Merely saying the words “temporary greens” can send a wave of negative thoughts through a golfer’s mind. While temporary greens are certainly unpopular, it’s important to understand why they’re used. Temporary greens can be necessary when greens are damaged or under repair, but they can also be used to protect perfectly healthy greens when they are extremely vulnerable. Understanding the different scenarios where temporary greens are required can hopefully diminish some of the bad feelings you might have when you see a flag in the approach or fairway.

Northern golfers are all too familiar with temporary greens during winter. This is not a one-size-fits-all situation, but some courses opt to close the primary greens in favor of temporary greens for various reasons. One could ask 10 superintendents and get 10 different reasons why they use temporary greens in the winter but, at the heart of it, the superintendents feel that keeping traffic off the greens while the grass is growing slowly, or not at all, is the best way to protect the most valued assets of the facility.

Even on a warm winter day that seems like a great opportunity to play golf, putting greens are still very vulnerable to damage during winter in northern areas. When the grass is not growing, ball marks and damage from foot traffic will not heal. During brief warm spells, the surface of the greens may also thaw while the ground below is frozen. This creates the risk of footsteps shearing the grass away from its frozen roots, which causes lasting damage.

This is not to say that if the superintendent leaves all or some of the regular greens open all winter that they are doing something wrong for the course. Every course is different and factors like the local environment and amount of winter play influence the decision to use temporary greens. What is important to recognize in northern climates is that almost any damage done during the winter, even by only a few rounds, can linger for weeks or months in the spring.

Another reason to use temporary greens during any season is to allow for recovery from damage. This could be damage caused by animals, vandalism, extreme weather, mechanical mishaps or turf diseases. Depending on the severity of damage, the temporary green may only be needed for a day or two, or it could require several weeks or months to give the green sufficient time to heal. When damage is the issue, it’s usually only a hole or two that requires a temporary green while the others remain in play.

The last significant reason to have temporary greens is for golf course renovations. This is perhaps the most exciting use of temporary greens because the facility is ultimately trying to improve course design and playing conditions. If a green is being completely rebuilt, a course might need to utilize a temporary green for six months or more depending on the scope of work and how well the grow-in goes. For obvious reasons, playing to greens with juvenile plants or newly laid sod will delay establishment, so the temporary green is necessary even if the new surface might look ready to go. New plants need time without traffic in order to be fully ready for play as soon as possible.

The mention of temporary greens will likely always carry a negative connotation, but it’s important to remember that they’re being used for good reasons. Whether it’s allowing time to recover from damage, protecting greens from damage in the first place, or allowing renovations to happen, the end result of temporary greens is always better playing conditions on the primary surfaces.