D
Deleted Member 1156
Guest
Pretty bad at Hayling last week, I had to wipe mud off my ball on the 12th 
Course conditions compared to this time last year
- Thread starter barb
- Start date
why is that? what type of beside-the-sea course is it? a links style, whatever that is
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
wow you must of had a super round going with 2 blobs too.:thup: I was playing on some parts of the course that even the green keepers have never seen. I pay good money so I'm going to use all the course. The 18th up at the green about 80 yards out is squidgy but every other fairway was spot on. The drainage work is doing its job all we need now is some proper rain to prove us all wrong.
I don't actually remember the last time I played that well, especially the front nine (back as I played it). I felt like I had the ball on a string which is what cost me the double on nine. I think I'll write the Nicklaus quote that's in my sig inside my scorecard holder to keep myself in check.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Cooden is quite tricky to categorize. Despite being close to the sea, it definitely isn't a links course (in the accepted sense of the term).
Yes, some of the fairways have a "linksy" feel to them in as much as they have the humps and hollows that you would tend to associate with a seaside links course. And a lot of the course is quite exposed, so the wind certainly come into play, (ask Paul Nash
), much like a links.But there the similarity ends.
The turf is nice and springy, not wrist jarringly hard like a lot of links, it's more like a heathland course in that respect, with soil that is very "peaty"...does that make sense?
You can certainly take a nice divot out of them, rather than have to "nip it off the top". And if you fire at the greens, you will generally hold them. No bump and runs needed around here!
Some of the fairways, certainly early in the round, are tree lined. You don't get that on many links.
It also has quite a few water hazards. I know a lot of links have burns or streams running through them, but Cooden also has a few small ponds to contend with, again these would be totally out of place on a true links.
It's "quirky" in a nice way.
I enjoy playing there. Not too much elevation so it's nice and easy on the trotters.
You'll have to come down for a round one day. I think you'd enjoy it.
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Cooden is quite tricky to categorize. Despite being close to the sea, it definitely isn't a links course (in the accepted sense of the term).
Yes, some of the fairways have a "linksy" feel to them in as much as they have the humps and hollows that you would tend to associate with a seaside links course. And a lot of the course is quite exposed, so the wind certainly come into play, (ask Paul Nash
But there the similarity ends.
The turf is nice and springy, not wrist jarringly hard like a lot of links, it's more like a heathland course in that respect, with soil that is very "peaty"...does that make sense?
You can certainly take a nice divot out of them, rather than have to "nip it off the top". And if you fire at the greens, you will generally hold them. No bump and runs needed around here!
Some of the fairways, certainly early in the round, are tree lined. You don't get that on many links.
It also has quite a few water hazards. I know a lot of links have burns or streams running through them, but Cooden also has a few small ponds to contend with, again these would be totally out of place on a true links.
It's "quirky" in a nice way.
I enjoy playing there. Not too much elevation so it's nice and easy on the trotters.
You'll have to come down for a round one day. I think you'd enjoy it.
Thanks Smiffy- I've played it in a comp one year. Finished birdie, birdie, par, eagle after finding these ponds and streams you mentioned several times so the score was shot to buggery but a nice way to finish.
A links course is on land that is the link between the sea and usually arable land so Cooden certainly fits that bill, I know what you are saying about the soil and ponds etc but that's not in the criteria to be a links. I think links style probably best sums up cooden for all the reasons we both mention. Still interested in what Richard thinks it is.
richart
Major Champion
Cooden is built on good quality soil that is certainly arable. It is not built on land between the sea and the arable land that qualifies a course to be a links. That land is poor quality, sand based that drains perfectly for a golf course. Cooden as Smiffy says has almost peat like soil, as my divots can prove, and you could easily grow spuds there.
oo:
stevek1969
Money List Winner
Mine is exactly the same as last year its in cracking condition, they were even hand cutting the greens the other week.
One Planer
Global Moderator
Our course is massively better.
All the work they dis on extra drainage last year has paid massive dividends this year.
We're (As long as I've been a member) usually off fairway matts at the end of November, sometimes before. Yet this year, not matts and just preferred lies on the fairways.
Temp tees yes, full greens too apart from the ones being replaced.
All the work they dis on extra drainage last year has paid massive dividends this year.
We're (As long as I've been a member) usually off fairway matts at the end of November, sometimes before. Yet this year, not matts and just preferred lies on the fairways.
Temp tees yes, full greens too apart from the ones being replaced.
drewster
Tour Rookie
Our place is much better than this time last year in fact it's much better than 6 weeks ago !!! Played yesterday and the greens were first class. No casual water anywhere, some soft spots but in general it was excellent .
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Cooden is NOT a links course.
yeah you and dick keep saying- all I was asking was what is it? but if you're both going to act like a couple of schoolboys and just say "no it isn't" I'm out- Merry christmas
davidy233
Tour Rookie
Marshland is the description used by a few reviewers - not played there so can't add to that except that links courses don't have 'springy turf' as per Cooden's website course description.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
I'm not acting like a schoolboy! I tried to get my point across in my previous post by describing Cooden as best I could. Every year I hold a large society event there with an average of 25 players taking part. You could ask all 25 of them to describe the course and I don't think one of them would describe it as a links! Where's the problem?
upsidedown
Tour Winner
Played down at Kenilworth today and loads better than last year. They have also put mats( very good ones) in on every tee so was the longest I've played it as some are a lot further back than when we played KoK there.
