Cold-weather golf and course damage

[WUTiger]

Any of you who are greenskeepers, turf specialists, greens committee members, etc...

Does winter golf damage the course more than warmer-weather golf?

One course manager said that in late fall and early spring, they don't let people to tee off until after any frost has melted off the grass. He said frozen grass blades will shatter when struck by a club. Also, it seems to me that replacing divots may not work very well in cold weather (grass won't regrow much).

I imagine it has something to do with type of grass, and whether you have combination turf like bermuda, with rye overseed for cooler weather.

So, how much does winter golf actually damage the course?

[RemyM]

You definitely shouldn't be playing when there is frost, it can kill the turf. As for divots during the dormant season cool season grasses can still root when it's over 40 but warm season grasses can't heel themselves when dormant. So it's a balance of revenue versus damage. We stay open unless covered by snow, but we will switch to temp tees and greens when freezing temps set in at night.

http://gcsaa.org/solutions/facts/frost.aspx