Pink Snow Mold

Pink Snow Mold #15 Fairway

For many of you who may wander out on the golf course in a few weeks may notice small, circular patches on the fairways and tees. These small, circular patches are caused by a turf disease called pink snow mold. Pink snow mold is a disease caused by the fungus Microdochium nivale. Pink snow mold is the name used to describe the disease associated with snow cover, appearing when snow melts.
Symptoms and signs

Pink snow mold is a true snow mold since it develops under snow cover. The disease gets its name from the accumulation of pink fungal spores that pile up on the leaves of infected grass plants, producing a pink cast on circular patches of matted grass. Usually only leaves are attacked, but under conditions favorable for disease development the fungus may kill the crowns and roots as well.

At Sagamore, we treat greens only before the first snow fall to prevent snow mold from forming on our greens. The rest of the golf course receives no preventative treatment of fungicides for snow mold because of the cost associated with the treatment.

These small patches will become green again in the Spring and usually no turf loss will occur.