F ORE Y OUR INFORMATION 3rd Quar ter 2026
Cameron Park Country Club 2022 Scholarship & Research Tournament
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PR ES IDENT’S MES SAG E BY BI LLY WITT Hope this message finds you well, as the fall is upon us and many are punching, overseeding ,preparing for snow. I would like to say THANK YOU for this opportunity to serve the membership, it has allowed to strengthen many friendships and begin countless more. Having gotten into service encouraged me to attend meetings and keep up with current events and what a year it has been. The 100th year celebration of our National Assoc. has been impressive. Members of congress recognized our achievements, with 1st District of Kansas representative Tracy Mann speaking in honor of us. This article will be filled with thank you's. Our chapter has had an unprecedented year. Thank you to all who donated to the rounds for research this year. We shattered the number of donations, along with a roughly 400% increase in funds raised by the chapter! Special thanks to Dean and PJ for setting a lofty goal and reaching it, along with past President Juan Gonzalez for contributing more than a handful of donations. What a privilege it is to turn in those numbers this year, I am truly blessed. Meeting attendance has been a topic of many discussion for the years I have served the board, this year we chose some prestigious venues to host our events and our members showed up in a big way. There were certainly financial concerns as we committed to these events, and without our members coming out it could have been a disaster. The Del Paso event was a huge success, thanks again Clint for hosting. Serrano C.C meeting was amazing all around. Brandon's dedication to his course was clearly evident, personally I had only been there one time before, two decades ago and what an impressive property. Start to finish the day went smoothly and the education paired well with the day. There were some well struck golf shots that day, and some fabulous scores turned in. We will continue to fine tune the competitions and offer friendly, inclusive formats that allows the entire field a chance to win, not just the highly skilled golfers. Please reach out to myself or any BOD member if you would like to see anything added or subtracted from the competition portion of the events. Ryan Thornberry has done a tremendous amount of work on the golf and he deserves to be recognized for that effort. I would tip my hat to him if I was wearing one. Granite Bay caused me and Kim a few sleepless moments. We made a big commitment to the S&R meeting this year, and you guessed it, I will need to say a very special THANKS to Dave Bermudez for his tenacity to making the S&R successful. Many may not know how long Dave has assisting with that event, nor would they know the effort he puts into it. Many emails, follow up ups with the BOD to give us direction and or requests and gathering donations/raffle items to make the meeting worthwhile to the vendors, members and the scholarship winners. We raised more than anticipated and had the exact amount of attendees to meet our commitment, huge success which leave us in good shape for scholarships next year. The recipients that attended the event got to see first hand the devotion superintendents and vendors have to our industry. The event served up some extreme heat and summer is always a difficult time for us, but again, this reflects how much the chapter cares to support our loved ones and those pursuing careers in turf maintenance. Thank you all who attended, and donated, it contributed to a greet day. The Tri-Chapter meeting was held in San Luis Obispo this year. What a drive that was. Half the BOD attended and several of our members appeared as well. I enjoyed being on the coast and meeting new friends, myself past president Juan G and central chapter President Elliot Weber all three got to have our picture taken with the GCSAA centennial flag, look for that picture on the national web page or maybe next year in New Orleans. What an amazing summer, but I cant wait for it to be over. I wish you all the best with cultural practices this autumn, may your seed germinate and membership cooperate. Sincerely,
Billy Witt
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M E E T I N G DA T E S
E V E N T C A L E N DA R 2026
2027
October 26-28 West Coast Educational Event Ontario, CA.
2027 GIS New Orleans January 18-21 California Room January 20
October 15 Presidents Cup Glenbrook GC South Lanke Tahoe, NV.
February 2 The Ridge GC Turf Tech Seminar
March Brookside CC Grass Roots Tournament
December 5, 2026 Holiday Event In Coordination with NorCal Napa, Ca.
April Copper Valley Educational Event
2026 SNGCSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Billy Witt Hidden Valley Lake Assoc. SECRETARY/TREASURER Guillermo Romero Reyes Brookside CC
Dave Bermudez Del Rio G. & C.C.
Andy Lopez Oakdale GC
VICE PRESIDENT Lonnie Dunn William Land Park DIRECTORS Scott McCullough The Ridge
Dean Kinney, Sierra Pacific Turf
PAST PRESIDENT Juan Gonzalez Empire Ranch GC
PJ Kanir Cameron Park CC
Brian Kerr– Assistant Turkey Creek GC
Affiliate Representatives Ryan Thornberry, California Landscape Supply
FORE YOUR INFORMATION Published by the Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association OFFICE SNGCSA 3273 Richert Ave., Clovis, CA 93619 559-298-6262 sngcsaa@aol.com
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F RO M T H E F I E L D J e f f J e n s e n , GCSAA Field Staff,
Southwest Region
I hope this finds all of our Sierra Nevada members doing well and getting ready for the fall golf season. It was nice to see many of you at the recent President’s Cup at Coyote Moon and I look forward to catching up with the rest of you at the upcoming annual meeting. Registration for the 2027 Conference and Show and Golf Championships opened on September 22. The event will be held in New Orleans, LA. January 18-21 with the Golf Championships taking place January 16-18 down the road in Biloxi, MS. Host courses include Fallen Oak, Grand Bear, The Preserve and Windance Country Club. Early Bird registration for the show is available through October 16 with advance registration running through December 11. More information is available on the website at www.gcsaaconference.com. We look forward to seeing everyone in the Big Jeff Jensen Easy next January. Additionally, registration for the Western Golf & Sports Field Summit is open at https://westerngolfandsportsfieldsummit.com. The Summit, held in Ontario, CA., is a premier gathering of golf course and sports field professionals from across the western United States. It features over one hundred educational sessions including specialized education tracks for golf course superintendents. Other events include a golf tournament and a trade show featuring nearly 100 exhibitors. GCSAA CEU’s are available and it will be a great opportunity to network with other superintendents and industry professionals from around the Western United States. As a reminder, please do not forget about GCSAA’s Greenkeeper Certificate. It is a great tool for newcomers to your maintenance team or those employees just looking to expand their horizons. This entry-level course introduces the essential skills and knowledge needed for success in golf course maintenance. Through hands-on training, completion of a skills evaluation guide and online exam, and education webinars, learners will gain a solid understanding of the daily responsibilities involved in maintaining healthy, high-performing playing surfaces. The course builds a strong foundation for future certificates and career growth. It also emphasizes the importance of teamwork, communication, and professionalism as key components of a successful golf course maintenance team. More information is available at https://learn.gcsaa.org/learning-paths/greenkeeper-certificate. Thank you again for your support of GCSAA and if I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at jjensen@gcsaa.org and follow me on X for industry updates at GCSAA_SW. Look forward to catching up with you soon! -
Jeff Jensen
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COOKING FOR THE CREW BY JOHN FARLEY We all know that treating your crew to a nice lunch is a great way to say thank you for all their hard work and dedication. It’s an opportunity to come together as a group and share a meal and have a laugh, which are two good things in this world. Two things that help bond the team and develop comradery. Of course, it’s also a good time to get a safety meeting knocked out and documented. It’s also a great time to acknowledge individual team members for birthdays and hire anniversaries. I do like to have the meetings before lunch is served so that the business side of things is taken care of. Then lunch can be eaten leisurely and enjoyed. We can all agree that feeding your crew is a good thing, but we also know it takes some effort. In my past articles I have written about several different ways and options to feeding the group. You can buy everything the day before and marinade the meat and then grill it the next day or just buy the meat pre-marinaded and grill it up the day of. Both are quite involved and take time. If that’s a deterrent, then here are two good alternatives. 1. Have a good old fashion potluck. Every crew that I’ve ever worked with has been more than willing to bring in a dish that they have prepared at home. I typically ask the crew for two or three main dishes and a couple of sides. I always furnish them with a little cash so nobody is out of pocket for their expenses. Then I provide paper plates and utensils and an ice chest with cold drinks. So simple and it’s amazing how willing they are step up and showcase their cooking skills. 2. Have it catered. Not catered in the traditional sense where a company comes out and sets everything up. Just go to most any Mexican restaurant or super market such as la Superior and order what you need. Simply go there the day before and tell them how many people you have to feed and what menu items you want. I just did this very thing recently and it worked out great. I met with the store manager of La Superior on Tuesday and returned Wednesday morning to pick up my food hot and ready. I ordered two proteins beef and chicken, rice, beans and a tossed green salad. So simple and the guys loved it. The food was in big foil trays with lids and was hot and delicious. Any ready to serve. So, there are two great alternatives to having to do any work yourself. Simple delegate the cooking duties to other people. All you have to do is set it up. And as we head into the fall and winter months we should all be thinking about scheduling a crew BBQ or meal of some sort. It can be a lot easier than you might think!
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CAG NEWSLETTERS PLEASE CHECK OUT THE ATTACHED LINKS TO THE MONTHLY CAG CORRESPONDENCE CALIFORNIA'S AQUIFERS -- FURTHER EVIDENCE OF A COLLAPSING WATER SUPPLY SITUATION Colorado Basin Colorado River Future Operations -- Bureau of Reclamation Releases Long Anticipated Plan July CAG Newsletter August Newsletter
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Presidents Cup– Coyote Moon It was a beautiful day at Coyote Moon Golf Course, celebrating our President, Mr. Billy Witt. Everyone in attendance enjoyed the great weather and had a bit of a love/ hate relationship with the super fast greens. All in all, it was a fabulous day on the course. 1st place Gross winner was none other than JP Gonzalez, of Cherry Island, and our 1st place Affiliate was Dylan Aldrich of California Landscape Supply. The Board of Directors wants to Thank everyone who made the drive to Truckee, and we look forward to seeing you at the next event.
Top Left– Superintendent Bryan Jordan (center) with his team Top Center– Jeff Jensen and Chapter President, Billy Witt– Hidden Valley Lake Top Right- Derek Moffet, Billy Witt, Juan Gonzalez, and Akoni Ganir Left– Dave Bermudez and Greg Searle Bottom Left- Tahoe guys enjoying the scenery Right: Rodney Muller and Jim Ferrin
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VENDOR PROFILE
M I C K A N D D E B B I E E VA N S W E S T C OA S T G O L F C O N ST RU C T I O N For Mick and Debbie Evans, golf isn’t just a game—it’s a business they’re proud to build from the ground up. As the owners of West Coast Golf Construction, Mick and Debbie have established their company as a trusted local business specializing in golf course remodeling and construction. Over the years, West Coast Golf Construction has had the opportunity to work on numerous local courses, but, their work isn’t limited to golf courses. West Coast Golf Construction also brings its expertise to baseball and football fields, helping create and improve athletic spaces for players and communities. We took some time to get to know them a little better this Quarter: Q: Where did you grow up? Mick grew up in Manteca and Debbie grew up in Ripon Q: How did your interest grow for the golf course industry? Our interest in the golf course industry really grew through our experience in construction and working together. Mick had already established himself in the construction business, and over the years we discovered how rewarding it was to take those skills and use them to improve golf courses. We love seeing a project go from an idea to something that golfers and course staff can truly enjoy. Q: Where did you go to school and what was you major? Mick went to Manteca High and Debbie went to Ripon Christian - neither went to college, Mick was already in the construction business growing up and Debbie went to Cosmetology School and then was a stay at home Mom working in the office. Q: What part of your job excites you everyday? We love that what we do is different almost every day, and that when we come into a course to improve it, people are always happy with the work we are doing, and very happy to have us there. Q: What tool/s do you need to have everyday to make your job easier? Our employees and our equipment are the most important things we have. Q: What hobbies or hidden talents do you have? Mick and Debbie both enjoy golfing, when he isn’t working… Debbie has more time to golf than Mick does. Debbie also enjoys decorating, especially for the holidays! Q: What is one dream vacation destination? We have done some traveling, a couple years ago we went to Europe for a month. The Netherlands during tulip time was Debbies dream vacation and we loved it! We also loved Paris and Switzerland. We would now like to go to Scotland and play The Old Course in St. Andrews. Q: What is your favorite food or meal? Mick would pick Mexican food every day and Debbie would pick Sushi Q: What music do you enjoy listening to? We both like country and classic rock. Q What sports do you enjoy watching? Favorite teams? We enjoy watching football and baseball. We are both SF Giants fans, and as far as football, Mick is a Steelers fan and Debbie is a Cowboys fan. Thank you to Mick and Debbie for taking the time to let us get to know them a little better! See you on the course!
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Welcome New Members Cesar Enriquez Swenson Park Golf Course Class B
Blake Swint Turlock Golf & Country Club Class A Bryan Jordan Coyote Moon GC Class A
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GAVIN DICKSON
BILLY HAUSCH GRASS VALLEY, CA 831-333-6412 Billy@grassrootsturfsupply.com SERVING: SACRAMENTO, RENO, LAKE TAHOE, CARSON CITY, MONO COUNTY AND GOLD COUNTRY
MARINA, CA 831-333-6839 Gavin@grassrootsturfsupply.com SERVING: SAN FRANCISCO, STOCKTON, CENTRAL VALLEY, BAKERSFIELD, SANTA BARBARA AND SLO
THOR LARSON SALINAS, CA 831-277-4356 Thor@grassrootsturfsupply.com SERVING: MONTEREY PENINSULA, SANTA CRUZ, SAN JOSE AND SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
PETER J GALEA CGCS FAIRFIELD, CA 831-234-3218 Peterjg@pacbell.net SERVING: EAST BAY, WINE COUNTRY, NORTH COAST AND NORTHERN SIERRA
2045 Franciscan Way, Salinas CA 93908 Grassrootsturfsupply.com
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SUPERINTENDENT PROFILE Bryan Jordan– Coyote Moon GC The host of our Presidents Cup this year is also our newest member. Bryan Jordan took some time to sit down with us and let us get to know him better. Q: Where did you grow up? Bark River. A small town in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Q: How did your interest grow for the golf course industry? Fell in love with the property Q: Where did you go to school and what was you major? I survived high school and called it good Q: What was you first paying job in the industry? Mechanic Q: What part of your job excites you everyday? The challenge of making it better Q: What tool/s do you need to have everyday to make your job easier? A crew that comes to work Q: What hobbies or hidden talents do you have? Snowmobiling Q: What is one dream vacation destination? Bounce around the pacific on a boat and seeing all the islands Q: What is your favorite food or meal? Pizza
Q: What music do you enjoy listening to? Anything with a good beat and rhythm
Danny Vandecoevering danny.vandecoevering@envu.com 425-606-0491
Q What sports do you enjoy watching? Favorite teams? Football. Da bears Q: If you could give your younger self some advice, what would that be? Take more pictures Q: What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into the golf industry? Love your employees like family and get rid of the ones that don’t love you like family
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ROUNDS FOR RESEARCH
We are proud to announce a record-setting achievement for our organization: thanks to the Rounds 4 Research initiative, administered by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), we secured funding that propelled our annual profit to over three times that of previous years. This success was made possible through the strategic leadership of board members Dean Kinney and PJ Kanir, whose coordination and commitment ensured our participation was both effective and impactful. These funds will be reinvested into our core programs, enabling us to expand donations to research that positively impacts our profession, the environment, and the game of golf. We look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead.
Top Dressing • Fertilizer • Gypsum
Peter Reece Jr. (209) 602-8475
preecejr@gmail.com
Paul Smith Sales Representative 530-327-4985 smithp@helenaagri.com
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GRANITE BAY S&R TOURNAMENT On August 3, 2026, the Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association hosted our annual Scholarship & Research Tournament at Granite Bay Golf Club. It was a fantastic day of golf, camaraderie, and support for the future of our industry. Matt Dillon and his team were incredible hosts and we appreciate them letting us host the event at their course. A special thank you to all of our generous sponsors whose support makes this event possible. Your continued commitment to the Sierra Nevada GCSA and to education and research in the golf course industry is truly appreciated. We are grateful for the businesses and partners who continue to invest in our association and the next generation of turfgrass professionals. Belkorp was generous in providing on course beverages, Sunbelt rentals had their fun booth and giveaways out there, Sierra Pacific's Casino Hole was a hit as usual, and California Landscape Supply offered up a fun driving opportunity We also want to thank everyone who attended and participated. Your enthusiasm, generosity, and support helped make the tournament a success. Events like this are a great reminder of the strength of our industry and the value of bringing our members and partners together. And, of course, a huge congratulations to all of the teams who took on the course in some seriously challenging summer conditions! The heat did not make it easy, but you all survived it—and did so with plenty of good spirits along the way. We appreciate everyone who battled through the temperatures, kept the smiles coming, and made the most of the day. The Scholarship & Research Tournament is about more than just a round of golf. It helps support the Sierra Nevada GCSA’s commitment to education, scholarships, and research that benefit our industry for years to come. The number one way we continue this successful event is through the auction. To everyone who donated, bid, participated, etc., THANK YOU!
Above: Golfers enjoying the Sunbelt Booth Giveawaya Above Right: The Nutrien Group
Above: Andy Lopez, Matt Graves, Mick and Debbie Evans
Right: California Landscape Supply Booth
Above Left: Billy Witt, Juan Gonzalez, PJ Kanir, Kyle Teubert, and guest.
Below: Cliff Carpenters group with Scholarship Recipient Jesus Soto.
LeftL Dean and Chloe Kinney at the Sierra Pacific Hole
Right: Winning Team from GreenValley Stieler, Green, Koch, and Sherman
Above Left: The Belkorp Girls Made there way around the course quickly, passing out beverages! Right: Turf Star Group Rourke, Stark, Rourke, and Daum
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SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS Turf Grass Recipients Jesus Soto Punzo (Pictured Right) Attending Butte College in Oroville. Studying Environmental Horticulture. He currently works for Cliff Carpenter at Canyon Oaks CC in Chico as a greenskeeper. Raudel Guardado (Pictured Right) Attending UC Riverside Extension, majoring in Turf Grass Management. He currently works for Dave Bermudez at Del Rio CC as the assistant Superintendent. Isabella Becker (Received by father, Justin Becker, Right) Daughter of Justin Becker. She is a legacy but today is receiving the Turf Grass Scholarship due to being an Environmental Science Major. She is attending UC Santa Barbara, and would like to work in land and water management when she completes her degree. She has also worked at Copper Valley since 2023 as a greenskeeper and equipment operator.
Legacy Awards Recipients Michelle Gonzalez (Pictured Right) Daughter of Juan Gonzalez of Empire Ranch She is attending Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts- Studying to be an MRI Tech. Michelle has worked in a few different healthcare jobs since graduat ing from Sacramento State in 2023, and has decided that MRI technology is where her passion lies, therefor she is back in school to pursue that career. Kayla Stutsman– (Not Pictured) Daughter of Mark Stutsman, Kayla is attending Northern Arizona State in the Fall and majoring in Music Education. Her ultimate goal is to be a music professor in a high school or college setting. Diego Ayala Toscano (Received by father, Leo Moreno, Right) Son of Leo Moreno. Diego is attending Modesto JC, majoring in Business. Diego is open to trying many types of jobs during college in order to give him a better understanding of the exact field he wants to work in. He believes that his business degree will give him the fundamentals to learn what he needs to know in order to succeed. Evelin Guardado– (Not Pictured) Daughter of Raudel Guardado. Evelin is attending UC Berkely to finish her education in optometry and vision science. Evelin has done undergraduate classes at UC Merced and UC Santa Barbara, all with a GPA of 4.0. Her life long goal is to provide optometry services to the underserved communities within the Central Valley. Natalie Gonzalez- (Pictured Right) Daughter of Juan Gonzalez. Natalie is also attending the Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts- MRI Program. Natalie graduated from UC Sacramento in 2025 with a 3.6 GPA in Health Science and the knowledge that healthcare was where she wanted to work. She was accepted to Gurnick and began classes in July.
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Tri– Chapter Tournament- Hosted by Central Cal. On August 31, 2026, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Central California, (GCSACC), brought together golf course professionals from across the state for a day of education, competition, and camaraderie at the San Lui Obispo CC. Over 90 participants from multiple chapters engaged in friendly rivalry out on the course, while learning how to work with their teams to better facilitate course management in the education portion. Speakers from Syngenta, Earthworks, and Greenskeepers were in attendance and teaching our members vital skills. We thank them for their expertise, and we thank our members for being an engaged, and respectful audience. The winners of the event was a 3 way tie with an amazing score of 57, which eventually led to a card off. Leaving the team of Stewart, Magnani, Lenz, and Clark in 1st Place, and Lagoria, Watkins, Bognuda, and Pubas in 2nd. Out on the course players were able to take in the remodel that Host Superintendent Paul Barr has been working on. Play a multitude of Closest to the Pins, Long Drives, and visit with Hole Sponsors from John Deere/ Stotz Equipment, Seed King, and Par West. Inside the club house we had our meals graciously sponsored by DHR Construction, and drinks provided by PW Gillibrand. All of these things contributed to a very successful day for anyone in attendance.
JimCulley of Seed King, awarding the winner of his on Course, Closest to Pin Game– Billy Witt
1st Place Team from Stotz- Stewart, Magnani, Lenz, and Clark
Part of our 2nd Place Team of Lagoria, Watkins, Boguda, and Pubas
John Deere/ Stotz Equipment at Sponsored Hole #1
Brandon of Par West at his Sponsored booth on Hole 10
Above- Drink Sponsor– PW Gillibrand. Fry, Lind, and Russian Left– SNGCSA Board Members in Attendance, Dunn, Kerr, and annual Sponsor
Host Superintendent Paul Barr with GM Janelle, and GCSACC VP Herminio Plata Right- SNGCSA Board members in Attendance, Witt, Gonzalez, Romero and annual Sponsor Dylan Aldrich
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Register Today!
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Around the Green Pollinator Partnership Names Seed King Enterprises 2025 Monarch Sustainer of the Year Pollinator Partnership (P2) is pleased to present Seed King Enterprises with the 2025 Monarch Sustainer of the Year Award. This award recognizes a company that has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and action in providing habitat and awareness for the imperiled monarch butterfly. "We are incredibly grateful to welcome James Culley and Seed King Enterprises as our newest Monarch Sustainer. Their commitment to pollinator conservation reflects the kind of long-term leadership that creates a lasting impact. Partnerships like this help Pollinator Partnership continue to advance science-based conservation, restore habitat, and protect the pollinators that sustain our ecosystems and food supply. We look forward to all we can accomplish together," says Kelly Bills, Executive Director of Pollinator Partnership and presenter of this award. Habitat loss remains the leading driver of monarch declines, and as a seed company, Seed King Enterprises has played a key role in increasing habitat connectivity throughout the Western monarch migration corridor. The company's primary customer base, golf courses, represents a largely single-use landscape with significant potential to support pollinators through habitat enhancements. In 2025 alone, golf course clients planted more than 1,200 pounds of wildflower seed, including regionally native milkweed species. Beyond providing habitat consultation services, Seed King Enterprises serves as a trusted community resource for pollinator and plant information while supplying plant materials for both large-scale restoration efforts and home garden projects. P2 recognizes Seed King Enterprises for its monarch habitat enhancement efforts and its longstanding retail partnership supporting Pollinator Partnership's Monarch Wings Across the West program. Through this partnership, 5% of proceeds from three seed MEDIA RELEASE July 15, 2026
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Register and Sponsor Today! REGISTRATION AND SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE HERE
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Covering the Risk Managing Winter Injury on High Elevation Putting Greens By Drew Miller At Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nevada, winter does not necessarily become most dangerous when the thermometer reaches its lowest point. Some of our greatest risk occurs when temperatures fluctuate — when snow and ice begin to melt during the day, water moves across the property and onto putting surfaces, and temperatures fall below freezing again overnight. Located in the Sierra Nevada at elevations ranging from approximately 5,400 to 6,000 feet, Montreux presents a unique set of winter-management challenges. Our putting greens are a mixture of Poa annua and bentgrass, and the combination of elevation, shade, surrounding terrain, wind, snow and repeated freeze-thaw cycles can make winter survival challenging. Over the years, we have developed a winter-cover program designed around those specific conditions. Like many programs in golf course maintenance, what we do today did not happen overnight. It has taken trial and error, observation and a willingness to adjust our approach as we learned more about what was happening both on top of and underneath our covers. Understanding Our Winter Injury Our first snowfall typically arrives between the middle and end of November. The amount of snow we receive varies significantly from winter to winter, but the course can remain under snow from November or December through February or March. Snow itself is not necessarily our biggest concern. The challenge comes from temperature fluctuations and the movement of water. During freeze-thaw periods, snow melts during the day and water moves across the property. On greens with surrounding banks or hillsides, that meltwater can travel downhill and onto the putting surface. If it collects in a low area and temperatures fall overnight, that water can freeze. With predominantly Poa annua putting surfaces, crown hydration injury is one of our primary winter concerns. Anoxia associated with prolonged ice formation is another concern. Once ice forms over the turf, conditions beneath that ice can become increasingly unfavorable. That means our winter strategy is not simply about keeping a green warm. A major part of our strategy is managing water, ice and air movement. Deciding Which Greens to Cover We currently cover 10 of our 18 greens. Shade plays a role in determining which greens receive covers, but one of our biggest considerations is actually the terrain surrounding the putting surface. Some greens have banks and hillsides that feed water toward the green as snow melts. Those greens can essentially become collection points. Water moves down the surrounding slopes, reaches the putting surface, settles into low areas and can refreeze overnight. Those are the greens where we believe covers provide the greatest benefit. Our approach has taught us to look beyond the putting surface itself when evaluating winter risk. You have to understand what happens around the green as well. Where does the water come from? Where does it travel? Where does it collect? Which areas remain shaded? Which areas repeatedly develop ice? Answering those questions helps determine which greens need the most protection. Storm Tracking and Installation Timing Beginning in November, we become storm trackers. We routinely monitor three different weather sources to develop the best possible understanding of incoming storms and temperature patterns. Timing the installation of covers is extremely important because there is a relatively small window in which the work can be completed properly. Manufacturer guidance recommends installing the covers once the ground is frozen and before the first snowfall. In our experience, waiting too long and trying to perfectly time that window can create problems. Once the ground freezes hard, driving nails becomes difficult and lifting sod becomes nearly impossible. If significant snow arrives before the covers are installed, an even larger problem develops. That snow may not melt off the greens, leaving us unable to properly install the covers at all. We have learned that preparation and anticipation are critical. When the appropriate weather window arrives, we Building the Cover System. We use 10-mil, white, impermeable GreenJacket covers on our selected greens. However, the cover itself is only one component of the system we have developed. Installation begins by bringing the cover to the middle of the green, unfolding it and stretching it across the putting surface. On greens where surrounding banks contribute runoff, we take an additional step. We cut a sod line near the perimeter and fold the sod back, creating a trench where the edge of the cover can be secured. Once the cover is hammered into the trench, we replace the sod over the top.
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Covering the Risk, Continued... The theory behind this installation method is simple: keep hillside runoff on top of the cover instead of allowing it underneath. When snow on a surrounding bank melts, we want that water to travel over the replaced sod, onto the top of the cover and across the green rather than underneath the cover and directly onto the putting surface. It is not a perfect system, but controlling that water movement is an important part of reducing our risk of ice formation. Creating Airflow Beneath the Cover Before completely securing the cover, we pull it back and install 6-inch-diameter clear poly vent tubing beneath it. The tubing contains approximately 1-inch openings every 36 inches, allowing us to introduce fresh air beneath the cover and promote gas exchange across the putting surface. We also install a fabric layer in conjunction with the tubing. The fabric we use is rated for 100 pounds per square foot of snow load. More recently, we have begun using two layers of fabric as an additional measure when dealing with significant snow accumulation. Once the internal components are positioned, we pull the GreenJacket cover back across the green and secure the entire perimeter with 6-inch nails approximately every four feet. Wind is another major consideration at Montreux, so nails alone are not enough. We position sandbags around the perimeter, between the nails and farther toward the middle of the green. The additional weight helps prevent wind from getting underneath the cover, pulling nails out and potentially lifting or damaging the entire system. At that point, the green may be covered — but our work is far from finished. Life Under the Cover One of the biggest changes we have made to our program involves how frequently we monitor and ventilate the greens. GreenJacket recommends introducing fresh air beneath the covers for approximately 10 to 15 minutes every other week. At Montreux, our experience has shown us that we need to be more proactive. We inspect our covered greens weekly and introduce fresh air every week rather than every other week. The first part of our inspection is visual. We look at how much snow has accumulated, check the overall condition of the cover and look for water accumulating on top. The bigger challenge, however, is understanding what is happening underneath a cover that may remain in place for months. We have experienced water accumulation beneath covers before. Again, no system is perfect. That experience pushed us to develop another way of monitoring conditions beneath the surface. We now install gas tubing beneath our vent tubing and run those lines out through the side of the cover. We can then connect an oxygen meter to the tubing and monitor conditions underneath the cover without immediately opening the entire system. We intentionally position sampling tubes in low areas of the greens — locations we already know are most likely to collect water. This gives us another set of eyes beneath the cover. Verifying Air Movement One of the checks I personally like to perform involves placing the oxygen meter at the back of the green and turning on the blowers at the front. I want to see the oxygen readings increase. Seeing those numbers rise gives me confidence that the fresh air we are introducing at one end of the green is actually moving through the system and reaching the opposite end. Once I confirm that movement, I turn on the three blowers at the back of the green as well to further encourage airflow and gas exchange throughout the covered surface. The system also gives us an indication when something may be wrong. Because our sampling tubing is positioned in low areas, if water accumulates and freezes around a sampling point, the oxygen meter can return an error instead of a normal reading. For us, that error is an immediate warning sign. It tells us that ice may have formed in an area beneath the cover and that we need to investigate further. Monitoring oxygen has become another tool that helps us make decisions instead of relying entirely on assumptions about what is happening beneath the cover. But for us, that work is a much better investment than rebuilding those same greens every spring.
P age 2 4
F o r e Y o ur I nf o r m a ti o n
Covering the Risk, Continued... When Ice Still Forms Despite everything we do to prevent it, there are still times when ice forms beneath a cover. When that happens, we have pulled covers back and physically addressed the ice. Interestingly, we have learned that the cover itself can become part of the solution. We lift the cover enough to create a greenhouse-like environment over the affected area. We then bring Buffalo blowers and space heaters to the green and position them so that warm air can be moved toward the ice. By trapping and circulating that warmer air beneath the partially lifted cover, we can melt ice efficiently without having to completely expose the entire putting surface to the winter environment. It is another example of how our cover program has evolved. We did not begin with every answer. We encountered problems and developed solutions based on what we were seeing in the field. Spring Removal As winter begins to release its grip on the property, we want to remove the covers as soon as conditions allow. There is no exact calendar date. Like installation, removal is driven by weather. Some years, lingering snow prevents us from accessing or uncovering greens as early as we would like. We monitor the forecast, snowpack and conditions around each green and make removal decisions accordingly. When everything has gone well, the difference after uncovering can be dramatic. The covered greens emerge noticeably greener and healthier than dormant, exposed greens elsewhere on the property. In many cases, you can look across the golf course and immediately tell which greens were protected. For our team, seeing that difference reinforces why we put so much work into the program during the winter. What We Have Learned One of the biggest lessons we have learned since starting our cover program is that there is no perfect system. Every golf course has different microclimates, drainage patterns, shade conditions, turf composition and winter challenges. Developing a program that works for your property requires observation, experimentation and trial and error. For us, the greatest concern has been greens where surrounding banks, heavy shade and repeated freeze-thaw cycles create an environment where water moves onto the putting surface, collects in low areas and forms ice. When those conditions repeatedly threaten a putting green, I believe some type of winter cover becomes a necessary tool for protecting one of the golf course's most valuable assets. Our system today is different from when we started. We have adjusted when we install the covers. We have changed how we manage runoff. We ventilate more frequently. We have added oxygen monitoring. We have developed ways to identify potential ice formation without immediately removing the entire cover. And when ice does form, we have developed techniques for dealing with it. Each improvement has come from experiencing a problem, evaluating what happened and asking ourselves how we could manage it better the following winter. There is certainly work involved. Covers need to be installed properly, monitored throughout the winter, ventilated regularly and occasionally opened to address problems. That requires a commitment from the maintenance team at a time of year when much of the golf course may be buried beneath snow. But I would much rather perform that week-to-week maintenance than spend the spring repairing severely damaged putting greens.
Reseeding or resodding greens requires time and money, disrupts spring playing conditions and can delay recovery of arguably the most important playing surfaces on the property. Winter covers have not eliminated every challenge we face at Montreux, and I do not believe there is a single system that will work perfectly at every golf course. What they have given us is another layer of protection and greater control over how we manage our highest-risk greens through a Sierra Nevada winter. First understand where your winter damage is coming from. Then build your protection strategy around those specific conditions.