It’s raining. It’s pouring. It seems like almost every week we’re getting a huge downpour and we’re seeing the ‘course closed’ signs out too much for your liking.
We don’t need an Ark. The rain will eventually stop, even if it doesn’t seem likely anytime soon looking at the upcoming forecasts.
But even when it finally starts to dry up, the drama for your golf courses is not over. No, not by a long chalk.
So how does rain – and particularly heavy rain – affect them? How long can damage last, and is there anything our hardworking greenkeeping teams can do to mitigate it?
Let’s take a look…
How does rain affect golf?
Walking on wet grass really damages it
You think grass grows in soil. But you would be wrong. The roots actually grow in air spaces between soil particles. Think of the soil as like a sponge.
There are some pockets where you want air and some where you want water. It’s almost like a honeycomb. That structure is crucial because it means water can drain freely through the soil profile.
But if you start walking on it, particularly when the grass is saturated, then the pockets can close up. Water doesn’t move through as easily and it it takes longer to dry out.
There’s another problem with roots that haven’t got access to air. After a period, they weaken and begin to die off. If you’ve ever noticed waterlogged grass turning brown, you have seen that in action.
Walking on grass when it’s like this – whether water is flooded on the surface – compacts and pushes the grass into the soil – crushing the area where the roots are.
