The best comparison I have found to help people better understand, is ice on a pond. When the water on a pond surface is frozen very deep (4-6 inches), you can walk on the ice with no damage to the ice and nothing happens. However if you try and walk on ice that is only partially frozen or thawing, it will shatter, splinter and break.
Essentially, the same thing happens to the turf. During a frost or a thawing period after a freeze, the plant is only partially frozen. Walking or driving on the turf in these conditions will shatter and kill the cells in the plant, killing the turf. However, when the greens are frozen solid to a depth of 3-4 inches or more and there is no frost on the leaf blade, golf can be played and no damage will occur.
In summary, if the greens are frozen deep into the soil profile, with low daily temperatures where no thawing will occur, playing on the greens will cause no damage. Restricting play on days with frost or thawing of partially frozen greens, is necessary to prevent damage to the greens.
Below is a photo demonstrating damage to the turf when frost is present.(This photo is not from Shadow Hills..)
Let's hope for some warmer weather!
