Frost delays are very common in the winter, but why are they necessary?
David Cannon
It’s early November, the car thermometer reads 35, and you roll into the course with time for a bucket of balls. Then the starter tells you there’s a frost delay, and nobody’s going out for at least an hour.
Here’s what’s behind it, and what you can do about it.
Why it happens
Frost is dew that froze. Once ice crystals form inside the grass, the blades turn brittle, and walking on them breaks the plant instead of bending it. You often can’t see the damage right away. A few days later, the footprints show up brown and dead, tracing where everyone walked. According to the USGA Green Section, recovery can take more than a month.
Why you should care
Greens take the worst of it. The USGA estimates a foursome takes 300 or more steps on every green, which adds up to roughly 5,400 footsteps over 18 holes. Those are the same greens you’ll be putting on all winter and into spring, and a morning of waiting buys you smoother rolls for months.
Why your house had no frost
Frost melts unevenly. It hangs around in shaded spots, low pockets where cold air settles and north-facing slopes. Courses are full of those, and your driveway isn’t. One frosted green in a hollow you can’t see from the first tee is enough to hold the whole tee sheet.
What to do:
Call the shop before you leave home. This is the USGA’s top advice. Ask if there’s a delay and when they expect to open.
Warren Little
Ask how they handle it. Some courses send groups off a shotgun-style start when a delay runs past an hour, so the morning doesn’t stack up. But each course handles things differently, so don't make any assumptions. One of our staffers almost missed a recent tee time because he assumed an hour frost delay meant his tee time would be delayed by an hour. That wasn't the case, so always err on the side of asking more questions.
Plan on the delay running long. After the frost clears, the crew has mowing, cup changes and bunker raking waiting, because their equipment would do the same damage yours would. Add 15 to 30 minutes to whatever you’re told.
Don’t test the grass. If the course is on delay, skip the “just a few putts” on the practice green. That’s where the damage happens.
Know your region. At some southern courses with dormant, non-overseeded Bermudagrass fairways, carts on frosty mornings likely do no more harm than on other days, so some skip the delay on fairways.
If you’re playing north of the Mason-Dixon line between now and spring, expect a few slow mornings. Bring a coffee, hit some extra balls and remember that the greens you’re waiting on are the ones you’ll complain about if they get trampled.