#2 and 16 Greens Covered

The 2nd green and the 16th green are covered as of today.  This will help tremendously with spring green up.  Again, these covers work by way of the greenhouse effect.  Keeping the underlying soil and turf about 10 degrees warmer than that above.  We've learned over time that we need the help of pallets to keep the covers on the greens because of the intense winter winds we often get in Highlands.  Using staples (as recommended) isn't effective and usually results in ripped covers.  These covers are not the insulated covers you might be accustomed to at a southern golf course with Bermudagrass greens.  In those scenarios, superintendents cover bermudagrass greens if the temperature is 25*F or less.  Those black, insulated covers keep the turf much warmer than these  clear, permeable covers we use at HCC.  The black covers are not meant to stay on the greens for extended periods like these are.

With these two greens growing in very poor growing environments, it's critical we overcompensate for all the things we can do to grow the healthiest turf.  We know that once the season progresses, this green will struggle with the foot traffic and ball marks due to the lack of sunlight it receives.  Therefore, we need to make sure we grow the densest and healthiest root system we can prior to the season starting.  We also need to be sure we maintain the root zone with the proper amount of organic matter so it doesn't hold water.  This means adequate aerification and topdressing.