PCC was closed for eight consecutive days due to unusually wet conditions, 356mm in a month. It raises the question, How does heavy rain affect our use of courses? PCC greenkeeper Wynand Ferreira explained: “Grass roots grow in air spaces between soil particles. That honeycomb effect allows water to drain through the soil. If we walk or ride on saturated grass, those pockets close up and water can’t disperse as easily. The course takes longer to dry out. At saturation point, if roots have no air, there’s only so much time they can sit in water before they die. That’s why waterlogged grass turns brown. Walking and driving carts in wet conditions results in compaction and pushes the grass into the soil, crushing the roots. Grass dries from the top, but below that it can still be wet. Water has to soak down further. If we do not protect the turf in these circumstances and allow golfers to continue playing, the playing surface will deteriorate, and damage within the soil might take months to recover, requiring more remedial action. We can’t control nature or the weather. But golfers, carts and trolleys are things we have to control to maintain a good quality course.”
