carnoustie in march??

[Dodger]

Hi all,12 of us are booked to play old course on good friday and thought we may play carnoustie on the thursday, I have enquired about this and been told it is £57.50 but 'we will be on winter course'. when I asked what this meant the women who was as helpful as no help vaguely said mats(fair enough]possible winter greens and a different route to the course. I asked her what the likeliehood of winter greens were and she replied she did not know and when I asked re the different route she said that 'you will play 1,2,3 then 6,7,8 and then a mixture of the holes but you will play all the 18 holes just in a strange order'......I asked her do we therefore play the whole 18 but it is simply a diferent route in the middle she replied 'aye a think,summit like that' Does not inspire confidence to book as nearly £60 still alot of cash even if it is Carnoustie but if it is a hash of the normal track I think I would rather pay £25 and go to Panmure/Monifieth with all summer greens and 18 in the correct order.
Does anyone have any experience of Carnoustie in the winter and what the likely format is..surely someone can be more helpful than that goat I got on the blower??!!

 

[clubchamp07]

U got ur answer!!! seeing as she's the goat she dosent want the likes of you walking over her fresh dinner. she wants it all to herself

 

[Dodger]

thanks for the constructive,helpful reply.

 

[stevelockie]

Struggling to understand why playing the holes in a different order would help preserve the course over the winter?

 

[Greenkeeper]

Hi dodger
I suppose the ‘goat’ as you so eloquently call her has to answer the same impossible questions on a regular basis. What you are actually asking her to do is predict the weather and course conditions. It may not inspire confidence but to be fair, can you predict what’s going to happen in March?

As for changing the way the course is played. This is simply to limit the traffic on vulnerable areas, we do this and it works well. The normal walk off walk on areas are protected meaning you have a better course in the summer.

Hope this makes sense

 

[Dodger]

Re winter greens.....my club is always on normal greens and the only way winter greens are on is if a severe frost happens or a green is getting relaid which is why I cannot understand why she could not answer my question re the winter greens......yes she cannot predict the weather but surely they know if a relaying program is scheduled for any of the greens???why else apart from my 2 points would you put players on a championship course on winter greens?

 

[Dave3498]

We play on normal greens all year, but in the winter period, from November on, we have to start on the 5th. tee and play 1 to 4 at the end. This is because the 1st. 2nd. and 4th. greens are in shade until late morning and are therefore very likely to be frosty early on. This is roughly in keeping with Greenkeeper's reply to this thread.

 

[Greenkeeper]

Having played Carnoustie in the Winter I am sure you will not be disappointed. Very rarely do they use winter greens. The main greens are probably as good if not better in the winter than the summer. If you were to get winter greens, I would say you would be very unlucky indeed, only the weather can dictate that. But them the chances you take!

 

[John_Findlay]

Dodger,

you need to speak to our fellow forum member, Atticus Finch, for the lowdown. He's a member at Carnoustie and will be able to help.

I played there last April (see my post - "Carnoustie-Wow")

 

[madandra]

This is a shot in the dark( no pun intended) but due to the fact Carnoustie is right on the coast I would be surprised if the greens were off, however if we get rain up here like we had last week I would understand if they took precautions. The suggestion that you start at a hole more likely to thaw before say, the 1st is something I hadn't thought about and for their smart thinking I tip my cap. I played The Brabazon on Sunday and to be honest I would have played everyshot off a paving slab just to say I played the course.

I may nhave had a different attitude if I had to pay lots of lolly though.

 

[Greenkeeper]

I am probably going of subject slightly. Having played both the Brabazon and Carnoustie in the winter I know what my preference would be. These courses are very different, the Brabazon is a great track but is very much based on the US style and I personally feel is second best to most of the US top courses. Carnoustie however is a true British golf course, steeped in history with natural grandeur, letting Mother Nature create the challenge, the test of golf at its best. No US course can replicate this.

True golf nothing like it!!

 

[John_Findlay]

Agreed, Greenkeeper. Best course I'VE ever played. Loved every hole (even playing off mats!)

 

[madandra]

I agree that Carnoustie is a better course than the Brabazon BUT there are times when it is virtually impossible to play links golf. As J_F will testify, we played Craigielaw last Friday and it was bitterly cold but if the wind had got up the ball would have been rollong all over the green.

And another thing .... My lips are chapped to bits due to the biting cold wind and not having remembered my balm. You links golfers are a hardy bunch.

 

[RGuk]

In fairness to the lady, it's going to be hard to specify exactly what is going to be the state of things. If you play all the holes, the order may not be such a "downer" and wouldn't bother me. Matts....hmm....also not too bad, I suppose. If there ended up being loads of temps....now that would be a bummer.
Personaly I wouldn't bet this kind of money, the risks with the weather/temps/order could end up being too much to bear. I'd save my money and go and play it in the summer.

What's the reg' fee?

Dave

 

[Dodger]

£125 in the summer.really are not to bothered re route or mats (played old 4 times in mats and caddie tells you to put it away bar the 1st and 18th as noone uses them)but I would be very peed off if temp greens were on.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

The primary reason we play a different order is because the winter leagues play only 15 holes. Due of the lack of daylight it allows more people on the course.(Although you cany the full 18 if you want)
As greenkeeper said, you would have to be very unlucky to end up playing on winter greens. If you have a wee check of the weather forecast before you go then as long as the teperatures are above zero, you should have no problems.

Basically, the only difference is you play off mats.

Not quite sure how the greens are at the moment as I hven't played for a couple of weeks, but they're usually top notch.

Regards,


Atticus.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

£125 in the summer.really are not to bothered re route or mats (played old 4 times in mats and caddie tells you to put it away bar the 1st and 18th as noone uses them)but I would be very peed off if temp greens were on.

Having re-read the thread, I must take issue with this post.
The mats policy is strictly adhered to on the course and I know if I ever saw someone not bothering with mats then the player and the caddie would be reported to the ranger immediately.
The mats policy IS unpopular, but the member are aware that without it we wouldn't be able to enjoy the world class links that we do in the summer months.

On a final note, if you don't like playing with mats, I suggest you take your custom (and divots) elsewhere, because your not welcome at my club.

 

[John_Findlay]

Well said, Atticus.

Was a bit surprised by Dodger's comments that the caddies at the Old Course tell you you can put you mats away after you're out of site of the first!! I bet the greenkeepers won't be too chuffed to hear that. It's the whole reason you get that whacking discount so you should do the right thing.

Rules is rules for real golfers! None of our lot minded playing off the mats at Carnoustie and we thought that our winter green fee was a bargain for the privilege of playing the course.

If I saw a golfer discarding his mat at the Old Course in the winter I'd have a swing for him myself....or at least his caddie, now that I've heard this. Naughty caddies just trying to get a bigger tip!

 

[StuartD]

Played it a couple of years ago in the winter.

We had an 8.30 tee off but when we arrived the course was covered in a light dusting of snow. We had a two-hour delay but when we started they were on full greens.

The third and sixth holes had both been shortened because of work for this years open. The work was being carried out as we played.

Now for the disappointing bit.

The 17th had been shortened to a par 3 (120 yards) just a wedge over the burn. The 18th was a short par 4 (3 wood & flick with a wedge) where you only crossed the burn once. The tee was not far from where Harrington went in at bridge.

After the anticipation of the difficult t turned into a bit of an anti-climax. A work colleague went last winter and it was the same at 17 and 18 (work at 3 and 6 complete)

On both occasions no work was being done in the area and we could not confirm why it was shortened.

 

[Dodger]

oh dear,exactly what I am worried about.My hope is that with the open having been all work will have been done.