When Mother Nature Controls the Growing Season

When Mother Nature Controls the Growing Season

Understanding how winter weather affects bermudagrass and golf course conditions in Southwest Florida

After more than three decades managing the golf course at Olde Florida Golf Club, one thing I've learned is that Mother Nature always has the final say.

I'm entering my 34th season as golf course superintendent at Olde Florida, and while I've experienced just about every weather condition imaginable, I'm still reminded how much our success depends on sunlight, temperature, and rainfall.

This fall has been a good example.

Southwest Florida's rainy season generally ends around October 15. By November, we typically enjoy lower humidity, less rainfall, and the beginning of our beautiful winter weather. However, the transition this year has been anything but typical. Over the last few days, an area of subtropical moisture has been sitting over Southwest Florida, bringing warm, humid conditions, considerable cloud cover, and significant rainfall.

While the recent rain has created some inconvenience for golfers, it has also been beneficial. Following several relatively dry weeks, the rainfall has replenished soil moisture and provided favorable conditions for additional growth and recovery in a few areas that needed it. Overall, the golf course is in excellent condition as we enter the winter season.

I've also noticed over the years how differently bermudagrass responds to natural rainfall compared to irrigation water. Our irrigation water contains elevated levels of bicarbonates and has a relatively high pH, largely due to the limestone geology found throughout Southwest Florida. Rainwater generally contains fewer dissolved salts and bicarbonates and can help flush accumulated salts from the soil. It's one reason I often refer to rainfall as "liquid gold" for our turfgrass.

Why Winter Rainfall Is Different

During the summer, bermudagrass thrives in our warm temperatures, long days, and abundant sunlight. It grows aggressively and recovers quickly from mowing, golf carts, and other everyday stresses.

Winter is a different story.

As temperatures cool and daylight hours shorten, growth naturally slows. Extended periods of cloudy weather further reduce the sunlight available for photosynthesis, the process plants use to produce energy.

With less sunlight, the grass produces less energy to support healthy growth and recovery.

During the summer, a thin area in a fairway or a worn location near a green may recover relatively quickly. During the winter, that same area may show very little recovery for weeks or even months.

Whether the wear comes from maintenance equipment, golf carts, foot traffic, or normal play, the grass needs favorable growing conditions to recover.

Even with the best management practices, there are limits to what we can accomplish when Mother Nature isn't providing the conditions bermudagrass needs to grow.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Water is essential for healthy turfgrass, but excessive rainfall creates another set of challenges.

Healthy roots need both moisture and oxygen. When soils remain saturated for extended periods, oxygen becomes limited, potentially reducing root growth and overall plant health.

Prolonged wet weather can also increase disease pressure, particularly when combined with mild temperatures and high humidity.

Operating mowing equipment or allowing golf carts on saturated turf can cause rutting, soil compaction, and unnecessary wear. These concerns become especially important during winter when the grass has a limited ability to recover.

What Does El Niño Have to Do With It?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a strong to very strong El Niño is likely to continue through the winter.

NOAA's winter 2026–2027 precipitation outlook favors above-normal rainfall across Southwest Florida. The forecast is influenced by a strong El Niño weather pattern. Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center, October 15, 2026.

El Niño is a climate pattern associated with unusually warm ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific. Although that may seem far removed from Southwest Florida, it can influence weather patterns across the United States.

During an El Niño winter, the jet stream often shifts farther south, increasing the likelihood of storms and rainfall across Florida.

NOAA's winter outlook favors above-normal rainfall across Southwest Florida, with temperatures expected to average near normal.

That doesn't mean every day will be rainy or that we won't enjoy plenty of beautiful golfing weather. It simply means the odds favor a wetter winter than normal.

Historical winter rainfall in Southern Florida shows the influence of El Niño. Winters are generally wetter during El Niño and considerably drier during La Niña. The red lines indicate median rainfall, while the boxes and vertical lines illustrate the range of historical rainfall totals. Source: NOAA/National Weather Service.   

Managing What We Can Control

One of the things I've always enjoyed about golf course management is that no two days are exactly alike.

We constantly evaluate conditions and adjust irrigation, fertility, mowing, rolling, and other maintenance practices accordingly.

During periods of reduced sunlight and slower growth, we may reduce mowing frequency or rely more on rolling to maintain putting quality while limiting unnecessary stress on the greens.

Irrigation also requires constant attention. At Olde Florida, we have approximately 1,200 sprinkler heads, and managing water efficiently involves much more than simply turning the system on or off. Individual areas can have very different moisture requirements, even within the same fairway.

Fertility is another important consideration. While nutrients support healthy turfgrass, additional fertilizer cannot replace the sunlight and temperatures needed for growth.

Our goal is to encourage healthy turfgrass without pushing it beyond what the growing conditions will support.

Looking Ahead

As I enter my 34th season at Olde Florida, I'm as enthusiastic about managing the golf course as I've ever been.

The golf course is in excellent condition, and our goal is to maintain those conditions throughout the winter. Experience has taught me that successful winter golf course management often involves protecting the turf we have rather than trying to encourage growth that Mother Nature isn't prepared to provide.

That may occasionally mean modifying maintenance practices, restricting golf carts, or making other adjustments that aren't always convenient. Those decisions are made with the long-term health of the golf course in mind.

After all these years, I still enjoy the challenge of working with Mother Nature. I just know better than to think I can control her.