Course Care
By Allen Thayer Photos By Steve Smede
Getting Ready
for Spring
Tarping greens a
benefit at Idaho course
An essential winter duty is clearing
water from the irrigation system.
Preparing the golf course for winter and
the inevitable cold, snow and frozen soil is pivotal in the
Mountain States.
The Mountain States are split up into two regions known
as the Northwest and Southwest. Idaho, Montana and
Wyoming are in the Northwest, while Arizona, New Mexico,
Colorado, Nevada and Utah form the Southwest.
Josh Benson, superintendent at the Idaho Falls (Idaho)
Country Club, detailed his winterizing plans in early
November.
"We've really gotten aggressive keeping ice off the
greens," Benson said. "I go out once a week and probe all
the greens to make sure we don't have any ice buildup."
16 www.westernturfmag.com
Placing tarps on four problem greens and circulating air
movement under them with tubing has made a noticeable
difference in preventing ice damage. The greens in question
on Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 6 are all on north-facing slopes.
"When I first came here I had issues with these greens,"
Benson said. "So I threw a tarp on them, monitored once a
week and last year we came out perfect—no winter damage
for the first time in a long time."
This is the third winter Benson has tarped them.
"We just built a new 6,500-square-foot putting green so
I have that tarped for the winter as well," Benson said. New
sod was used to try and prevent any winter desiccation.
The club also redid the whole driving range and placed
