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.
