There is absolutely no need for a preventative spray if you are maintaining a healthy sward by carrying out the correct cultural practices. It’s like taking an aspirin to avoid a headache you might never get!
there are degrees of prevention, you don’t put your arm in plaster to avoid breaking it. Overseas, however, where snow can be deeper than a few inches, and last for more than a day, there may be some merit in the practice, if it is permitted within the environmental regulations of that country.
Teenagers and Toboggans
Another problem with snow is kids. Not children, but the adolescent version, the teenager. On one golf course I worked on some years ago (last century) it experienced above average snowfall (four inches) so the course was closed, and yes, people still wanted to play golf. The course had quite a few hills and slopes, and some members asked for permission for their children to use their toboggans on the course. “Sure, if they stay away from the greens” was the Head Greenkeeper’s reply. So, off went a group of teenagers with their toboggans. With hindsight the flags should have been brought in, but they were left out on the course so that everyone knew where the greens were and, therefore, the areas to be avoided. The members kids went to the steepest slope on the course, which was adjacent to a green, and were left to their own devices. The following day you could see that the snow was fairly compacted in that area, but nothing untoward had happened, or so we thought.
A few days later the snow started to melt away and expose fag butts and empty cans of beer strewn over the area at the top of the hill (where the green was), and an altogether unexpected mosaic pattern began to emerge on the exposed turf too. It wasn’t black bruised turf in the shape of footprints, as the snow was deep enough to prevent that happening. What could it be we wondered? Then we realised, the teenagers had decided to do some writing, along with some drawing, in the snow with the flagstick, which bruised the turf.
As the snow melted away further, the full scale of their artistic endeavours was revealed. Imprinted on the turf, like branding on a cow’s backside, were rather large phallic images with accompanying short descriptive terms. It was January, and there was zero growth occurring, which meant the images were going to stay for a while. Fortunately, we were able to mask their appearance with some dye. Doubtless, the members of the offending children wished they could mask their appearance as easily, as they were rather embarrassed by the uproar it caused at the club.
Thawing Out
Thawing snow can be when most problems occur. All of a sudden you have an excess of surface water that creates wet soft ground, as well as people
wanting to use the facility because “the snow’s gone, so it must be alright to play on”. If your drainage system is poor to non-existent, you will have to endure the effects of surface water for longer, with possibly extended closure of the facility, or a surface in play that cuts-up easily and leaves indentations with every footprint, leading to compacted uneven surfaces going into the spring which require renovating, just when the grass starts to grow like mad. Are there any benefits to having snow cover on your facility? In a word, no (ski resorts excepted). Advantages are small in comparison to the disadvantages. Snow-forced closures help rest the surfaces from play and, if you suffer from animals breaking-in and digging up your turf, you can see from their footprints where they have been entering your site, enabling you to focus your animal deterrent practices. And the other advantages of snow are that it rests the surface from play, oh and it rests the surface. There are not many advantages. However, it does give you some time for machinery maintenance, painting and long discussions on the merits of sustainable carbon-neutral microbial enhanced biodegradable cost-effective ozone friendly quality assured best practice performance quality standards (that’s the buzzword count nailed), or any other subject that takes your fancy.
Contract spraying services for all sports facilities requirements
Fertiliser applications
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Supply and
Amenity Contract Services Ltd Catchdale Moss Farm, Eccleston, St Helens Merseyside WA10 5QG Tel: 01744 885098 Fax: 01744 886001
Email:
richard@amenitycontracting.co.uk
application of all major turf products or apply customers own product
Linear and spike aeration
Nationwide coverage
59 Specialist Green spraying equipment
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