Midnight
Journeyman Pro
Bit of both for me, the dry fairways have given me more distance, but because I hit the ball so high the unpredictable bounce is killing me.
Has the recent dry weather and firm conditions made golf easier... or harder
- Thread starter MikeH
- Start date
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
This for me harder.
my course is not to hilly but around the greens there are severe slopes.
I missed the 7th green today by a foot and ended up 40 yds away.
Theres to much luck involved at the moment, laying up to run the ball through the bunkers is a disaster waiting to happen.
16th has a bunker in front of the green and oob behind we don’t have a shot , it is not designed for this weather.
I am sure some guys are loving it so enjoy while you can.
Junior
Tour Winner
Easier. CSS in our competitions hasn’t wavered from 71 this year, but last year it went up often.
D
Deleted member 1147
Guest
Definitely harder for me!
Bounce is hard to control, clubbing is tricky, fairways are effectively narrowed and bunkers more tricky as the sand thins out and becomes less consistent.
But I imagine straight hitting, shorter players are loving it.
I don’t need the extra yardage that they benefit from!
Bounce is hard to control, clubbing is tricky, fairways are effectively narrowed and bunkers more tricky as the sand thins out and becomes less consistent.
But I imagine straight hitting, shorter players are loving it.
I don’t need the extra yardage that they benefit from!
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
It's been a ball ache, a real ball ache. Yup been getting some real distance off the tee. But if you cannot hit the greens the balls are bouncing left right and centre. played today's and it just seemed that if you did not get the luck of the bounce you were screwed.
Roops
Head Pro
Easier overall, but I think a lot depends on the course. Home course defo easier.
Thorpeness was bone dry and I played better there than I ever had before. It's a heathland course, fairways were bone dry but greens receptive, so you could take less club off the tee, be in the same spot as you would with the driver and have a chance to hold the ball on the green.
Westerham is parkland, with a number of cambered fairways, that was a 'mare in places. You had to hit some really weird shots to try and stay on the fairway, or take very adventurous lines to clear trees to stay in play, challenging.
Thorpeness was bone dry and I played better there than I ever had before. It's a heathland course, fairways were bone dry but greens receptive, so you could take less club off the tee, be in the same spot as you would with the driver and have a chance to hold the ball on the green.
Westerham is parkland, with a number of cambered fairways, that was a 'mare in places. You had to hit some really weird shots to try and stay on the fairway, or take very adventurous lines to clear trees to stay in play, challenging.
Easier for the shorter and more accurate hitters as they are able to hit more greens in regulation due to the extra roll out they're experiencing currently, and with plenty of shots to boot, they are coming in with silly low scores.
The big boys are having to adjust or they run out of fairway or get doglegs totally wrong and carry/bounce/run too far into the straw! As such they're playing to the same distances making the allowances so their game isn't changing that much.
Players with a good short game mainly on parkland courses and who usually use a sand wedge into the greens are having to adopt due to the hard, tight lies, get those bump & runs wrong or still try to use a wedge with too much of a bounce like a SW and I'm watching loads knife those shots right across the green and back off again!
Players who can't adjust will find it tougher as hazards come into play that usually don't as they still reach for the big dog, and those that can adjust will find it easier.
The big boys are having to adjust or they run out of fairway or get doglegs totally wrong and carry/bounce/run too far into the straw! As such they're playing to the same distances making the allowances so their game isn't changing that much.
Players with a good short game mainly on parkland courses and who usually use a sand wedge into the greens are having to adopt due to the hard, tight lies, get those bump & runs wrong or still try to use a wedge with too much of a bounce like a SW and I'm watching loads knife those shots right across the green and back off again!
Players who can't adjust will find it tougher as hazards come into play that usually don't as they still reach for the big dog, and those that can adjust will find it easier.
SatchFan
Q-School Graduate
Nice to have an extra 30 yards on drives as long as it stays on the fairway. My course is very hilly so a slightly wayward one can end up in mystery land. I found my scoring got slightly worse until I discovered the lost art of the pitch and run. Overall, I've quite enjoyed the challenge of playing in these extreme conditions.
D
Deleted member 16999
Guest
I believe it’s been easier for all levels at home courses once the player has adjusted to the conditions.
Bad bounces happen for everyone.
Green keepers all over the country should be praised for keeping their course in excellent condition in some very trying circumstances, a lot of guys and girls have put in a lot of extra hours maintaining their course.
Bad bounces happen for everyone.
Green keepers all over the country should be praised for keeping their course in excellent condition in some very trying circumstances, a lot of guys and girls have put in a lot of extra hours maintaining their course.
User2021
Challenge Tour Pro
I voted harder.
Greens are well watered, so nice and receptive.
The drier fairways have no doubt contributed to extra distance.
But the drier fairways have led to some crazy bounces and couple that with extra distance, its making club selection and target areas more of an unknown.
You could hit what is a perfect shot, get a bad / unusual bounce and end up in trouble.
Higher scores in club competitions reflects this.
Greens are well watered, so nice and receptive.
The drier fairways have no doubt contributed to extra distance.
But the drier fairways have led to some crazy bounces and couple that with extra distance, its making club selection and target areas more of an unknown.
You could hit what is a perfect shot, get a bad / unusual bounce and end up in trouble.
Higher scores in club competitions reflects this.
Canfordhacker
Q-School Graduate
I voted easier but it needs adapting too. I find I'm hitting my 3 and 5 wood, which I'm more consistent with, good enough distances to reach greens. If I stick with driver I only have to be a short amount off line such that the extra distance means I'm in the rough, so not much benefit there except for wide open fairways.
Also the rough is dry, not lush, so balls are findable and hittable.
Also the rough is dry, not lush, so balls are findable and hittable.
nowtfancy
Assistant Pro
pros & cons, lots of distance & easier semi rough/ rough, but bizarre bounces and despite watering some difficult greens to hold.
Scores say easier tho !!
Scores say easier tho !!
AmandaJR
Money List Winner
Medal round tomorrow and wondering just how much difference a couple of days rain will make. Interesting challenge!
r0wly86
Head Pro
I've said no difference.
Not that the course is playing the same just that the dry conditions make certain things easier and others harder, So the course plays different but offer new challenges.
The ball is running a hell of a lot, yesterday with a 1 club following wind I hit the greenside bunker on 2, 365 yards. So that would suggest easier.
But on 4, par 5 hit another good drive that just kept running and running off of the fairway behind a tree. Just not used to that kind of run.
Also the fairways are bare, so chipping and short pitch shorts are harder as it's playing off of concrete, so anything but perfect strike will be thinned through the green.
Bounces can be crazy, because it's baked like concrete. Played Churston last week, played a 9 iron to the front of the green to roll it on, bounced 30 feet in the air flying over the green into the trees behind, lost ball from a good shot.
Greens are quicker so depends on how good you are with quicker speeds.
New challenges which I am enjoying but can't say it's necessarily easier. The best conditions are hot and dry but not as much as this where the fairways have some green on them so iron shots are easier but you are still getting the roll
Not that the course is playing the same just that the dry conditions make certain things easier and others harder, So the course plays different but offer new challenges.
The ball is running a hell of a lot, yesterday with a 1 club following wind I hit the greenside bunker on 2, 365 yards. So that would suggest easier.
But on 4, par 5 hit another good drive that just kept running and running off of the fairway behind a tree. Just not used to that kind of run.
Also the fairways are bare, so chipping and short pitch shorts are harder as it's playing off of concrete, so anything but perfect strike will be thinned through the green.
Bounces can be crazy, because it's baked like concrete. Played Churston last week, played a 9 iron to the front of the green to roll it on, bounced 30 feet in the air flying over the green into the trees behind, lost ball from a good shot.
Greens are quicker so depends on how good you are with quicker speeds.
New challenges which I am enjoying but can't say it's necessarily easier. The best conditions are hot and dry but not as much as this where the fairways have some green on them so iron shots are easier but you are still getting the roll
Dasit
Tour Rookie
Harder
Can easily hit a good tee shot get a bad bounce and be out of bounds now
Also hard to keep a ball on a green from outside 100 yards constantly hitting good shots and getting punished for them
Benefits have been the rough is v easy to hit out of, which has been nice. Extra run on the fairways.
Can easily hit a good tee shot get a bad bounce and be out of bounds now
Also hard to keep a ball on a green from outside 100 yards constantly hitting good shots and getting punished for them
Benefits have been the rough is v easy to hit out of, which has been nice. Extra run on the fairways.
