BCC opens for first rounds of the year, taking advantage of warm winter
BEATRICE, NEB - While much of Nebraska is dealing with a warm February, many golfers are itching to get the clubs out of the garage - Beatrice County Club in southeast Nebraska is obliging that request.
News Channel Nebraska caught up with course Superintendent Andy Hamilton about what goes into the decision to open courses in winter, but also how they maintain conditions.
“This year was really easy,” Hamilton said. “Everything was thawed out… After all that snow melted, we had warm days, warm nights. Really, there was no frost in the ground.”
Two primary things Hamilton and his staff monitor are drainage and surface moisture - both of which were suitable for the course to open earlier this week, allowing walking and cart path only. Additionally, there was no frost.
“Most years you get into the freeze/thaw cycles which can be vicious,” Hamilton said. “At night, it freezes, during the day it warms up, surface thaws out and the roots are still frozen… Then you worry about foot traffic tearing the roots out. The freeze/that cycles can be tricky, but this year we haven’t had that.”
Part of the reason golf courses have to be cautious about opening too early is because of maintain strong turf for the warmer seasons.
“You have turf that’s not actively growing, so you get a lot of wear and tear on the turf when it doesn’t have the ability to recuperate itself… that’s probably the biggest concern.”
For those planning to take advantage of the warmer days, Hamilton says all etiquette remains the same year round.
“Fix ball marks, walk carefully on the greens, they may be a little soft,” Hamilton said. “All the same course etiquette rules apply in the winter, just as they would in the summer.”