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How are your greens?

one thing that has always intrigued me.

'normal' members club courses seem to go onto winter greens regularly, almost set them by the calendar regardless of weather, then they work hard and get decent greens in summer....hopefully.

The resort courses never go on winter greens (the ones I know anyway), if its frost its closed, apart from that fire into them, walk all over them all winter..............come summer they have greens like immaculate carpets.

Money? expertise? more staff? better understanding of agronomy?
 
A bit bumpy, we've got good coverage so as soon as the greenkeeper can get on them properly all will be well with the world, we've got "greens renovations week" in just under a month, so that means they'll be terrible for one weekend then should be getting up to pace.

HGK put on the website last year in the height of Summer that our greens run at around 9.5 on the stimp and they're terrifying, I think they'd be unplayable at 13 and that they have to be restricted to around 9-10 because of the slopes!
 
Foxholer said:
Wow. Difficult to believe! Anyone who can have greens running that fast at this time of year and not have problems with disease (or death) is a genius! Best I know - at some pretty serious courses- are little more than 10.

Nothing wrong with the greens at The Shire on Saturday. Certainly look healthy. A little uneven growth by the end of the round as it's still a but cold for the bent-grass, but good to see growth!
Click to expand...

Ours is a better winter course than a summer course, as any moisture is lapped up. Lack of moisture in the summer turns the place rock hard.

Our greens have been very very good. I have a couple of videos where gravity is really doing it's thing with the ball and moving it! If I could figure out how to upload them without having to use YouTube or something, I'll upload them here. With the exception of 2 greens, there isn't a huge amount of movement on putts, very subtle breaks, but nothing too dramatic, so the speed isn't too much of an issue. It's nice to be able to stroke a ball and have confidence in it.

Visitor fees are also only £15 (£7.50 with a member!) which undersells the place somewhat!
 
CMAC said:
one thing that has always intrigued me.

'normal' members club courses seem to go onto winter greens regularly, almost set them by the calendar regardless of weather, then they work hard and get decent greens in summer....hopefully.

The resort courses never go on winter greens (the ones I know anyway), if its frost its closed, apart from that fire into them, walk all over them all winter..............come summer they have greens like immaculate carpets.

Money? expertise? more staff? better understanding of agronomy?
Click to expand...

There is considerable debate about whether frost is ok to play on or not. I know of 2 top places that use 'frost pins' at the front of greens when it's deemed that the frost is not 'deep' enough to mean that balls landing on greens would crush roots, killing the grass.

As far as Resort courses go, I believe most keep their greens a little longer than 'normal' clubs anyway, so don't generally have the wide difference between Winter and Club Champ type conditions. One old (resort style) club used to be happy to have them running about 8.5-9 any time, with only a couple of severe slopes. Another, private, used to have them 9.5-10-ish for most of the Summer, but 11+ for Club Champs - something that used to nark me - not for the speed, just for the 'why?'! As most of the greens were in the open, 11+ was not sustainable for more than a week or so.
 
Ok...here are some videos...

15th Green
[video=vimeo;88748969]http://vimeo.com/88748969[/video]
 
5th Green
[video=vimeo;88748968]http://vimeo.com/88748968[/video]

I am sure if there was enough interest in a forum meet, we could sort something...
 
Foxholer said:
There is considerable debate about whether frost is ok to play on or not. I know of 2 top places that use 'frost pins' at the front of greens when it's deemed that the frost is not 'deep' enough to mean that balls landing on greens would crush roots, killing the grass.

As far as Resort courses go, I believe most keep their greens a little longer than 'normal' clubs anyway, so don't generally have the wide difference between Winter and Club Champ type conditions. One old (resort style) club used to be happy to have them running about 8.5-9 any time, with only a couple of severe slopes. Another, private, used to have them 9.5-10-ish for most of the Summer, but 11+ for Club Champs - something that used to nark me - not for the speed, just for the 'why?'! As most of the greens were in the open, 11+ was not sustainable for more than a week or so.
Click to expand...

not my last club (resort), the Americans, and us, wouldn't have stood for it. By the end of May we had stunning fast greens (apart from the really bad wet summer a few years ago)
 
HawkeyeMS said:
I wouldn't want to be putting downhill on those, not because of the speed but because they don't look very true.
Click to expand...

One of those videos was a few weeks ago. The greens are far truer now, especially when they have a bit more pace behind the ball
 
Our greens are slowing getting back to how they should be for this time of the year, the green staff have done a great job on them, although 1 is still not back in play due to drainage work, but they are rolling well and hopefully will be top dressed later this month!
 
CMAC said:
not my last club (resort), the Americans, and us, wouldn't have stood for it. By the end of May we had stunning fast greens (apart from the really bad wet summer a few years ago)
Click to expand...

I think Members clubs would be complaining if they weren't in pretty top shape by end of March/early April. So that period of 'superb' condition is only the 3 months or so of the Resort 'season'?

I do think though that some clubs tend to protect their greens a little too much in Winter. Not actually qualified to say they do, as you've already mentioned, those that have a reasonably 'loose' approach don't seem to suffer for it.
 
Foxholer said:
That was the pretty much 'traditional' time to tine them - considered the least disruptive to members as they all packed golf in for Winter. Nowadays, early September is considered appropriate as the greens recover much much quicker and allow Winter golf to be more 'proper golf' for the far greater numbers who play.

One thing guaranteed whenever it's done - there will be complaints!
Click to expand...
We do ours early September, and usually that is fine. Last year though the greens struggled to recover, which is why they are so much better now than the end of last year.
 
Foxholer said:
I think Members clubs would be complaining if they weren't in pretty top shape by end of March/early April. So that period of 'superb' condition is only the 3 months or so of the Resort 'season'?

I do think though that some clubs tend to protect their greens a little too much in Winter. Not actually qualified to say they do, as you've already mentioned, those that have a reasonably 'loose' approach don't seem to suffer for it.
Click to expand...

sorry, typo, meant end March- they seem to go from just 'not bad' end March to 'fantastic' within a week...........some greenkeeper magic, plus its the RC this year so they have pulled out all the stops on all the courses
 
HawkeyeMS said:
That's good :D I still think 13 is too quick for club golf though.
Click to expand...

yep

mind you I've never seen any at 13 in the UK :mmm:, but we have sections (long slopes) on a few that equate to that (or more obviously).

at that speed pin positions are absolutely critical too, unless all the greens are flat :whoo:
 
I played at the RAC Club last Thursday and their greens were absolutely superb. Fast and true and in beautiful condition. 12 of us played and we were all amazed at how good they were. They have a geographical advantage by virtue of the course being built on the chalk of the North Downs but even so, they were very good given the weather we have had.

By the way, the RAC Club is a terrific place for a day out. The course is quite short but very good and the lunch in the main restaurant was 10 out of 10. Very good house wines too.
 
Our greens are just too soft at present and the ball is struggling to run smoothly hopefully be able to address this shortly and roll them.
 
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