Course closed for 'course work'

[balaclava]

Last August our course was closed for two weeks for ‘course works’. This year (2021) the course is again scheduled to be closed for two weeks for 'course work'. God knows what the benefit is and how that outweighs the loss to close the course during peak summer months. Does this happen at your club (in peak summer months)?

 

[Bdill93]

Absolutely not - its prime time golf!

The greens are treated at intervals in the year, we may get a week or two playing on aerated greens here and there but thats it!

Any work that requires 2 weeks of closure could surely be done over winter? Did you notice any differences last year?

 

[Blue in Munich]

Last August our course was closed for two weeks for ‘course works’. This year (2021) the course is again scheduled to be closed for two weeks for 'course work'. God knows what the benefit is and how that outweighs the loss to close the course during peak summer months. Does this happen at your club (in peak summer months)?

Usually because if you do it in the winter there is no growth to recover from the works done. Our works have been moved from the winter season to the warmer times after discussion between a right-minded captain & the greenkeeper and the increase in quality is there for all to see. A little pain for a substantial gain.

 

[balaclava]

Did you notice any differences last year?

No - that's my point

 

[KenL]

With the amount of golf everyone has missed closing a course for 2 weeks in summer seems a complete joke to me.

 

[Bdill93]

No - that's my point

I'd ask the club their plans over the 2 week period!

I know my club shares the strategic 4 year plan with members, so we know as and when things are going to change well in advance and if theres specific reasons for change! I believe our course is making the most of the current closure and bringing forward plans to extend one of our par 4's to a par 5 and doing it now!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Greens will need to treated twice - early season as the warm weather hits and then later around September- but there is no need to close the course for two weeks to do it

 

[IanM]

I remember the uproar when Bowood did a heavy duty hollow tine at the start of August once.

 

[fundy]

I remember the uproar when Bowood did a heavy duty hollow tine at the start of August once.

remember that happening at a club I knew, it then didnt rain for ages either just to compound the issue!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Over summer months course would only be closed for 'emergency' work (and I can't recall last time that that was the case) - only exception being after 4pm in advance of our main comps - our Open and our Club Champs - to prep the course. Structural work on the course is done as part of our Winter Work Programme. Doing green tinning and fairway scarifying work during the day of late summer - is just part of essential course maintenance - but never results in course or holes being closed - maybe a forward tee or temp green - but never closed,

 

[jim8flog]

The only thing we do in late August is have a course maintenance week. This is primarily to deep tine and fill. Whilst the greens are being done we have temporary greens in play. Provide the weather is good they get it over and finished in about 3 days.

Most courses in this area have gone to August for deep tining and fill because it means the greens recover very quickly and are good for the winter.

 

[Wabinez]

I know a few clubs close for a week in August for course maintenance, and have done for a long time. 2 weeks may be a little overkill though!

 

[upsidedown]

2 weeks seems very excessive, we normally close for 3 days for hollow coring the first week in Aug, we've now got reciprocal arrangements with neighbouring club and they come to us in Sept when they do theirs

 

[Oddsocks]

Could this window of two weeks be for everyone to take annual leave at the same time. If it’s run on a tight staff line, just a thought.

would also work with any club house painting, plant servicing and so on.

 

[Golfnut1957]

Usually because if you do it in the winter there is no growth to recover from the works done. Our works have been moved from the winter season to the warmer times after discussion between a right-minded captain & the greenkeeper and the increase in quality is there for all to see. A little pain for a substantial gain.

And did they close the whole course for two weeks while they did it?

 

[Bigfoot]

That's the bonus of having two courses.

One can be played whilst the other is available for closure and work

 

[upsidedown]

That's the bonus of having two courses.

One can be played whilst the other is available for closure and work

And having a very good HGK ??

 

[Deleted member 21258]

What did they do, doing the two week period ?

 

[backwoodsman]

As others have said, August is the ideal time to do major, or significant, maintenance works to greens because of the good conditions for growth & recovery. It means playing on bumpy greens for a brief while, but shouldn't mean closure for two weeks? OP - what on earth did they do last year?

 

[D-S]

You certainly don’t work on all the greens at the same time on any one day, so should be more than easy to have 9 holes open all the times either before or after they have been worked on. Also, if necessary, you can even open the holes that are being worked on but use temporary greens. Closing the whole course for routine maintenance for 2 weeks is overkill. Perhaps they are scheduling 2 weeks so they have some flexibility if the weather isn’t conducive to doing the work and they actually will be open for periods of these ‘reserve’ two weeks.