Leaf Blankets?
Pink or gray snow mold are not caused by 1/2" or less of pulverized leaf matter. In a residential environment these would usually be caused by not cutting the grass short on the final cut of the year, an excessive fall fertilization and coupled with high amounts of snow loads that are typically seen in areas beside driveways or walkways where snow piles are higher and last longer with more compression force on the already long blades of grass.
Thatch problems are created when lignin production within the plant tissues are not broken down fast enough or not removed quickly enough, thus creating a disproportionate amount of lignin. For those that don't know, for the most part, leaf matter does not contribute to thatch buildup, unless there are a lot of stems or woody tissues in the matter. And that said, a little bit of thatch is a good thing. More than 1/2 inch is generally not. So having less than 1/2" of pulverized leaf matter won't create a situation of excessive thatch buildup. If people want to reduce thatch, then yes, late spring or fall raking can help as well as choosing species that are lower in lignin production like fine fescues or most bunch grasses. A huge problem with thatch has less to do with winterkill, but more to do with the plants root systems inability to sustain itself in periods of high drought, because as you said, the crowns can get choked out and the root system starts to root itself into the thatch than in the soil profile.
Golf courses do not leave their leaves on the grass because they are trying to maintain a highly managed soil profile. A USGA soil profile for example has around 12" of straight sand in varying soil particle sizes. Local golf courses would still have a very high amount of sand and others might go with a native soil profile, but for the most part, they are all intensely managed. In the highly managed golf course environment, any prolonged leaf or organic matter will change the profile of the soil therefore significantly changing drainage and nutrient retention (among many other things), which they often want to have as much control over. The low organic matter (low micro-organism) content in the sandy soils reduces the thatch breakdown (because microscopic bugs break down thatch) and so golf courses will have excessive thatch problems as a result of this. High salts from fertilizers and low pH levels in soil profiles also have a great effect on this - it has next to nothing to do with 1/2" of pulverized leaf matter. Lastly, golf courses are often growing turf species which produce high amounts of lignin, which in turn produce high amounts of thatch - something most homeowners don't have to worry about too much.
A homeowner is best served by not comparing themselves to a golf course. And I've spent time evaluating golf courses, teaching different courses on turf management and working for many years on very highly managed turf environments.
