Course conditions compared to this time last year

[barb]

Hi everyone,
Hope you are all enjoying the mild spell and your golf.
Was out on the course with hubby today and commented on amazing the course looks considering the time of year.

This time last year the ball was picking up mud like it was going out of fashion, the fairways were were mud pools in places and we were on winter tees that squelched when standing on them.

I know we have had a lot of work done on the course and it is certainly paying off but I think the mild weather we have had is helping hughly too.

We still have lush grass on the fairways, hardly any mud being picked up, still on normal tees and the ground is firm under foot and we are still getting a bit of run on the ball.
we are very happy at the moment and gonna play again tomorrow 😀
How is everyone else's course playing or holding up?

 

[macca64]

Hi everyone,
Hope you are all enjoying the mild spell and your golf.
Was out on the course with hubby today and commented on amazing the course looks considering the time of year.

This time last year the ball was picking up mud like it was going out of fashion, the fairways were were mud pools in places and we were on winter tees that squelched when standing on them.

I know we have had a lot of work done on the course and it is certainly paying off but I think the mild weather we have had is helping hughly too.

We still have lush grass on the fairways, hardly any mud being picked up, still on normal tees and the ground is firm under foot and we are still getting a bit of run on the ball.
we are very happy at the moment and gonna play again tomorrow 😀
How is everyone else's course playing or holding up?

Wish I knew, haven't played for 6 weeks, having said that, drove past it and looks great the bits I could see.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

To be honest, we were struggling last year with the record rain fall and were often down to nine holes. At least we're fully open at the moment and the drainage works carried out has done wonders on the worse of the holes. For that alone I'd say we're very much ahead of last year

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Going back to RAGC tomorrow so I'll let you know. No idea what Blackmoor was like this time last year, but it's in good condition right now.

 

[delc]

Our course is far less wet than this time last year, when the water table was above ground in places after record rainfall. It doesn't matter how good the drainage is, if there is nowhere for the water to go! It has been relatively drier this year and our course is still generally in good nick, although their are are a few muddy patches in places.

 

[full_throttle]

much better than last year, first closure today due to the river rising above the banks. Still hoping to be open either Sat or Sun.

 

[Smiffy]

I can't personally comment on Cooden as I wasn't a member there this time last year, but I understand that it was closed for the best part of 3 months!
The state of the course at the moment is pretty bad. I last played there about three weeks ago, and the fairways were "ok"...greens very soft although they putted well. But anywhere off the fairway and you stood a good chance of losing the ball with the amount of standing water and mud everywhere.
I was up the practice ground on Wednesday and you have to drive up the length of the 18th to get there. The rough looked really bad, very squelchy and again, mud everywhere. The course was open (albeit on 2 temp greens) but looking around the place from the driving range it really shouldn't have been. The 15th (par 5) fairway had standing water almost the full length of it and I personally wouldn't have wanted to be out there. There is a trolley ban on at the moment, carry only. But I still personally think it shouldn't be open. Whether I would still think this if I was a full member paying the full membership fee is another matter.
The beauty of my "flexible" membership scheme is that my credits are just sitting in the bank waiting to be used up when the weather improves. If I was paying £80.00 a month on direct debit and watched £240.00 go down the drain not being able to play, I would be a bit peeved off. So I can understand when full paying members want the place open come what may.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Going back to RAGC tomorrow so I'll let you know. No idea what Blackmoor was like this time last year, but it's in good condition right now.

RAGC is definately better than last year, but then it did have an ocean's worth of rain dumped on it last year so it's hardly surprising

 

[patricks148]

this time last year was a lot dryer, lots of standing water on the course with quite a few bunkers filled with water

 

[Oddsocks]

Ours is a lot better, full 27 holes open with no temps, last year we were down to 14 holes, 13 closed

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

Seems to be a bit better this year as we have had a lot less rain so far.

 

[pendodave]

Ours is better at the moment, but a couple of weeks ago it was looking pretty much the same as last winter after a very wet period.

I get the feeling that we are about a week of heavy rain away from it being just as bad. The water table is high and the clay geology of north middx/south herts means that it takes a while to dry out.

We've done lots of work on drainage, and are doing a couple of areas this year, but once off the fairways and greens, the water has nowhere to go.

My memory of last year down here is that the heavy rain came after christmas. We'll see.....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

RAGC is definately better than last year, but then it did have an ocean's worth of rain dumped on it last year so it's hardly surprising

I would have thought Hawkeye would have been a tad more charitable. He rocks up for the first time since defecting to Blackmoor and takes second place money with a fantastic 38 points to say nothing of depriving me of that princely sum (£18). It is definitely a lot better and far drier than several courses one of my partners played this week which frankly shouldn't have been open and taking green fees so it isn't just Traditions (although these course were fully open and no temps)

 

[CMAC]

I can't personally comment on Cooden as I wasn't a member there this time last year, but I understand that it was closed for the best part of 3 months!
The state of the course at the moment is pretty bad. I last played there about three weeks ago, and the fairways were "ok"...greens very soft although they putted well. But anywhere off the fairway and you stood a good chance of losing the ball with the amount of standing water and mud everywhere.
I was up the practice ground on Wednesday and you have to drive up the length of the 18th to get there. The rough looked really bad, very squelchy and again, mud everywhere. The course was open (albeit on 2 temp greens) but looking around the place from the driving range it really shouldn't have been. The 15th (par 5) fairway had standing water almost the full length of it and I personally wouldn't have wanted to be out there. There is a trolley ban on at the moment, carry only. But I still personally think it shouldn't be open. Whether I would still think this if I was a full member paying the full membership fee is another matter.
The beauty of my "flexible" membership scheme is that my credits are just sitting in the bank waiting to be used up when the weather improves. If I was paying £80.00 a month on direct debit and watched £240.00 go down the drain not being able to play, I would be a bit peeved off. So I can understand when full paying members want the place open come what may.

this doesnt sound like a normal links course- I assume they have other issues that cause or compound any wet weather?

 

[Ads749r]

I would have thought Hawkeye would have been a tad more charitable. He rocks up for the first time since defecting to Blackmoor and takes second place money with a fantastic 38 points to say nothing of depriving me of that princely sum (£18). It is definitely a lot better and far drier than several courses one of my partners played this week which frankly shouldn't have been open and taking green fees so it isn't just Traditions (although these course were fully open and no temps)

38 points, did he go round twice course is looking good a tad squidgy in places but not where you should be playing golf from. Greens are still rolling good too. Someone told me that the fairways are still nice to play off too. Hopefully we all get a mild winter.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Most courses will be in better nick right now because the weather has been kinder so far

 

[HawkeyeMS]

38 points, did he go round twice course is looking good a tad squidgy in places but not where you should be playing golf from. Greens are still rolling good too. Someone told me that the fairways are still nice to play off too. Hopefully we all get a mild winter.

Is it wrong to mention I had double bogey blobs on 9 & 17 as well

P.S. it wasn't squidgy on the fairways, where did you play from? :ears:

 

[Revolt]

Play at kirkhill, course is virtually built on the valley on the side of glasgow... drains excellently, greens are still solid, fairways still firm underfoot..... winter programme has been all about course improvements rather than defending against the water as it drains so well..... in terms of condition compared to last year we had the greens sand banded and ironed around october and the grass was still growing in november so in fantastic condition..... should be in great condition come the late spring !

 

[richart]

this doesnt sound like a normal links course-

Probably because it is not a links course.

 

[Ads749r]

Is it wrong to mention I had double bogey blobs on 9 & 17 as well

P.S. it wasn't squidgy on the fairways, where did you play from? :ears:

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.