The Economic Cost of Winter Injuries on Golf Courses in North America

Golf courses in North America experience occasional damage from winter injuries. This damage can sometimes be very severe, resulting in substantial financial impacts. Winter damage to turfgrass surfaces affects golf course finances in three primary ways: winter injury prevention costs, additional costs of inputs to recover from winter injuries, and revenue losses due to delayed openings. We conducted a survey of golf course superintendents in North America to assess the economic impact of winter injuries. The survey collected data on the causes of winter injuries, the extent of damage across the golf course, and management practices that were employed. We found that, on average, the cost of preventing winter injuries was between $12,000 and $17,999 annually per golf course, and additional costs of inputs to recover from winter injury ranged from $6000 to $8999. The revenue losses due to delayed openings, ranging from $3000 to $8999 per golf course, further emphasize the far-reaching consequences of winter injuries.