Columnist Peter Benton: It’s difficult to warm up to frost delays

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2000 | 10:12 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Although we are experiencing some truly fantastic weather and certainly have no cause for complaint, there are many golfers around town who are becoming increasingly irritated with postponed starting times at our area golf courses because of repeated frost delays.

Sure, it's aggravating to arrive at a course with a confirmed starting time only to be told that it could be another hour and a half before your tee-off time and both the putting green and driving range are closed.

The secret to coping with these delays, whether at a private country club or a public course, is not to become too uptight. Naturally, it's annoying. You're wasting time and you can't wait to get started. But believe me, there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it.

The situation is completely out of your control and getting upset will only frustrate you further. So, kick back, grab yourself a coffee and think how fortunate you are that you are at a golf course and not at your place of employment. Or worse, home sick in bed.

Some years ago, Stallion Mountain golf course superintendent Bill Rohret answered the following questions so that the uninformed -- such as you and I -- would have a far better understanding of why layouts are closed when it is frosty.

Q: How can there be frost when the local news channel reported this morning that it was 38 degrees?

A: Some clubs are situated in low-lying areas of the city with the consequence being that they are invariably far more affected than layouts at higher elevations.

Q: Is there any reason the irrigation system cannot be turned on to possibly wash off the frost?

A: Normally the ground is colder than the air temperature. By watering the frost it would make the water freeze, thus causing not only further delays, but a huge wet mess when it all finally thawed.

Q: What harm would there be if we walked the course?

A: Some grasses that are permitted to go dormant over the winter months would have no damage done to them at all. However, walking on live, frozen grass crushes and bruises it, damaging the grass and causing it to turn black. Continued abuse would cause plant death.

Q: Why can't the driving range and practice greens be used during the frost delay?

A: Those areas are also part of the course and naturally all of the course must be protected from damage during these irksome delays.

Q: Maintenance men are seen on the course, so why can't players tee off?

A: No maintenance can be attended to while the ground and grass is frozen. However, when it thaws, the grounds crew must be ahead of any play to attend to their appointed duties. Normally, they will only have a 15-minute start before play begins.

There it is, gang. It is a nuisance having to wait, I know. But it is necessary. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of why this is so.