Frost

One of the things that confuses golfers is the timing and use of winter greens.
When the weather is frosty damage can occur to the greens in a number of different ways.
The 1st way is if the surface is covered in frost and the actual grass plant is frozen. Foot traffic across the green snaps off the small delicate leaves destroying the capillary tubes inside the plant. This is visible when the frost lifts as brown or "burn" marks on the turf.
The 2nd form of damage is when the surface is frost free but the soil underneath is still frozen. The action of walking and turning on the turf, shears the root away due to the surface being soft and unstable and the roots being held in the ice.
Another issue with ice below the surface is trapped moisture, as the water has no way of passing through the rootzone.
All the above, increase the stress on the plant, making them disease and drought prone.

The removal of shade around the greens has always been a priority at MGC, one of the reasons we remove greenside trees. It is vital to get sunshine on to the putting surfaces to raise soil temperatures and minimse frozen soil.