Lately there has been a lot of talk about sustainability in golf and reducing our reliance on chemicals. For the most part if we can reduce or manage the stresses that are affecting our turf we can manage the turf pests that have the potential to kill the turf. How often do we need to cut our greens in the winter? One of the most common stresses that we as turf managers force upon our putting greens is intensive mowing. Many superintendents mow their greens once or twice a day in the summertime to keep the putting greens consistent and smooth. In the summer this is often sustainable as the turf is growing and usually quite healthy. In the shoulder seasons as well as winter we often have to reduce our mowing frequency to match the changing growth rates of the turf. We have to take special care not to cut the turf too often or not enough. Cutting too much causes extra stress and cutting not enough will increase the chance of scalping unless the heights of cut are raised. Most turf ma