It’s easy to assume that because your turfgrass is dormant, that you don’t have to be as aware of potential injury. We know that too much or too little sunlight or water, balancing fertility and controlling disease, pest and weed pressure are important, but most people minimize turf maintenance in the colder months.

A stressor that may be forgotten about through those months is traffic. Dormant grasses can withstand some traffic stress, but there are some times when it is important to carefully control the amount. Golf course superintendents are always mindful of this, and that is why they share cart rules each day – minimizing cart traffic where needed has saved many a fairway.

Here are some reasons to reduce traffic on your dormant grass:

  • When soil is saturated
  • When the surface is frozen
  • High-use areas

When grass is dormant, it cannot repair itself, so it’s up to you to make sure the damage isn’t too great.