For many golf courses in the central U.S. with high Poa annua populations on their putting surfaces, the 2023 golf season did not begin as golfers and superintendents had hoped. Subzero temperatures and high winds in mid-December of 2022 caused winter injury that negatively impacted playing conditions for months. The rocky start to the season is well behind us, but now is the time to begin preparing putting greens with higher Poa annua populations to minimize winter injury risk.
One trend observed this past spring was less-severe winter injury at golf courses where mowing heights had been raised through the fall. As the golf season winds down and turf is still growing, gradually raise mowing heights to somewhere between 0.130 and 0.150 inch. This will improve the turf’s ability to withstand harsh winter conditions. Raising mowing heights will likely slow down green speeds, but there must be an understanding that protecting the greens through winter is the priority.
Along with raising mowing heights, applying sand topdressing through the fall will help insulate turf crowns. This can reduce winter injury risks if severe conditions are experienced while the playing surfaces are not covered with snow. Different approaches can be used to apply this insulating sand blanket. Multiple light topdressing applications can be made until the desired amount of sand is reached, or you can topdress with one or two heavier applications later in the fall. Regardless of your approach, it is important to apply enough sand to protect the turf but not so much that you completely bury it.
If your greens have higher Poa annua populations, there will always be winter injury risks in locations where severe winter weather is a possibility. There is no practice or product that can completely eliminate the risks, but raising mowing heights in the fall and insulating crowns with a sand topdressing blanket is a good place to start. For more information on preventing winter injury at your facility, reach out to your regional USGA agronomist.
Central Region Agronomists:
Zach Nicoludis, regional director – znicoludis@usga.org
Paul Jacobs, agronomist – pjacobs@usga.org