For golf superintendents across Ontario, spring success starts long before the snow melts. While winter may slow on-course activity, it’s one of the most important planning periods for natural grass maintenance. Decisions made now directly impact turf recovery, playability, and operational efficiency once golf season begins.
Preparing early helps avoid spring bottlenecks, improves turf performance, and ensures your course is ready for increased traffic as soon as conditions allow. Below, we outline key techniques and tools golf courses should prioritize when planning for spring 2026, with a focus on proven solutions from GKB Machines and TrenchIt.
Natural grass turf goes through significant stress over winter. “Winter kill” refers to the damage that various winter weather related events can cause. Snow cover, freeze–thaw cycles, debris accumulation, and soil compaction all affect how quickly greens and fairways recover in spring. Courses that wait until March or April to plan maintenance often face:
By addressing equipment needs, drainage improvements, and maintenance scheduling during winter, superintendents can start spring with healthier turf and fewer operational challenges.
Before focusing on surface preparation, it’s critical to evaluate drainage. Poor drainage is one of the most common causes of slow spring recovery, uneven growth, and playability issues on golf courses.
Standing water limits oxygen flow to roots, increases disease pressure, and delays mowing and maintenance. Winter is an ideal time to identify problem areas and plan corrective work.
TrenchIt trenchers are designed for precision drainage installation and repair on golf courses. They allow superintendents to:
Addressing drainage before spring growth begins helps natural grass recover faster and creates more consistent playing conditions throughout the season.
Once drainage is addressed, attention turns to surface preparation. Spring recovery depends heavily on proper aeration, topdressing, and material distribution.
As the exclusive Canadian dealer of GKB Machines, Clean Turf Canada supports golf courses with equipment designed specifically for natural grass performance.
Planning these operations in advance allows courses to move quickly once conditions permit, rather than waiting for equipment availability during peak demand.
Spring is the busiest time of year for golf course maintenance. Equipment availability, contractor schedules, and staffing resources become limited very quickly. Superintendents who plan early benefit from:
Winter is the ideal time to finalize equipment requirements, book maintenance services and schedule drainage work so everything is ready when spring arrives.
Golf course maintenance is complex, and having the right partners in place makes a significant difference. Clean Turf Canada works directly with golf superintendents across Ontario to provide:
By combining advanced equipment with experienced support, courses can confidently prepare for the 2026 season.
Spring success isn’t achieved in March, it’s built during the winter. By focusing on drainage improvements, early equipment planning, and proven tools for greens and fairway preparation, golf superintendents can set their courses up for a strong, consistent season.
If you’re planning for spring 2026 and want to discuss equipment options, drainage solutions, or early scheduling, Clean Turf Canada is here to help.