The key to a memorable golf experience is the golf course itself.
However, nothing comes easy, and maintaining a golf course certainly isn’t easy.
Turf maintenance of golf courses during winter and when they are not in use is essential.
During winter, frost makes turf grass fragile. Any activity on the grass damages it.
That’s why you need golf green covers/turf covers to keep your golf course sorted during such times.
In this article, let’s go through how we can protect our golf green by using covers.
1. Golf Course Turf
What is Golf Course Turf?
The turf cover/golf green blanket is a special fabric material placed on the turf before the winter. Golf green covers protect your golf course from harsh winter conditions and help your turf to green up during spring.
Importance
The protective covers help you minimize the temperature fluctuations of the soil reducing the loss of grasses. You also moderate the temperatures so you don’t get those huge differences in temperatures that can damage your greens.The covers also impact positively on your golf revenue. Other importance include
- Bringing spring greening for earlier opening
- Speeding up turf germination
- Reducing seed loss from birds
- Promoting healthy roots and turf developments
- Reducing fertilizer evaporation
- Preventing over watering
2. Winter Damages on the Turf
If you want to keep your putting green lush and soft during the harsh winter months, you should cover to help maintain your turf against ice, snow and frost. Here are some of the main winter damages.
Desiccation: This occurs when drying winds combine with low humidity. It makes your turf incapable of restoring lost moisture because the soil is frozen. This damage is prevalent on high or sloped areas with wind exposure.
Another cause of desiccation injury is soil drought. This is common during the growing season.
Crown hydration: This kills putting green turf every year. The injury is caused by poor surface drainage. This is especially if water stands on the greens during the season.
Anoxia: This is caused by toxic gases build up under ice. It is thought that soil microbial activity and respiration make a major contribution. The turf grass in soils higher in organic carbon suffers anoxia.
3. Protecting Your Turf Against Winter
You can protect your golf green by turf cover. The covers will protect your golf green from freezing temperature and prevent wind desiccation.
The covers will allow light to pass through, resulting in your golf course being greener, thicker and more vibrant.
4. Buying Winter Turf Covers
When you go to buy your turf covers, consider the following:
Durability and Warranty
No one wants ever to purchase anything that won’t serve them for long. Durability and warranty go hand in hand because the longer the warranty period, the durable it is. Make sure to purchase a turf cover that assures you of durability.
Breathability
A suitable turf cover should allow adequate airflow to avoid the buildup of toxic gases that may damage the turf.
Easy to install and use
A good turf cover comes in one piece, possible through customization. In turn, this enables easy installation and use.
Weaved securely
Before purchasing a turf cover, ensure that its weaving is done securely to prevent grass from growing through it.
Efficiency
A perfect turf cover should be able to fulfill its duties without fail. It should protect your turf from harsh climatic conditions while allowing your greens to thrive into greener, healthier and thicker turf.
a. Types
Golf Green Covers comes in two types:
- Permeable turf covers They allow diffusion of gases and water movements.
- Impermeable turf covers They prevent water and gaseous exchange.
Your choice of which one to select will depend on affordability, preference, and needs.
b. Costs
The covers prices range from cheap to sophisticated multilayer systems that can be tailored for your individual green. If you want ventilators and monitors to be added, the cost can be high.
The covers will cost you from hundred dollars to thousand of dollars. If you want to cover all 18 greens on a golf course, it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars. The good thing is the covers come with a warranty to last between 8 to 10 years.
5. Golf Green Cover Details
a. Material
The turf green cover is made of 100% woven polypropylene. The material has a special insulation coating on three layers. In addition, the golf green cover has the following features and specifications:
- Stable braided structure
- Silver reflective insulation and black heat absorption insulation
- Special 5-warp per inch construction giving it better storage temperature
- Thermal transmittance of 62,2 %
- high air permeability
b. Structure
The turf cover is woven. It is built with a double layer Polyethylene (PE) monofilament that provides tensile strength. The weaving prevents unraveling when cut. This structure results in your golf green having air circulation
c. Size
Turf covers are made into standard sizes. However they can be customized to individual golf sizes.
6. Installation and Accessories
Your golf cover can be installed easily by a crew or a few people.The crew need just unroll the material and spread it over the putting. The material is light in weight. The crew can use the pegs to hold it under ground. The pegs can pass through grommets.
The turf covers come with a selection of accessories and you can get them here.
7. Warranty
Many manufacturers provide a warranty for their products. For example, EyouAgro provides a warranty for golf covers. The golf turf covers have an 8-year warranty.
8. Conclusion:
Green covers can protect your green from winter damages that can cause costly reestablishment on a yearly basis.
You will agree with us in protecting your golf. Course from winter is desirable. It is one way to mitigate weather factors so that your investment is not impaired.
We are confident that if you protect your golf you will reap maximum returns from your investments. If you want more information about golf green covers or any other agriculture protection textile, drop us an email info@eyouagro.com or visit our website www.eyouagro.com.
