And now our course becomes unplayable for a month

[patricks148]

So the 5 day open is over for another year, and tomorrow the greens will be cored but not top dressed. As I look out the window it is hosing down as it has been most of the day - we had a league match today and almost all of my equipment is drying in the dining room, including the jacket which the rain came through after 8 holes - and doesn't look like stopping tonight. When we left the course there were large puddles appearing on most if not all of the greens visible from the clubhouse and I can't help but think that the holes that open up tomorrow will just fill with water and become a mushy mess after a couple of days. So why not do this in October after the qualifying rounds have finished but the cold weather hasn't set in, instead of losing a month of a short playing season and then delaying the start of next season when they get a second tining in March?

What really confuses me though is that there are some opens left this month, surely if you have a day full(hopefully) of visitors paying money to play the course they should be able to play golf not bagatelle on the greens? The club bangs on about how the greens are improving year on year, and in fairness they are true, but the same complaints come up every year about pace so why not focus on that?

Apologies for the unstructured nature of this rant, I'm typing as I think but it's just something that I don't understand and don't think many if any other club would do.

I remeber thinking the same when i played your place the first time they did this, but TBH they recovered really well and when a few of us played the Texas Scramble at the end of the month you would have hardly known the greens had been touched.

I notice we don't have the reciprocal now, i wonder why that is

We are shutting for 3 days after our 4 day open to Graden all the greens again, but TBH its worth it as they were so much better this year after doing them in Oct. They did the practice green in Aug and you wouldn't have known a week later.

 

[ManinBlack]

Our greenkeeper posted this on Facebook at 10.00pm yesterday. Solid tining the greens ready to put on top dressing this morning before the course opens. That's what I call doing all he can to minimise disruption. We never hollow tine mid season and the greens have been great over the last few years. I always think, when you hollow tine, you remove half the material you put in last time.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Hollow tining etc etc to our greens will happen almost immediately following our last major comp - so before the end of this month. Always painful as they will be immaculate for the Frigate. But it's a 'needs must' I guess if we are to have our greens improving year on year. Besides - with plenty of growth still in the greens they recover very quickly and you don't really notice after a week or so.

 

[Break90]

We have two maintenance weeks each year, one in March and one in August. The greenkeeping staff do a fantastic job, hollow tining and dressing the greens over the two courses within 2 days each. Within a week or so the surfaces are back to normal

Dates are in the diary, with an email to all members 2 weeks before to remind everyone.

We've got fantastic putting surfaces so it clearly works.

 

[cookelad]

We also have two "greens renovations" weeks one at the start of the season and another just as the season is winding down - chuffed to find out the next one will be the first week in September while I'm sitting by a pool somewhere hot and sunny! - normally takes between a week and a fortnight for the greens to recover enough that us non-greenkeeping sorts forget the renovations ever took place!

 

[delc]

Our greens are being hollow cored today as I write, so I expect a few days of paying bagatelle, or trying to pick a line that joins up the dots! :angry:

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Our greens are being hollow cored today as I write, so I expect a few days of paying bagatelle, or trying to pick a line that joins up the dots! :angry:

Always reminds me of when we played marbles as kids using the perforated drain covers of the street gutters and playground drains

 

[Roops]

A couple of other things to consider re Green works, the GK's can only do the best with what they have. Ours is an old school course, many of the greens are based on clay, which drains poorly. Therefore he has to do his work when it's preferably dry/drying/warm, so that leaves him to choose a date and time when he is going to have warm dry weather, not the easiest thing to predict in this country.

Also, if previous GK's have been less than industrious in maintaining the greens for fear of upsetting the members, your current GK is probably trying to rectify that at the same time as trying to improve them.

 

[Wayman]

View attachment 11863Our greenkeeper posted this on Facebook at 10.00pm yesterday. Solid tining the greens ready to put on top dressing this morning before the course opens. That's what I call doing all he can to minimise disruption. We never hollow tine mid season and the greens have been great over the last few years. I always think, when you hollow tine, you remove half the material you put in last time.

He didnt half put a shift in for that last night mind!
you could tell that course maintenance was getting done course was empty today
greens will be ok by end of week

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

I'm interested, in all of you who are told in advance about work being performed, do you know if visitors are told?

Just because I turned up to a course earlier this summer, and found the course on temp greens as they were all being dressed. To say we were a tad annoyed was about right! We felt that if we booked in advance, as we had, we should be told about that kind of thing.

We let them get ahead of us taking the dressing off, but made it past them after 6 holes to see 12 more on temps, so called it a day. Fair play to the pro, he was very apologetic and we have a free round to use, but it's still surprising that they let it happen! Especially as it seems to be they are all planned well in advance!

 

[duncan mackie]

I'm interested, in all of you who are told in advance about work being performed, do you know if visitors are told?

we close the course, so that would cover it!

in practice though it will leave the question of what to say for the following days, and for how long you say it. No easy answer to that one.

one other thing (although not specific to your situation obviously) is that often things look worse than they actually are in play

as has been pointed out, the only thing worse than not knowing what's happening and when is if nothing happens - the way back from that slippery slope is years of disruptive work!

the other alternative is to completely close the course one day every week for rest and maintenance; like St Andrews Old for centuries :thup:

 

[delc]

I got a round at half price at a Scottish course last year because they had hollow tinned the greens the day before. The greens were still pretty good even so!

 

[delc]

I got a round for half price at a Scottish club last year because they had hollow cored the greens the day before. They were still pretty good even so!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We post it all over the website and it's on all the external notice boards at the club so hopefully visitors will get a chance to see in advance. We also offer discounted green fees during the process

 

[SocketRocket]

maybe clubs should take the time to inform their members rather than just doing it.

I agree with that. Members could also ask green staff why they carry out jobs like dressing and verti draining the greens.

 

[delc]

I played our course this morning the day after the greens had been hollow cored and top dressed. Went round in 10 over gross for 38 points (12 h/cap), so they must have played OK! My best score for quite a while.

 

[North Mimms]

I played our course this morning the day after the greens had been hollow cored and top dressed. Went round in 10 over gross for 38 points (12 h/cap), so they must have played OK! My best score for quite a while.

They are normally fantastic after coring and dressing, especially is there has been rain to wash in the top dressing.

I agree with that. Members could also ask green staff why they carry out jobs like dressing and verti draining the greens.

Our head greenkeeper writes a blog which is posted on website and noticeboard for members to understand why and when work is done. i think it helps redude the moans

 

[delc]

They are normally fantastic after coring and dressing, especially is there has been rain to wash in the top dressing.

I wouldn't describe the greens as fantastic, as they were slower and a bit bumpier than they were before the treatment. I had one birdie putt that looked in all the way until it hit an aeration hole a few inches short, which diverted the ball enough to just lip out! Also left another short birdie putt just short.