PHOTO A: The reason why the area greens up in a straight line in the spring every year can be found in the background of the photo — if you look closely. This country club is located in an oil-rich region of Texas, and the club has four oil wells on the property. One of the underground lines from an oil well runs across one of the fairways. The oil is pumped from nearly a mile underground and it is quite warm as it emerges from the well and into the pipeline. In the spring, the line warms up the soil directly above it, causing the bermudagrass to green up in a straight line about two to three weeks before the rest of the course greens up. Depending on the weather, the effect lasts for only a couple of weeks. Oddly enough, when the course receives a rare light dusting of snow, the soil will be warm enough to melt the snow in a straight line as well.

Photo submitted by Paul Dominguez, Class A superintendent at Hillcrest Country Club in Lubbock, Texas, and a 14-year member of GCSAA.