Since the rainy season is upon us, we would like to discuss the need to have carts on paths only during certain periods this time of year. Soil Science 101 tells us all soils are the most susceptible to compaction during wet periods. Compacted soils do not allow the proper air and water movement through the profile to allow viable growth. Due to the high amount of traffic on golf course playing surfaces (especially golf cars), compaction can become a serious issue inhibiting the ability to provide quality playing conditions. Along with compaction, the turfgrass is not able to recover as quickly as the summer months due to shorter days and cooler (soil temperatures) weather. It is essential we control the use of golf cars on the playing surfaces during the winter months.
We take soil tilth very seriously and unfortunately; we must make decisions that are not always popular. The cooler soil temperatures of the winter months, shorter days (sunlight), creates a situation that makes it harder and almost impossible for the turf to recover from the compaction golf cars create during this time of year. Along with recovery, the soils take longer to dry down due to the shorter days, so carts may be restricted several days after a rainfall event. It is essential we manage cart usage during the winter months. We have a very specific protocol in place based on the percentage of moisture in the ground off of Field Capacity that we use. We have two different moisture capacity criteria, one for blue flag needs and one for all other cart usage which we continue to adhere to. Hopefully this enlightens everyone to the process.
Yours in turf,
Stacy l> Wallace, Golf Course Superintendent
Sonoma Agronomy 