Managing the Challenges of Prolonged Wet and Humid Conditions in August 2026
Posted on Aug. 21, 2026 / Subscribe 0
Philadelphia Association of Golf Course Superintendents
Managing the Challenges of Prolonged Wet and
Humid Conditions in August 2026
Dear PAGCS Members,
The recent pattern of frequent and excessive rainfall with some warm nights combined with persistently humid conditions, has created an exceptionally challenging environment for maintaining fine turf on golf courses throughout the Philadelphia region and beyond. The cumulative effect of saturated soils, limited drying periods, and high humidity is placing significant stress on playing surfaces and making routine maintenance and agronomic decision making increasingly difficult.
One of the most noticeable impacts has been softer than desired playing conditions. No one likes a soft golf course, including superintendents. With soils remaining saturated for extended periods, golf courses are experiencing reduced firmness. This can lead to increased scalping, traffic damage (tire tracks), compaction, and rutting particularly in high-traffic areas. Even when rainfall stops, limited evapotranspiration and high humidity have prevented soils from drying sufficiently to restore desirable playing conditions.
Slower green speeds are another common occurrence in this weather pattern. Excessive soil moisture and elevated humidity can contribute to increased plant growth, softer putting surfaces, and reduced mowing quality. Frequent rainfall may also limit mowing opportunities or require adjustments to mowing practices to avoid unnecessary stress and mechanical damage. As a result, maintaining the desired pace and consistency of putting greens becomes considerably more difficult.
One of the greatest concerns under these conditions has been wet wilt. Fine turf can suffer from inadequate oxygen availability in saturated root zones, while high humidity and reduced transpiration limit the plant's ability to regulate water movement. Turf may appear adequately hydrated—or even excessively wet—yet still experience physiological stress and wilt. This paradox makes close observation of plant health, root-zone conditions, and localized drainage especially important.
Prolonged saturation also increases the potential for water damage to fine turf. Extended periods of excessive soil moisture can reduce oxygen in the root zone, weaken root systems, reduce rooting depth, and compromise overall turf vigor. Fine turf areas, particularly edges of putting greens and fairways, can become increasingly vulnerable when saturated conditions persist without adequate periods of recovery.
At the same time, the combination of moisture, warm temperatures, and humidity has created extremely high disease pressure. Conditions favorable to foliar pythium and brown patch developed rapidly, requiring plant protection treatments. The limited ability to dry surfaces and get fungicides out due to rainfall and maintain normal mowing adds to the challenge. Summer patch activity has ramped up the last few weeks even when preventive fungicides have been
used. Algae (black algae and yellow spot) have become significant as well due to these weather conditions.
On top of environmental stressors and disease pressure being high, weeds like crabgrass and goosegrass have thrived in these late summer months due to warm, wet soil conditions as well as herbicide tolerance is not great while turfs are weak. As the weather cools and the soils dry, you may consider targeting these weeds with herbicide but only if the turf is healthy enough to tolerant these applications.
Overall, I wanted to write to communicate that in my travels, I have seen a lot of weather-related thinning combined with high disease pressure. Every golf course that I have visited has a scar or two or more related to the wet, humid and warm weather pattern.
Please reach out with any questions.
Sincerely,
Steve McDonald, M.S.
Agronomist and Turfgrass Pathologist
Turfgrass Disease Solutions, LLC
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