(March 3, 2022) – Even in the winter golf courses can be a great place for some exercise. When there is enough snow on the ground there is ample space for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and even sledding. When there is enough snowmelt like we had this February there are opportunities to play into temporary greens.
However, one area of the golf course that is always off-limits is the green. Greens throughout the state are covered with tarps for protection during the winter months but that doesn’t mean the ground isn’t frozen and prone to damage from someone walking across the surface.
“The tarp is there to protect the green from wind and from a layer of ice forming,” explained TPC River Highlands Director of Golf Course Maintenance Jeffrey Reich. “Walking across the surface will cause damage. Underneath that tarp, the ground is still frozen and gets frost. Just because there is a tarp over it that doesn’t make it safe.”
If there are footprints found on greens when the tarps are lifted in the spring, “it just slows the time frame down for when that portion of the green will be playable like the rest of the green when we do finally open up,” continued Reich who has been at TPC River Highlands for six years. “It just sets it back. If we were to have some other damaging factors such as ice it just adds stress to the green.”
So as we all start making our way back to the golf course it is best to save your first trip to the green until after the tarp is off and your first approach shot of the season finds its mark. Just don’t forget to fix your ball mark!
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut State Golf Association functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association and conducts over 60 Championships, Qualifiers, and One Day Tournaments throughout the year.
