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Golf Courses and Melting Snow
Name: Harry
Status: student
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
Why does snow melt faster in a golf fairway as opposed to the
green? On any hole fairway, snow melts at a much faster rate than on the
surrounding fairway.
Replies:
Hi Harry,
I am speculating here, but are you sure snow is melting faster? Is it
possible that there is less snow on the greens to begin with, and
therefore the ground becomes visible sooner on greens (even if the
snow melts at the same rate)? My first thought was that most greens
are elevated, and so would typically just have less snow cover than
fairways. This would be more pronounced on more elevated or more
exposed greens. It is possible that the green, due to its elevation,
could have more (direct) sun exposure both due to a more direct angle,
and also perhaps trees may be closer to fairways -- depending on
conditions, these factors may speed snow melting compared with
fairways. I imagine snow might persist the longest in bunkers or low,
protected areas.
In terms of the land, greens are typically built of sand, and have
very good drainage. Fairways may be sand or may be other kinds of
earth, and have limited drainage, typically just to address
problem/wet areas. I only mention these differences to be thorough --
I am not sure how or why they would matter to this question. As the
snow melts, the water would move away faster than on fairways, so
perhaps that helps them melt faster. Depending on the quality of the
course, this drainage may vary in effectiveness.
Hope this helps,
Burr Zimmerman
As a volunteer Bluebird trail observer at a local golf course, I de-winterize
my Bluebird houses during February through March. This year I started with the course having
over 30 cm of snow cover and I observed no differences as the snow melted
over the course (27 holes). Snow decline was a function of location, not
greens vs fairways. Sun exposure, tree and brush locations were all a
factor.
Steve Sample
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Update: June 2012
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