A Sheet vs a Down-Filled Comforter? Which will Keep My Putting Green Warmer?

By Thomas Walton

M.S. Student, Turfgrass Science • Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, U of A System Division of Agriculture

Winterkill remains a constant concern for golf courses that manage ultradwarf bermudagrass putting greens in the transition zone. Protective covers are a proven strategy to protect putting greens, however, winterkill has been observed at golf courses in which conservative cover strategies have been implemented. Thomas Walton discusses a trial that was conducted in the winters of 2019-20 and 2020-21 which compared the effectiveness protective covers alone to three air gap treatments supplementing protective covers. The goal of this to project was determine if the inclusion of an air gap underneath protective covers could enhance the survival of ultradwarf bermudagrass during a cold winter through supplying additional insulation than protective covers alone.