This is winter?

The above average temperatures have continued for much of February, and it does make you wonder if this will be the new normal.  Things are definitely different this year, as the greens were cut twice in January, and this past week we mowed and rolled them.

Laurel Creek member, Steve Kavney, caught this unusual February activity last week:

People often ask if a certain weather pattern is good or bad for the golf course.  In the case of a very warm winter, there may be some issues we see down the road.  The post-emergent herbicide we apply in late fall for the control of Poa annua on tees and fairways, works best when we have a period of extremely cold weather--which we have not, possibly lessening its effectiveness.

Speaking of Poa, a second concern is that this warm weather could lead to an extended period of Poa seeding on the greens this spring.  We carefully track temperatures throughout the late winter to determine the best time to apply a combination of plant growth regulators, which reduce the annoying Poa seeds on the greens.  However, we are limited in the total quantity of these products we can apply in the spring (without causing unwanted adverse effects to the plant).  Therefore, if we need to make an early application, there is the chance that late spring Poa seeds become an issue.

Lastly, we typically make our Crabgrass pre-emergent application in late fall.  With "normal" temperatures, this product will effectively prevent Crabgrass throughout the following season.  But a warm, wet winter has the potential to allow this product to start to breakdown, which may lead to weed breakthrough later this year.

So, yes, weather anomalies most definitely impact us both in the short term and long term on the course.  Like a sports team, we enter the season with a plan.  However, once we're in the game, the ability to quickly adapt and change based on whatever is thrown at us, can be the difference between success and failure.