can a club or course be a little too ambitious?

[viscount17]

played Luton Hoo with the society on Wednesday - 36 holes, and as those who have supported HfH the last two years will remember, it's a big course.

Greens were not quick but in fair nick considering the weather we've had and the fairways were, if not to their usual summer length at least playing well. The second cut was difficult in places and the rough . . .

LH has ambitions of staging a tour event in the not too distant future and I think they were patterning the rough on the US Open. A complete mockery, made for really slow rounds and a lot of lost balls; you probably had at best a 1 in 20 chance of finding any ball, let alone your own, and if you did find it a 1 in 10 chance of getting it out.

for me, the course needs another 5 -10 years growing before it will be close to being ready for a tour.

 

[Deleted member 1418]

Not sure it will ever host a tour event as it has no bunkers. Therefore the rough will be it's only defence, so stands to reason why they would make it so penal.

I do like Luton Hoo - thought it was a good course when I played it last year at H4H. I agree though - needs another 5-10 years to mature before it's really at it's best, particularly the first half-dozen or so holes.

 

[Stub]

Our club is negotiating to hold a European Seniors event and up to three weeks or so ago the rough was long and penal. After complaints about the length of the first and second cut rough following an open comp the cutters have been lowered.

I don't know if there was any connection between the Tour negotiations and the length of rough or if it is merely coincidental but we have plenty of bunkers without severely penal rough.

 

[6inchcup]

i have found a lot of courses set the course up differently for their open comps as opposed to the normal set up,my club does this and lets the rough grow longer prior to our open and the greens get more attention,as we are on the rota to play county matches or finals for inter league comps work is done a few weeks prior and the course is closed the day before and to be fair is a lot tougher than normal,but that is a one off, because it is a members club of mixed ability it has to be set up for all the members or it would be no fun week in week out playing from ankle length rough and spending 6 hours on the course.

 

[Robobum]

Keeping the rough under control must be a nightmare for the greenkeepers at the moment with the wet and warm weather we've got. Just looking in my garden, I positive I can actually see the grass getting longer by the second it's growing so fast!!!

 

[North Mimms]

Not sure it will ever host a tour event as it has no bunkers. Therefore the rough will be it's only defence, so stands to reason why they would make it so penal.

I do like Luton Hoo - thought it was a good course when I played it last year at H4H. I agree though - needs another 5-10 years to mature before it's really at it's best, particularly the first half-dozen or so holes.

Y'know, i've played Luton hoo and didn't notice there were no bunkers!
I just thought i was lucky not being in any...

 

[fundy]

should release the Goats and let them enjoy themselves imho

 

[Imurg]

should release the Goats and let them enjoy themselves imho

That's no way to.talk about the Senior Section......:rofl:

 

[RGDave]

My club has narrroooowww fairways, and I think it's to toughen it up.

All it does is annoy almost everyone in the club.

Some of our landing zones are under 15 yards.

That's less than the US Open which is rumoured to set the width at 22-28 yards depending on the length of the hole.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Played Tylney Park laat week and it was penal tight. Thich long rough either side and fairways maybe twenty yards wide in places. Way too hard for a mid handicapper like me. No problem being tested but missing a green by five yards from 200 yards away and losing a ball isn't my idea of fun.

Never played Luton Hoo but surely if they only have the rough as protection and no bunkering, it is going to struggle to get a tour event surely

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Nearly all of these types of courses are propriety.
They really do miss the boat.

If I was building a new course it would be an easy playing par 68.
I would keep it to a good specfication, with a good sized ladies and junior section but no senior section. I am certain that I would make a lot more money then these so called 'championship courses'.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

but no senior section.

Why? These guys play several times a week and if you made the 19th tempting then they could be a mainstay of the business. Need to make it somewhere so they don't just burse half a pint or change in the car park and bugger off. Guess that's a different thread altogether

 

[GB72]

Have to wonder why any course would have their target as a tour event. As posted on a number of threads, there is not enough sponsorship around for another English Tour event and there are enough established and respected clubs who would be at the top of the list to host one if the European Tour came knocking.

My personal opinion, clubs stating that they are developing their course with a view to hosting a European Tour event are doing so as a marketing gimic and nothing else.