Now that we are well into the a fall season, frost delays are becoming the norm. Frost occurs when the plant cells that make up turf, freeze. If you walk or drive on frosted turf, the cells rupture and break, which causes the grass to turn black, then ultimately brown, in the areas that were walked on or driven on.
Frost occurs when temperatures approach the freezing mark. Each morning, we evaluate the course to see if frost is an issue. The coldest part of any day is the time when the sun rises. This means when it is dark at 6AM, we could be frost free. But as the sun rises the temperature drops a few degrees, and a lot of times, frost develops. This means that calling a frost delay is often a last minute call.
When it is frosty, it's very important that you stay off the grass. We communicate with the golf shop as soon as they arrive each morning and let them know of the delay. This also includes the practice facility. If you have an early tee time and arrive at the range early to warm up but see the gate closed, that is because we are under a frost delay.
If you'd like to learn more about frost and how it impacts turf, check out the USGA Green Section video above.