How the cold affects golf courses

The out-of-town Humana Challenge golfers will soon get shocked with the cold, but locals are already feeling it. As frost warnings spread, the green is feeling it too.

PGA West executive director Jerry Eye said the worst thing frost can do is delay tee time.

“As long as there is no one walking on the golf course in the time there is frost, there’s no damage done to the golf course. It’s really just an inconvenience,” Eye said. “If you do walk on it, it can create some brown spots where you walked. It’ll kill the leaf of the grass.”

If keepers see the temperatures dropping, they meet the problem head on.

“The superintendents and golf course maintenance crew will do preparation the night before, preparing the golf course for play the next morning, so when the frost lifts they can get right on the golf course,” Eye said.

Eye said Humana Challenge tee times around 8:30 and 8:45 shouldn’t pose an issue for frost. He said he expects no delay — just a great challenge.

A Humana spokesperson said they don’t foresee any problems this year weather-wise — as the forecast looks pretty nice.