As the greens made their way into dormancy it was time to paint the putting greens. The greens were painted on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The greens now have a bright green appearance that should last between 45 and 60 days. Depending on the color of the greens in January and February another application of paint may be applied.
Painting greens is aesthetically pleasing to the golfer and has agronomic benefits as well. It presents a very visible target to aim at and offers variation from the rest of the dormant golf course. Painting greens also aids in keeping the soil and turf insulated. This helps to protect the plant against cold temperatures. Greens that are painted have been found to keep the soil and turf 3-5 degrees warmer than without.
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| Figure 1. The test plot on #10 green shows how paint can dramatically impact soil temperatures at 2 inches. (Paint + Regular Apps received paint and regular applications of chemicals and fertilizer throughout the year. Dormant + No Paint received none of the regular chemical or fertilizer applications throughout the year. Dormant + Paint received only the paint this week.) |
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| Assistants Nick and Colton painting #15 green. |
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| Colton and Cesar Lopez painting #1 |
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| #5 before |
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| #5 after |
