Snow Mold Application Down...

Part of the many tasks we do every year to put the course to bed in the fall for the winter is to spray all short cut areas (greens, tees and fairways) with a fungicide to prevent snow mold disease.  The disease, if not treated before the disease appears can be very devastating.  We spray in November on the calmest day we can, and the spray typically gets us about 3 solid months of control over the disease.  Like the snow mold component of possible winter damage, we have to monitor the ice accumulation on the greens even closer.  The damage from last winter on the 6th and 16th greens was a result of the ice accumulation and duration of coverage.  We were out on the greens last March with our tractor loader removing snow and ice but the damage had already been done.  We will be paying close attention to those greens and do everything in our power to prevent another damaging winter like we experienced last winter!  In the end, mother nature is always in the driver seat with regards to how the golf course withstands the winter!