from wind and cold temperature damage.

While we are completing all of these tasks we still have a variety of other jobs to do on the course:

- Taking in all the course accessories and markers, rakes, etc
- Taking in all the drinking fountains and pond fountains
- Covering memorial benches with poly wrap
- Blowing, sweeping and mulching leaves
- More blowing, sweeping and mulching leaves

When the golf course closes for the winter our job is far from over.. Putting the course to bed properly is one of the most important things we do all year, it helps to ensure we get started on the right foot next spring.

Winter Preparation

Once the course is finally put to bed for the winter we can begin our winter turf maintenance, yes we keep busy right through the winter! If you are interested in what we do for the rest of the winter see my previous post: What-do-you-do-in-the-winter?