Year in Review: 2022 in Photographs

As many do, I take the holiday season to reflect on life and things experienced over the last year. This blog entry provides an Olde Florida Golf Club, "Year in Review" through photographs. 

A greens foliar application   1/19/22

LED light towers, practice green   1/25/22

An employee wearing an LED headband while operating
the Hydroject on the practice green   12/23/22

The agronomy staff begins work each morning at 6:00 a.m., with the exception of tournament days when the start time is as early as 4:00 a.m.. Most of the equipment at Olde Florida is outfitted with lights and employees are assigned LED headbands when needed.

 

When a greens foliar application of nutrients or a plant protectant is made portable LED light towers are also utilized. 

An American Alligator crossing 10 fairway   5/9/22

An Eastern Screech Owl with two eggs in her box
behind #12 tee   4/19/22

Olde Florida has an abundance of wildlife that reside on and around the golf course.  

I am particularly pleased with the increase in our bird population. Since 2013 Olde Florida has worked with an ornithologist, Brian Beckner, Founder of Native Bird Boxes, Inc, to provide increased nesting opportunities for a variety of species. Though provided nesting structures, in particular, the Eastern Screech Owl and Purple Martin populations have soared.  In 2022 Olde Florida fledged 9 Screech Owls and 82 Purple Martins. 

Hole 1   10/24/22

 

Hole 4   3/12/22

    

4 green 12/12/22

A modern, computerized irrigation system is instrumental in producing healthy turfgrass and a quality playing surface at Olde Florida. 

The water coming out of the 1,253 Toro "Infinity" series heads is also very majestic!

Frost on #1   1/31/22 

The winter of 2022 (both early, and at year end) was mild although Olde Florida did receive a significant frost on January 31. 

Fairway #12
Member/Guest Invitational Week   2/19/22  

 

Olde Florida Logo on #1
Member/Guest Invitational Week   2/20/22

The annual Member/Guest Invitational is always a speacial week at Olde Florida Golf Cub

Sunrise, #1   3/5/22

Sunrise, Hole 10   10/12/22

Sunrise, Holes 1/10   12/13/22

A sunrise is Nature telling you that it's time to cherish another day on Earth, and the opening hole of both nines at Olde Florida are a great place to start the day.

Drill & Fill, practice green   6/1/22 

 

DryJect   10/4/22 

Drill & Fill (circle in bottom) DryJect (sides)

Solid tine aeration, Hole 1   5/23/22

The summer months are when the agronomy staff performs various cultural practices, such as Drill & Fill and DryJect on the greens. 

Solid tine aeration was also performed on the entire golf course several times.

 

Practice green/clubhouse   9/30/22

Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest landfalling hurricanes in U.S. history powered ashore in Southwest Florida on September 28th as a category 4 storm with 150 mph winds and a devastating coastal storm surge. 

Fortunately the only impact to Olde Florida was wind damage to trees and scattered debris that took the agronomy staff numerous days to clean. 

Vertical-grooming, 16 green   12/7/22

Vertical-grooming, 16 green   12/7/22

Due to a La Niña weather pattern in December, Olde Florida experienced numerous record high temperature days. The heat and humidity were terrific for turfgrass growth. 

To increase green speed the agronomy staff "vertical-groomed" the putting surfaces throughout the month. Vertical-grooming removes leaf tissue and decreases leaf orientation increasing smoothness, trueness and the speed of the putting surfaces. 

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that you enjoyed this "Year in Review" through photographs.  

Here's hoping that 2023 provides a terrific year for you, your family and of course for your golf game!  
 

The Winter Solstice

Today is December 21... and all golf course superintendents in the south are keenly aware of the importance of this day. It means the winter solstice has arrived! This is a key date for those of us living in the northern hemisphere because it marks the shortest day of the year. 

The winter solstice is when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, or 23.5 south latitude, which is the day when the sun rises and sets to our south at the lowest angle. Because the earth orbits around the sun on a tilted axis, between September and March the entire northern hemisphere gets less exposure to sunlight. It’s also not surprising that these months coincide with the seasonal influx of residents to Southwest Florida, and golf play is at its peak. 

So why is this important to a golf course superintendent? In basic terms, for turfgrass to thrive it needs sunlight, water, air and nutrients. Of these needs, the one that is least in a golf course superintendents control is sunlight. This is why an understanding of the earths rotation and the winter solstice is vital. Also influenced by the angle of the sun are air and soil temperature. Bermudagrass, the turfgrass that comprises the playing surfaces at Olde Florida, is a warm season turfgrass. Warm season grasses grow best when the average daily temperatures are above  75°F.  In addition, soil temperature, as influenced by air temperature is also important to the growth of bermudagrass. Soil temperatures above 65°F are required for significant growth, and the optimum soil temperature for root growth is around 80°F. 

Since the duration and intensity of the sun's rays (and air and soil temperature) is out of our control, it is extremely important to have plant health peaking on this day and then do everything in our control to maintain plant health for the next 60 days or so. By March, the nighttime temperatures have increased, the sun is high enough in the sky and  the days are long enough that sunlight essentially becomes a non-factor.

December 2022

Holes 8 and 9 are the southernmost holes at Olde Florida. Both play from east to west, so on December 21 the sun rises to the southeast of  8 and 9 tee and it sets to the southwest of  9 green.  

Tomorrow, the day AFTER the winter solstice, the sunrise and the angle of the sun will slowly begin to shift to the north. This will bring a little more sunlight to our turfgrass each day! 

Practice Makes Perfect

Olde Florida Golf Club is a true golf club. Our primary amenity is the golf course and practice facility. 

With that in mind, in 2015 when tasked with redesigning and rebuilding the practice facility, considerable thought went into not only the design, but also the size of the teeing area and the short game practice area. By all accounts what we created was exceptional. 

However, regardless of the amount of teeing area, golfers can help maximize the use of the practice tee and short-game area by considering the impact of their divot pattern. This is important year round, but even more essential in the winter. 

The winter is our busiest time of the year for golf. It's also the time that turfgrass growth is slowest! Turfgrass growth (and divot recovery) is slowed due to shorter days, the lower angle of the sun and reduced air and soil temperature. With this said, members and their guests can help fellow golfers and the agronomy staff by considering the impact of their divot pattern. 

Taking divots in a linear pattern, instead of a concentrated or scattered pattern damages a smaller area of turf and helps the practice tee recover faster. 

Here are a few tips provided by the United States Golf Association (USGA) that can help golfers use the linear method to minimize practice tee damage:  

1.    Once the first divot is taken, the next ball should be placed in the healthy turf directly behind the initial divot (1/2 to 1" behind the previous divot).

2.    A total of 15-20 shots/divots can typically be taken before it's necessary to create a new line of divots alongside the first line. 

3.    The next line of divots should be taken approximately 4" to the side of the initial line. Getting the lines any closer will remove too much turf and recovery will be slowed. 

4.    Golfers who "cut across" the ball can still use the linear pattern. The line may not be perfectly straight, but any linear pattern is better than the alternatives. 

Understanding the agronomic reasons of why the linear method is superior is fairly easy to explain. 

Our hybrid bermudagrass (TifTuf) is not viable by seed. Therefore, we can't add a "soil/seed mixture" to regrow the turf. In bermudagrass the majority of the recuperative growth is lateral, moving in from each side of the divot. This is why the linear pattern will recover quicker than a concentrated pattern. 

Hurricane Ian, A Deadly and Destructive Storm

Hurricane Ian was a deadly and destructive category 4 hurricane that caused widespread damage across the southeast United States, especially in Florida. Ian originated from a tropical wave east of the Windward Islands on September 19, 2022. The wave strengthened to a tropical storm in the Caribbean, before rapidly intensifying to a hurricane as it made landfall in western Cuba. The storm slightly weakened over land, but re-strengthened once it moved into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida on Wednesday, September 28 as a very strong category 4, tying with several other storms as the 5th-strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the United States. Ian caused catastrophic damage in parts of Southwest Florida, mostly from flooding due to extreme storm surge and rainfall. All of Southwest Florida was impacted, in particular the areas along the coastline in Collier and Lee County were devastated. Millions were left without power in the storm's wake and the cleanup will take months and rebuilding in some areas will take years. 

The Track of Ian

While there is never a good time for a hurricane, the timing of Ian was particularly bad for Olde Florida. Last week was the last scheduled closed week of the summer, in addition we had already received just shy of 13" of rain in the month of September. We had several projects and numerous tasks that needed to be completed during the week in preparation for the upcoming winter golf season that could not be accomplished. 

Obviously Ian required us to change our agronomic plans and the staff worked diligently on Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 26/27) to prepare the golf course and the buildings for the storm before returning to their own homes Tuesday night to prepare for Wednesday's landfall. 

The staff was asked to remain home on Thursday to asses their own personal situation and I inspected the golf course  and the buildings. I also needed to make a determination on the safety of travel for my team. Fortunately, all of my staff are okay and they have homes to return to at night. 

Friday, September 30, 2022

After the storm passed and the roads were safe, beginning Friday, September 30 my team, along with a half dozen temporary staff have worked daily from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. cleaning up debris and repairing damage to the golf course. That schedule will remain in place this week. Several of my team are still without power, but they have been at work each day and remain in good spirts!  

All three of our rain guages were destroyed during the hurricane, but we estimate Olde Florida received approximately 9" of rainfall. By the end of today, Monday, October 3 we are hopeful the water will have receded into the lakes and all turfgrass will be accessible. We are confident that we will have no turfgrass loss. 

September 2022 was one of the wettest on record. As I previously wrote, prior to Hurricane Ian we had received just shy of 13" at Olde Florida, with the rainfall from Ian, the total for the month of September was 22". Year to date we have received 82.85" of rain. This significantly exceeds the average yearly rainfall in Naples, which is 55.64". 

By the end of the day today, most of the turfgrass will be clear of debris, but much work remains to remove the debris along the edges of golf holes and repair the cart paths. 

On a positive note, the Better Billy Bunker system that was installed during the 2021 golf course renovation performed phenomenally.  Other than debris removal, bunker repair will be minimal and no sand replacement will be necessary. Having the Better Billy Bunker System in place not only saved us hundreds of hours of labor to repair bunkers, it also protected the stability of the bunker faces. A detailed report on the Olde Florida Better Billy Bunker renovation can be found by clicking here.

Hole 3 after debris removal and NO sand repair or replacement 
 

We were scheduled to perform our last greens aerification (DryJect) last Thursday, September, 29. Unfortunately, we were forced to postpone this. Prior to the storms landfall on Wednesday, we had tentatively re-scheduled it for Friday, or if needed Saturday, October, 1. However, the personal home of the Southwest Florida DryJect franchise owner/operator was flooded by the storm surge and is inhabitable. In addition, several of his staff were in similar situations. He is busy handling his personal affairs and could not complete the process. 

Fortunately, I was able to secure the services of the Southeast Florida DryJect franchise owner. They will arrive in Southwest Florida tonight and will begin the process tomorrow, Tuesday, October 4.

DryJect (last year) September 27, 2021

To understand the necessity of the annual DryJect aerification process you can click this link.

We appreciate the patience of the Olde Florida membership and we are confident that we will have the golf course in great shape and open for play on Friday, October 7th.        

Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program at Olde Florida Golf Club

Olde Florida Golf Club Recognized for Environmental Excellence

Naples, Florida - Originally certified in 1995, Olde Florida Golf Club has retained its designation as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an Audubon International program. 

In 1995, under the guidance of Darren J. Davis, Certified Golf Course Superintendent, Olde Florida was the 4th golf course in Florida, and the 50th in the world to achieve certification. After designation, courses go through a recertification process every three years.

Participation is designed to help course personnel plan, organize, implement, and document a comprehensive environmental management program and receive recognition for their efforts. To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas including: Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management.

“Olde Florida Golf Club has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program. They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property," said Christine Kane, CEO at Audubon International. 

This year the recertification process required a visit by a third party. Brian Beckner, Founder Native Bird Boxes, Inc, was given a tour of the course by Davis and sent his observations to Audubon International. “Olde Florida has gone above and beyond with Audubon Internationals certification program. Mr. Davis uses every opportunity to promote the importance of wildlife habitat management,” Beckner reported.  

“We see the site visit as an important component of a course’s recertification,” stated Kane. “It provides an objective verification of some of the more visible aspects of the course’s environmental management activities. In addition, it offers an opportunity for golf course representatives to share publicly some of the voluntary actions they have taken behind the scenes to protect and sustain the land, water, wildlife, and natural resources around them.”

Olde Florida Golf Club is one of over 900 courses in the world to hold certification from Audubon International. Golf courses from the United States, Africa, Australia, Central America, Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia have also achieved certification in the program. 

                                                                                              

In 2020 Olde Florida Golf Club celebrated its 25th anniversary as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, a program established and administered by Audubon International  

Audubon International is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) environmental education organization dedicated to providing people with the education and assistance they need to practice responsible management of land, water, wildlife, and other natural resources. To meet this mission, the organization provides training, services, and a set of award-winning environmental education and certification programs for individuals, organizations, properties, new developments, and entire communities. 

For more information on the program you can contact Audubon International at 120 Defreest Drive, Troy, NY 12180, 1-844-767-9051, e-mail at acsp@auduboninternational.org, or visit the Audubon International website.

The Great, Great Crested Flycatcher

On a routine golf course inspection this morning, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a bird peeking out of a previously unoccupied Screech Owl nesting box. With all but two of this years Screech Owl hatchlings fledged and moved away, I was curious who was inside the box. As I approached a Great Crested Flycatcher flew away. Upon inspection inside the box my identification was confirmed by the very unique nest inside. 

The Great Crested Flycatcher is easily identifiable by the unique nest construction and the eggs. Our ornithologist, Brain Beckner, Founder of Native Bird Boxes, Inc, had shown me a nest a few years ago. A very interesting aspect of the nest is that it usually includes a piece of snake skin lining. The snake skin lining is brought into the nest by the flycatcher as a natural predatory defense mechanism. 

A Great Crested Flycatcher nest at Olde Florida 

Both sexes help build the nest. They carry in large amounts of material, to bring the nests level close to the entrance.  The flycatcher nest seen in the picture was constructed on top of previously placed nesting material placed in the box by Beckner to encourage nesting by a Screech Owl. The flycatcher nest is made of grass, weeds, strips of bark, feathers, or other debris, lined with finer materials such as pine needles. 

The Great Crested Flycatcher usually lays five eggs that are creamy white and marked with brown, olive, lavender. Incubation is by female (13-15 days), but both parents bring food for nestlings. The age of the young at first flight is about 12-18 days. The male defends nesting territory with loud calls, sometimes by fighting with other males. Nest sites are usually in the hole of a tree, either natural cavity or old woodpecker hole, but the flycatcher will also nest in artificial sites. 

 
The species is known to forage by flying out from a perch to catch insects. They often hover momentarily while taking insects from foliage or twigs, or may catch them in mid-air. 

To see, and hear a Great Crested Flycatcher you can click this Link.

Screech Owl Box, 14 Green

Enhancing Nature at Olde Florida Golf Club

In 2013 Olde Florida Golf Club began a program to enhance nesting opportunities for Purple Martins, Screech Owls and Eastern Bluebirds. Working with an ornithologist, Olde Florida installed and monitors seven Screech Owl boxes, two Purple Martin nesting structures and two Eastern Blue Bird boxes. 

Ornithologist, Brian Beckner
Founder, Native Bird Boxes, Inc.

Screech Owl Box, 14 Green

Screech Owl’s are a robin-sized night bird. They are common in city parks and suburbs, where many human residents are often unaware they have an owl for a neighbor. The owl spends the day roosting in holes, nesting boxes or in dense cover and become active at dusk. 

This mother, affectionately named "Stink eye" once again returned to her nesting box behind 12 tee

"Stink eye" shortly after one of her two hatchlings emerged from the egg

"Sleepy" also returned to her nesting box in front of the clubhouse 

"Ginger" cuddling with one of her hatchlings
"Ginger" has utilized the nesting box behind 5 green for many years  

Of the seven Screech Owl "Native Bird Boxes" at Olde Florida, this year four are being utilized. Screech owls often return to the same nest each year. All four of this years mothers have previously utilized their nesting box and this year they have laid a combined seven eggs. 

"Sleepy's" two hatchlings will be leaving the nest soon

Olde Florida also installed and maintains two Purple Martin structures and once again both are being fully utilized. When inspected this week there were 19 nests with a combined 82 eggs/hatchlings. 

A few of this years Purple Martin hatchlings 

Purple Martins migrate each winter to South America. However, they remain incredibly faithful to their colony (nesting) sites each year, often returning to the United States about the same date.

Purple Martins are quite friendly and prefer to nest in close proximity to people, which make golf courses a perfect location for the bird. Interestingly, Purple Martins are the only bird species that is totally dependent on human supplied nest boxes. Qualities that make the martins desirable are they nest in colonies and have fascinating social behavior. Their vocalizations are also quite beautiful, they are extremely graceful in flight and they consume vast quantities of insects.

Annual Report to the Olde Florida Golf Club Membership

First and foremost, I’m pleased to report that our 2021 golf course renovation was completed on time and on budget. Even with supply chain challenges, due to the advanced preparation and strong partnerships the project went smoothly. Golf Course Management published a story in the December issue on the renovation, Olde is New Again

First Tee Shot on Opening Day, November 1, 2021 

A few things I would highlight on the renovation:

First, I am pleased with the eradication of the old bermudagrass. This is an extremely difficult process. We followed the data that was published in 1988, 1999 and most recently in 2001. The data from each of these bermudagrass eradication research projects demonstrated that multiple applications of non-selective herbicides at reduced rates are necessary to achieve 96-98% eradication. Furthermore, the applications need to be at least 30 days apart when the turfgrass is actively growing.  

To encourage regrowth of our existing bermudgrass between herbicide applications, we provided the proper frequency and quantity of irrigation water as well as light frequent nitrogen applications. We also incorporated fraise mowing after the second herbicide application which removed approximately 1 1/2" of material. I am very pleased with our efforts and we were able to achieve 99% eradication. Only in the last few weeks have we been able to find an extremely small amount bermudgrass that survived, or common bermudagrass that established itself from seed. We will address these small areas this summer so that we can continue to provide as close to a mono turfgrass stand as possible. 

As I have explained in the past, in the south common bermudagrass is similar to Poa annua in the north. Both are viable from seed and extremely difficult to keep out completely. The research that we relied upon as well as more information on the eradication process at Olde Florida can be found in the blog entry, Glyphosate Usage at Olde Florida Golf Club / Part 2

Second Herbicide Application on Hole 1, April 2021

The second item I will highlight is the bunker renovation. 20% of the project budget was dedicated to the renovation. The bunkers were original construction (1992) and had lost some of their contouring. With the help of Greg Muirhead, Senior Vice President of  Rees Jones, Inc., we regained the original contouring and made a few subtle changes. We used the Better Billy Bunker method of construction, which I am pleased to report has performed phenomenally. Information and videos explaining the Better Billy Bunker method can be found in the 2021 Renovation Update #2 - Bunker Renovation

Other subtle changes on the golf course are too numerous to list, but two that I would touch on are the lank bank restoration work and the lowering and expansion of numerous tees. The lake bank restoration work was a significant aesthetic improvement to the golf course. A more detailed explanation of the restoration can be found in the 2021 Renovation Update #6 - Lake Banks

The work on the tees has provided more teeing ground, better turfgrass and the reduction of tee bank slope enables a more enjoyable, shorter walk to tees from the path. More of the ancillary projects are detailed in the 2021 Renovation Update #7 - The Homestretch

12% of the renovation budget was utilized to do an irrigation update. All of the 1253 irrigation heads and the 34 field satellites were replaced.  In addition to better water distribution, an advantage of the newly installed “Infinity” sprinkler is the ability to service components from the top of the head.  We sold the used components to recover 16% of the cost of the new sprinklers and field satellites. The system is functioning extremely well. A more detailed report of the irrigation work performed during the renovation can be found in the 2021 Renovation Update #5 - Irrigation

Hole 10

The 2021/2022 Winter Golf Season 

Overall the winter was good for turfgrass growth.  November and December were phenomenal weather months with numerous record high temperatures. This was welcomed as it enabled us to continue turfgrass establishment. January and February did have several below average days, with more fog and cloud cover than desirable. And, on January 30th and again on the 31st we experienced our first significant frost in over 4 years. Fortunately, that is behind us and the TifTuf is flourishing with the warm weather and longer days. Information on the development and some of the positive attributes of TifTuf can be found in the 2021 Renovation Update #3 - TifTuf Bermudagrass

Hole 11, 2022

We are doing our best to control costs, but just as your businesses or personal budgets are experiencing, the increase in the cost of goods is creating challenges. Finding and retaining labor has been a significant challenge for all businesses. 62% of our budget is payroll and payroll related expenses so increased labor expense is significant to our bottom line. Other key areas where rising costs have been a challenge for us are fuel and fertilizer. These two items account for another 10% of our annual operating budget.

   
I sincerely appreciate the extremely positive feedback on our TifEagle putting greens this year. We check speed on two greens daily in the winter season and our speed has been in, or exceeded our target zone almost every day.  

The greens are original construction, so they are now 30 years old.  The original TifDwarf bermudagrass was replaced with TifEagle in 2000 so the current turf is 22 years old. I was onsite in 1992 so I am very comfortable in the construction and my staff and I have provided proper management for 30 years. 

One recent change in management began in 2020 and repeated in 2021. In order to extend the life of the greens we have utilized the Drill and Fill and DryJect processes. Both processes provide deep aerification (7-10”) and soil modification. These practices will continue as an annual summer treatment in the future. A detailed report on the greens at Olde Florida can be found in the blog entry, Extending the Performance of 27-Year Old Putting Greens

"Drill and Fill" on the Practice Green, April 2021

Finally, I want to sincerely thank the vast majority of the membership that are following proper golf car etiquette. As members you are owners, not just consumers of this wonderful facility and the playability and aesthetics of your golf course have been greatly enhanced due in part to you adhering to good etiquette. Your fellow members and I thank you! 

Olde Florida Golf Club's streak ends at 1472 days!

It has been 1472 days since Southwest Florida has seen a low temperature as cold as we did this morning! The air temperature (measured at 4’) dropped to 35 degrees; however, the ground temperature was even colder. At sunrise the temperature of the turfgrass was 31 degrees. 

1/30/2022 - 7:30 a.m

A frost typically occurs when the sky is clear and the air close to the ground drops to 32 degrees. When a frost occurs, the grass blades internal water freezes causing its cells to expand and rupture. Driving or even stepping on frozen turfgrass causes the ice to penetrate more deeply increasing the damage. Cart or foot traffic on turfgrass when the leaf blade is frozen is like stabbing it with an "ice dagger." 

Even without cart or foot traffic, a frost will have a visual effect on our TifTuf bermudagrass. Over the next few days some of the turfgrass will turn brown and have patchy appearance. Fortunately, with the favorable forecast beginning this Tuesday (2/1/2022) the look will be short lived. Some examples of what you might see over the next week are below. 

1/27/2014 - Hole 12 Olde Florida 

1/27/2014 - Hole 12 Olde Florida

With the lake water temperature being significantly warmer than the air and ground temperature, once the sun is high enough in the sky and the ground temperature is above freezing, the agronomy staff utilizes the irrigation system to knock off the frost so we can get play on the course quicker.

1/30/2022 - Hole 1

A Short Agronomy Lesson:

Bermudagrass is a warm season perennial species adapted to tropical and subtropical climates. It grows best under extended periods of high temperatures, mild winters and moderate to high rainfall. Extended temperatures below 30 degrees can kill bermudagrass. 

Bermudagrass grows best when the average daily temperature is above 75 degrees. Soil temperature is also very important to the growth of bermudagrass. Soil temperatures above 65 degrees are required for significant plant growth and the optimum soil temperature for root growth is around 80 degrees.

1/30/2022  8:50 a.m. - Soil Temperature Practice Green 

Golf Cart Etiquette 

Golf cart etiquette this winter has been very good, certainly much improved over previous years. As a result we are seeing and playing off turfgrass this winter that is healthier and has better vigor.

 

With the extended cool streak we have been experiencing over the last few weeks, and now with a frost, golf cart traffic will inevitably become more evident. More than ever continued good etiquette (staying on paths around tees and greens, staying outside of the green/white posts and just generally dispersing cart traffic on turfgrass) is important and will be very much appreciated by all golfers.