Sunday, December 8, 2013

Ask Linda #757.5-Clumps of frost fall off shoes

Dear Linda,

It is Lou from the south of France again and thank you for all of your clarifications.

We are now entering the winter here and when we play in the mornings there is often frost on the course. I understand that frost is not casual water and we have to putt through it on the greens. However the frost gathers on the bottom of your shoes and sometimes falls on the green in big lumps. Does it then become ice from which you get relief or is it still frost from which you don't?

Thanks, Linda. You probably don't have this problem in California or Florida!

Yours,
Lou from France 

Dear Lou,

Once the frost gathers on your shoes into clumps of ice that get deposited on the putting green, you may remove the clumps from the green. They have changed their status from “frost” to “ice.” Be careful to pick them up before tossing them off the green – if you brush them aside you can’t help but brush the frost along with them, which will result in a two-stroke penalty (loss of hole in match play).

Frost is not a common problem in southern California or Florida, but we certainly experience frost in my home state of New Jersey. Most courses will not permit play on frost-covered greens, so early-morning golfers experience what we call “frost delay” (play is delayed until the frost disappears). I’m surprised the greenkeepers in southern France are not concerned about surface damage caused by players walking on frost-covered greens.

Linda

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