What is your cart policy when your Poa annua dominated fairways are hit with triple digit temperatures similar to what occurred recently?
Furthermore, what is your cart policy if you have a power outage that coincides with warm temperatures resulting in severe moisture stress of any grass found on the golf course? If you do not treat your golf course in the same manner as you do in the winter during times of frost, then be ready for the same streaks of brown turf. While the turf will recover faster in the summer, these 4-wheeled mashers of monocots cause considerable damage under abnormal extremes and should be restricted to cart paths as some golf courses have started doing in the past two years. So, how do you get golfers to recognize that severely moisture-stressed areas must be avoided without placing ropes and stakes all over the golf course? Communicate to them in all forms, including photos placed in conspicuous locations (restrooms are one of the best spots) with a few words, such as “Avoid dry or brown areas!” Use your clubs newsletter and email with photos showing the damage from both frost and summer moisture
