Winter Playing Conditions

The weather conditions stay mild enough in the winter to keep the golf course open year-round.  We have had some winter storms that have kept the golf course closed for long periods of time, but this is not at all commonplace. The number of rounds played on the course shrinks significantly during the winter months due to a combination of members who are not year-round residents, to the simple fact that some days it’s just too cold or possibly snow covered to play golf. 

While the weather conditions are such that they allow for year-round play here at Kenmure, the temperatures are low enough to stop the growth of the turfgrass, especially on the shorter cut surfaces like greens, tees, and fairways.  This growth stoppage allows us to shift the focus of our labor onto other things like leaf cleanup, tree removal, drainage projects, and other needed renovation projects.  This is the time of year when we no longer mow any grass, change the pin locations with less frequency, and focus on things to make golf course better for the next season.

It is important to understand that the expectation level for course conditions is not the same as it would be during the growing season (April-Nov), because the turfgrass has no ability to heal from damages caused by the wear and tear of normal play.  This becomes especially evident on greens surface where ball marks are left unfixed by players.  Freezing and thawing of the upper level of soil in the green surface also contributes to uneven and bumpy putts.  We do utilize our greens roller to help smooth the greens some, but the weather generally doesn’t allow us to use it with enough frequency to make a significant impact.

Thank you for understanding the seasonal nature of golf here at Kenmure.  We do our best to keep the course playable throughout the winter, and ask that winter players help us by following cart path restrictions, frost delays, and fixing all ball marks on the greens.  

Please Repair Your Ball Marks

When I walk up on a green and see a large ball mark like this I often wonder how someone could damage the green like this and then just walk away and leave it.  It only takes a little effort to fix this mark.  When the mark is fixed properly the scar will heal in no time at all. 

If you are not sure of the proper method of fixing ball then please watch this video:

Etiquette Reminder

Please replace all divots please.

A large and wet divot like the one in the picture above will easily continue to grow if it is put back into the ground.  If you cannot find the original hole it came out of then just place it into another divot hole.  You can place some sand around the edges if you like, but most larger divots may not require much or any sand.

The sand bottles on your golf carts can be used to fill the holes of divots that have been too shredded to be replaced or have dried out and died.

Thank you for your help.