Once again winter started off the year with a bang. It was 17 years ago yesterday, January 4th, that Ottawa and surrounding areas were hit with one of the most devastating ice storms in history. Luckily this weeks storm did no where near the damage but the potential for serious damage is always in question when an ice storm does hit.
Leading up to the storm this last week the golf course had lost almost all of its snow due to mild temperatures and rain over the Christmas holidays. Luckily for us, before the freezing rain started to fall we were blessed with anywhere from 10-15cm of snow. Due to high winds during the snow fall, accumulation on the ground is anywhere from 0 to 30+cm. Unfortunately we are currently unable to make our way around the golf course to check on ll of the greens. From the ones we can see, it looks like there is a decent amount of snow insulating them from the layer of ice that has formed. A small concern at the time of the storm is how quick the temperature dropped. This alone can cause damage to the turf but we do believe that majority of the golf course was covered in snow which should have helped insulate the turf for the significant drop.
The biggest concern at this time is the number of trees that are covered in ice with the speeds of the wind. Guests have been measured in and around the 50 km/h range as of Monday lunchtime. To this time there has been little to no tree damage that we can see. Once again, our ability to visit the entire golf course has been limited.
We will continue to monitor all conditions of the golf course, including the trees. I will provide another update along with some pictures in the next couple of weeks.
Stay warm and Happy New Year!
Stuart Bradshaw
Golf Course Superintendent
The intent of this blog is to keep the members of Camelot Golf & Country Club up to date with all activities related to the maintenance and playability of the golf course. It will be updated on a regular basis by the golf course superintendent
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