Greenkeepers and temp greens

[drawboy]

I played my last round at my old club last Sunday, the winter league 1/4 finals,lost unfortunately but hey! there is always next year. Losing didn't bother me, 17 temp greens did though. I couldn't help thinking lazy effing greenkeeper. There was no frost, it hadn't rained much and I could see no reason why on earth he hadn't put the greens on. If you are unlucky enough to see a full course of temps do you think "oh good he's saving them for the summer or like me do you think "You lazy so and so get some greenkeeping done it's what you get paid for?"

 

[Parmo]

Last Sunday the courses where sodden, we played our greens but when you stepped on the greens water appeared.

No I think he is on a crap wage, has to put up with wannabe Tiger woods golfers all day and not get rewarded for doing a good job.

 

[pokerjoke]

I.M.O 17 Holes on temps is extreme if its that bad the course should be shut,however if they are trying to protect greens why not do 6 at a time and alternate every 3 days.Our course has been open constantly and hardly any temps however they are now very poor.The trouble has been the frost when a ball has landed it has made an indentation but the ground is too hard to repair the divots.I understand it is impossible to please everyone but maybe a happy medium would be better.

 

[Sneds]

Communication is the problem I think. x

 

[USER1999]

My course is very over protective of the greens. I would rather they just closed it.

 

[vig]

We have frost greens that are used when there is a..... frost

greeno's omly keep us on them if the ground is still hard.
Had 6 on today

Thing is, if there is a comp on and the early starters are on the temps, they won't change mid comp as that would give some an advantage.

i'd rather play temps when necessary than have crap greens in the spring

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We were on full greens all the way last weekend and to be honest they were in good nick. We are usually only on temps for frost or snow. The one thing the club started doing last year which I liked was taking two greens out of action Monday-Friday and letting them rest in rotation.

 

[Imurg]

Normal greens and only real protection to the course is a few roped off areas and mats to tee off the on the par 3's.
Drying out nicely.

 

[Leftie]

17 temp greens did though. I couldn't help thinking lazy effing greenkeeper. There was no frost, it hadn't rained much and I could see no reason why on earth he hadn't put the greens on. If you are unlucky enough to see a full course of temps do you think "oh good he's saving them for the summer or like me do you think "You lazy so and so get some greenkeeping done it's what you get paid for?"

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

What makes you think that they are being lazy by not putting the flag in a hole on the main green. Not only do they have to prepare the temp green for you but still make sure that any work required to the main green still has to be done.

I have nothing but admiration and respect for our greenkeeping staff. Even when conditions are so bad that both the courses are closed for play, they still turn up for work at the crack of dawn and earlier and, if they can't carry out work on fairways or greens, are put to work on other tasks around the courses.

Instead of sitting on your high horse and pontificating, perhaps if you spent a little time chatting to the lads who are employed to make your leisure time on the course as rewarding as they can, then you might actually come to understand what they are trying to do for you.

My mates and I are not too stuck up our own backsides to chat with the green keeping staff, and their main moan is about being slagged off by the members who have absolutely no idea about what they are trying to do for them.

 

[Sneds]

17 temp greens did though. I couldn't help thinking lazy effing greenkeeper. There was no frost, it hadn't rained much and I could see no reason why on earth he hadn't put the greens on. If you are unlucky enough to see a full course of temps do you think "oh good he's saving them for the summer or like me do you think "You lazy so and so get some greenkeeping done it's what you get paid for?"

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

What makes you think that they are being lazy by not putting the flag in a hole on the main green. Not only do they have to prepare the temp green for you but still make sure that any work required to the main green still has to be done.

I have nothing but admiration and respect for our greenkeeping staff. Even when conditions are so bad that both the courses are closed for play, they still turn up for work at the crack of dawn and earlier and, if they can't carry out work on fairways or greens, are put to work on other tasks around the courses.

Instead of sitting on your high horse and pontificating, perhaps if you spent a little time chatting to the lads who are employed to make your leisure time on the course as rewarding as they can, then you might actually come to understand what they are trying to do for you.

My mates and I are not too stuck up our own backsides to chat with the green keeping staff, and their main moan is about being slagged off by the members who have absolutely no idea about what they are trying to do for the them.

This is pretty much what I had in my head, but I couldn't find a way of eloquently saying it, hence me saying I thought that communication was an issue.

Surely the greenkeepers will have some justification for being on temps and without talking to them, it's not really fair to criticise them without knowledge of their intentions x

 

[backwoodsman]

Well said Leftie.

We've been on 17 temps since the first snow. With all the wet, the greens are getting soft - playable yes, but soft enough for great lumbering feet to leave innumerable depressions. We all love our slick but true greens - but they'd not stay like that for long if us heffalumps kept plodding across them. (Fortunately our temps are quite good and the greens were starting to dry nicely - until today. Humbug)

 

[CliveW]

Perhaps the greenkeepers should go and visit Drawboy at his home and see how good his lawn is at this time of the year. I'm sure from his post, he must be an expert on grass maintenance so he will be able to show them how it is done and where they are going wrong. Perhaps 5 am would be a good time.

 

[drawboy]

I fully understand the position the greens staff are in, it has been a bad winter.I just think that a few more greens in play wouldn't have caused too much damage for the day. I do not know how much time is put into the temps at your tracks but at mine there is a white line around a piece of fairway that can only be described as the equivalent to the Somme. I played with the head green keeper and actually beat him and his partner 2 weeks previous. On the first tee his partner asked him how many greens were temp. His reply. As many as I could f***ing get. Sorry if I upset anyone but that kinda summed up his mind set for me.

 

[jammydodger]

Its hardly the greenstaffs fault that its snowed/rained/frosty every day for the past 6 weeks.

Come on mate have a little patience/understanding , a friendly "hello hows it going ?" and "thanks for all your hard work this year" wouldnt go amiss every now and again. You give golfers a bad reputation

 

[drawboy]

I'll consider my hand well and truly slapped for being a moaner!!!

 

[USER1999]

I have a few issues with this.

At the course I used to be a member of, they don't have temps. It is a 120 year old swamp. The greens are on 365 per year, the course never closes, despite being a swamp. When it freezes, it is a frozen swamp. Their greens are awesome. Among the best I have ever played on. For 10 months of the year.

At my track, we are on temps if the sun isn't shining, if it is shining, if it was frosty yesterday, if it rained a week ago. In summer, our greens are very good, but never fast, as the green staff wet themselves about losing them. My old track, scary fasat, all flippin year. Similar age, similar construction.

The other day, 18 temps due to frost. Play 18, fine. Get back to the club house, find guys on the practice putting green. Query this with a comittee member. How come if we are on temps, you can putt on the practice green. But it is only a practice facility so it doesn't matter if it gets damaged. Fine. How come it never gets damaged then? If walking on the main greens will damage them, why doesn't it damage the practice green? It doesn't.

All the research on greens and frost/ice is done in the states, on sand based greens. Ours are aren't sand based. It is junk.

This is based on 25 years of golf. 15 of which was on a 120 year old course, with the best greens I have ever played on, which were open 365 days a year.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have to wholeheartedly support Leftie. Our greenstaff have done a great job on clearing out the ditches to allow all this excess water to run off more freely, thin out some of the rubbish behind the greens and generally go around and spring (winter) clean the course up.

 

[ant2611]

17 temp greens did though. I couldn't help thinking lazy effing greenkeeper. There was no frost, it hadn't rained much and I could see no reason why on earth he hadn't put the greens on. If you are unlucky enough to see a full course of temps do you think "oh good he's saving them for the summer or like me do you think "You lazy so and so get some greenkeeping done it's what you get paid for?"

What makes you think that they are being lazy by not putting the flag in a hole on the main green. Not only do they have to prepare the temp green for you but still make sure that any work required to the main green still has to be done.

I have nothing but admiration and respect for our greenkeeping staff. Even when conditions are so bad that both the courses are closed for play, they still turn up for work at the crack of dawn and earlier and, if they can't carry out work on fairways or greens, are put to work on other tasks around the courses.

Instead of sitting on your high horse and pontificating, perhaps if you spent a little time chatting to the lads who are employed to make your leisure time on the course as rewarding as they can, then you might actually come to understand what they are trying to do for you.

My mates and I are not too stuck up our own backsides to chat with the green keeping staff, and their main moan is about being slagged off by the members who have absolutely no idea about what they are trying to do for the them.

This is pretty much what I had in my head, but I couldn't find a way of eloquently saying it, hence me saying I thought that communication was an issue.

Surely the greenkeepers will have some justification for being on temps and without talking to them, it's not really fair to criticise them without knowledge of their intentions x

well said

 

[Sailor]

There is a lot said about the necessity to use temporary greens when frost is around. As one poster has already said have a look at the practice putting green. It shows little, if any, sign of damage.

If a frosty green is walked upon then the leaves of the plant (grass) may well be broken with little permanent damage to the whole. You can observe the damage caused with a trail of footmarks when this occurs. But this disappears very quickly.

However there is a chance of real damage to the grass plant when a heavy frost has been present for some days and an increase in temperature starts to thaw the top area. With a hard frosty ground below the surface and a thawed top surface then there is the possibility of foot pressure tearing the upper plant from its roots. During this period of time then the use of temporary greens is fully justified.

 

[Leftie]

If a frosty green is walked upon then the leaves of the plant (grass) may well be broken with little permanent damage to the whole. You can observe the damage caused with a trail of footmarks when this occurs. But this disappears very quickly.

However there is a chance of real damage to the grass plant when a heavy frost has been present for some days and an increase in temperature starts to thaw the top area. With a hard frosty ground below the surface and a thawed top surface then there is the possibility of foot pressure tearing the upper plant from its roots. During this period of time then the use of temporary greens is fully justified.

Exactly.

A bit remiss of me not to have welcomed you to the Froum before.

Hello Sailor