WELCOME TO THE WINTER WONDERLAND-MAY 3, 2013

May 3, 2013

We received several more inches of snow overnight in Ames.  The heaviest snow I heard of was in Britt, in North Central Iowa, where they had 11 inches.  That was a new record for May.

The first picture is from Teresa Balsley at Veenker Golf course on ISU campus.
 

Veenker Golf Course Winter

I took the next two pictures this morning on Indian Creek golf course behind my house in Nevada, Iowa.  The first one is the fourth tee and the second one is of the 3rd green.

Indian Creek Golf Course Winter

Indian Creek Golf Course Winter

I took this one from facebook.  It shows one of the guys at Coldwater Creek golf course in Ames who didn't let the snow stop his golf game.

Here is something I want you golf people to watch for.  The first picture is of the sclerotia (resting bodies) of Typhula incarnata, the fungi that causes Gray Snow Mold.

Gray Snow Mold

 The second one is a commercial shot of germinating sclerotia.  This is a very rare site.  I have only seen it once in Iowa.  It can occur right after a very early or very late snow on actively growing bentgrass greens.  They can also be dark colored and take on a 'fiddle head' appearance, like a fiddle head fern.  If anyone sees this as the snow melts, snap some pictures for me.

Here are two additional pictures that I just received from Derek Richards, assistant at Veenker golf course,  while I was posting this blog.  It shows the 18th hole on Veenker on April 24 and then again this morning, May 3.

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Nick Christians Professor

Nick Christians, Ph.D. – University professor of turfgrass management, Iowa State University, Department of Horticulture, Ames, IA, and adjunct faculty, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. Dr. Christians received his B.S. from the Colorado State University ...