#2 green at 11:50am. Think of the weakest parts of that green...the walk-on, back collar, front right behind the bunker. Now, study what areas are shaded. Coincidence? These areas get between 1-2 hours of sunlight per day. 8 hours is required for optimum turf quality. There is simply no way around it. When a green receives 60% less than its recommended requirement, turf loss will occur according to an Ohio State study. In our case at HCC, we are 82% less than ideal. In many cases, it goes back to the question: Are we here to manage a top golf course or care for a tree farm? Unfortunately to two rarely coexist and the turf is ultimately the one who loses.
On frosty mornings, it may be necessary to skip the 2nd hole and play it last due to the extended frost it receives. I am often asked, can't you just run irrigation heads to get the frost off? The answer is yes, after it reaches 37*F. With all the microclimates on a golf course and cold pockets, running water will do nothing more than create a winter wonderland in areas. I once tried running water on #2 because I was getting impatient. The cart path between 2 green and 3 tees turned to a solid sheet of ice that could be traveled! It delayed golf even more. I learned a lesson that day. Thank you for your patience during these types of delays!