Awful greens

[kinhell]

I play at Penn golf club between Dudley And Wolverhampton. It is reknown for its narrow fairways and tight lies and is akin to a links course with lightening fast greens. We had a new greenkeeper start a few years back who decided with the advice of the STRI (Spoorts Turf Research Institute) that we should change the grass on the greens to a more durable one that is better through the winter. He's trying to kill off the old grass whilst seeding over with the new stuff. Not sure how you can kill off one type of grass and not the other but he thinks he can. It's a five year plan and we are 2.5 years through it and the greens are terrible, only get watered 3 minutes on a dodgy sprinker system overnight and are very inconsistent and we pay £900 a year for the pleasure !
Do you think this is acceptable and do you think its fair of me to complain as I've not long been a member?

 

[Swinger]

All I can say is that it is probably futile trying to eliminate the local natural grasses on greens, it's grass, it'll come back.

If they are amazing all year round in a cople of years then great and it is worth it but otherwise I'd be aksing WTF is all that about.

 

[griffgolf]

I play at Penn golf club between Dudley And Wolverhampton. It is reknown for its narrow fairways and tight lies and is akin to a links course with lightening fast greens. We had a new greenkeeper start a few years back who decided with the advice of the STRI (Spoorts Turf Research Institute) that we should change the grass on the greens to a more durable one that is better through the winter. He's trying to kill off the old grass whilst seeding over with the new stuff. Not sure how you can kill off one type of grass and not the other but he thinks he can. It's a five year plan and we are 2.5 years through it and the greens are terrible, only get watered 3 minutes on a dodgy sprinker system overnight and are very inconsistent and we pay £900 a year for the pleasure !
Do you think this is acceptable and do you think its fair of me to complain as I've not long been a member?

If you dont like what you get for your £900 a year then move on to another course and see what the new greens course is like in 2-3 years time.

 

[kinhell]

I'm tempted but the guys I play with are keen to see what they are like this time next year.

 

[Region3]

The greenkeepers at our place have an appointment with the STRI soon. Should be worried?