Data Collection

WinterTurf Participation Instructions

Thank you for agreeing to participate in data collection for the WinterTurf project. Please read through this information carefully, and complete the steps below. If, at any point, you have questions, please reach out to Paige Boyle at [email protected] for assistance. 

Interest Survey

  • Fill out this one-time survey to sign up to collect data over the 2024-2025 winter season on at least one green on your course.
    • Note: All past participants will automatically be enrolled for the 2024-2025 winter season. Reach out to Paige Boyle ([email protected]) if you need to be removed from the project.

Pre-Survey

  • Once you fill out the Interest Survey, we will email out an identification code specific to your course. Please record your code somewhere you can easily access it – this will make future surveys much easier to submit!
  • Once you have your code, fill out the Pre-Survey before putting your course to bed for the winter.
    • Note: If you have already covered your green, you can still fill out the survey – please be sure to note in the final comment box the conditions of the greens prior to covering.

Historical Damage Survey

  • This is a survey you will complete once to indicate which years your course had winter damage in the past.

Weekly Survey

  • Once winter arrives, you will need to fill out the Weekly Survey throughout the winter. 
  • You will fill out a separate Weekly Survey for each green you are collecting data from. 
  • It is best if you take data on or close to the same day each week (for example, every Monday).
  • You will need to submit the following information to the Weekly Survey: 
    • Snow depth from one representative measurement in each of four quadrants of your green (northwest, northeast, southeast, southwest).
    • Ice observations.
    • Other notes (is there standing water, anything unusual, etc.). 
    • A photo of your green, taken while standing to the south of the green and looking north.
      • We only need an overview shot that captures most or all of the green – please be somewhat consistent on the vantage point you use for this photo from week to week.
  • There is a question in the Weekly Survey that will trigger additional questions if winter is over at your location:
    • If your green(s) haven't greened up: Select "Hide damage questions" and continue taking weekly data on the Weekly Survey as usual, until spring green up.
    • Once your green(s) have greened up: Take the Weekly Survey one last time and select "Show damage questions" to show additional questions. We will need some pictures taken pointed straight down at the turf to get an idea of the condition of the turf after winter. You will be taking four images for each green you have been assessing – one image while standing in each quadrant of your green (northwest, northeast, southeast, southwest). Once this last survey is submitted, you no longer need to submit Weekly Surveys.

WinterTurf Dashboard

  • This is where you can see the Weekly Survey data from your course, as well as all other courses participating in WinterTurf data collection.
  • You can select a course by clicking on the map or search for a specific course using the course name or course code on the search bar (you may need to click on the magnifying glass icon once you enter your text for the auto-fill to work). 
  • Note: You can opt out of sharing your data on the dashboard via the weekly survey checkbox.

Sensor Data (only for superintendents with WinterTurf sensors)

  • If you have a sensor installed at your course, Grafana is where you will access the sensor data.
  • Contact Ann Piotrowski ([email protected]) if you need access to Grafana or for troubleshooting sensor issues.

WinterTurf Newsletter

  • If you’d like to stay up-to-date with the latest in WinterTurf research and events, sign up for the monthly WinterTurf Newsletter.

Interested in donating a sensor? 

  • What data do sensors collect?
    • Soil temperature, soil moisture, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and more, every 15 minutes, all winter long. 
  • What are the benefits of making this donation?
    • Access to real-time data from the sensor on your course.
    • We provide all environmental data for download.
    • Your course can claim a charitable donation deduction.
    • You contribute data to help solve a longstanding problem for cold-climate golf course superintendents.
  • How much does it cost?
    • $3,000 covers the cost of one sensor, which will stay on your course from late fall to spring and can be redeployed annually.
  • When do I need to make the donation?
    • In order to ensure we order enough sensor nodes for the 2025-2026 winter, we would like to have the donation by February 1, 2025.
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WinterTurf