How is your course in the winter ?

TigerBear

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Question for people who’s home course really suffers in the winter. How bad does it get and does it make you travel to play better draining courses ?
My home course is lovely in the summer and would say it’s easily the best in the area but come winter it’s by far the worst ive seen never mind my area. I Was supposed to play this morning and 15mm of rain made it close. Starting to think about switching to a better draining course that I don’t like as much.
I find myself now travelling down to ayrshire most mornings to play links golf. Frustrating as I really enjoyed my local course the most but it’s unplayable mostly in winter :cry:

My course has been a bit wet and boggy with the bad weather but if it does close it's only temporary and it's back on by late morning / lunch time.

Out of interest what's your home course? 15mm of rain isn't that extreme, so your course must be constantly closing?
 

G1z1

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My course has been a bit wet and boggy with the bad weather but if it does close it's only temporary and it's back on by late morning / lunch time.

Out of interest what's your home course? 15mm of rain isn't that extreme, so your course must be constantly closing?
My local is East Renfrewshire and yes it really doesnt hold up well to rain at all. Thinking about trying a few other local course this winter and maybe switching clubs.
 

Imurg

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Proof that we've had a drop or two of rain..
Just had an email warning of potential trolley bans in the next few days.....
Not sure I can still be a member.....thought all this was behind me....:cry:;):LOL:
 

pauljames87

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I have been very impressed with ours so far this winter

The world they done on the drainage was paying off

Not been closed at all for the past month I believe

23rd December there were a few patches that were dodgy but the heavy mowers had been out .. week before it was beautiful ..

Shall see how it is Wednesday

Front 9 is better than back as back is newer so still got some teething issues (mainly land moving and affecting the sprinkler pipes causing leaks)

well it closed yesterday as it proper rained and it flooded (had been on and off flooding the week before with tees brought forward to take out of play the lake that had burst its banks

however that had all disappeared today and just a few bits of standing water here and there

tee boxes excellent, greens fast and true .. just some fairways puddles

had a nice 11 holes though before work
 

Bdill93

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Interesting question

Front 9 - poor drainage and is often closed following heavy downpours as the brook floods and bridges become uncrossable. They will however reopen as soon as the bridge is crossable again - does not keep the course protected but thats the owners decision. They seem to like the cash flow of an open golf course.

Back 9 - built totally different and purchased about 10 years ago when the council closed their muni on a 100 year lease. Drains so well, you can always play golf on this side of our course! Just a bit less picturesque and a bit dull.

They stop buggies but never make the course carry only. I do my bit and carry through winter though, as do many members who care about the course. I do understand the older gents still getting out their power-trollies though!
 

3offTheTee

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Posted something similar in random irritations. Our greens have been exceptional during the last 3 years’ and from December they intoduced a trolley ban. Carry OR Winter Wheels which some members’ have not abided to which is a disappointment in itself.

However whilst closed at times through poor weather we were on all greens today although preferred lies in the general area. Cumbria is wet and cold!!
 

Imurg

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Proof that we've had a drop or two of rain..
Just had an email warning of potential trolley bans in the next few days.....
Not sure I can still be a member.....thought all this was behind me....:cry:;):LOL:
Carry only again today...plus heavy frost, plus I'd only be playing 9 on my own....
Equals ....stay at home...
Sadly we're due rain later so it'll be carry only tomorrow. CVG can't carry so that'll be a solo...maybe, maybe not.
More rain Saturday, Fragger in Dock Sunday and it'll be carry only again....
Short week of golf....
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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Course has held up well despite weather and heavy use by membership. Generally dry or only superficially wet underfoot. A couple of areas where we think we have springs are a quite damp, and some areas subject to a lot of worm casts looking a bit messy where casts are trodden down, but placing means no golfing issue. In a few places concentrated foot and trolley traffic have created some messy and quite muddy tracks but these are away from normal areas of play. Haven’t (yet) had to go to temps.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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Interesting question

Front 9 - poor drainage and is often closed following heavy downpours as the brook floods and bridges become uncrossable. They will however reopen as soon as the bridge is crossable again - does not keep the course protected but thats the owners decision. They seem to like the cash flow of an open golf course.

Back 9 - built totally different and purchased about 10 years ago when the council closed their muni on a 100 year lease. Drains so well, you can always play golf on this side of our course! Just a bit less picturesque and a bit dull.

They stop buggies but never make the course carry only. I do my bit and carry through winter though, as do many members who care about the course. I do understand the older gents still getting out their power-trollies though!
Club I was member of in Bristol is on clay and got very, very wet and muddy - took ages to recover and some years damaged areas never really did.

One year I raised a motion at the AGM to ban trolleys in winter with medical exemption. Seniors received an informal 3 line whip to attend and defeat my motion, and over 200 members attended AGM when normally about 50-75. I knew it was never going to get through but wanted us to have an open debate - it was defeated 200+ to 6 given a compromise that thehead greenkeeper would be given executive power and it would be at his sole discretion to ban trolleys at any time - which of course he used…rather frequently. Job done ?
 

Golfnut1957

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4 degrees this morning and my course has decided to go on winter greens :mad:
We haven't had winter greens for years. When it was first disclosed that they were being done away with there were a few naysayers complaining that the end of the world was nigh, the greens would be ruined for the summer, or that it would be used as an excuse to close the course more frequently.

Nothing happened. The greens are no better nor worse than they were before. The course closes for saturated ground conditions or snow in the same way it always has. The big difference is we are not playing to holes cut into the fairway and for this I say, thank you greens committee.
 

C7usk

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Club I was member of in Bristol is on clay and got very, very wet and muddy - took ages to recover and some years damaged areas never really did.

One year I raised a motion at the AGM to ban trolleys in winter with medical exemption. Seniors received an informal 3 line whip to attend and defeat my motion, and over 200 members attended AGM when normally about 50-75. I knew it was never going to get through but wanted us to have an open debate - it was defeated 200+ to 6 given a compromise that thehead greenkeeper would be given executive power and it would be at his sole discretion to ban trolleys at any time - which of course he used…rather frequently. Job done ?
I would be pretty gutted if I was one of the members who felt strongly enough to attend the agm, to then find that the greenkeeper was going to ban trolleys anyway. I didn't even know 'carry only' was a thing until around 4years ago. I think it is an overused and unnecessary act to protect the course. If the greenstaff during wet weather periods would cordon off areas and change them daily along with winter tee areas being moved daily there wouldn't be heavily trafficked areas and grass would not be turned into mud pits.
I play regularly with another 4 mates and we are all nearly 50. Not one of us are fit enough (and haven't been for years) to carry golf clubs so we obviously get a bit miffed when the carry only rule comes out. Thankfully after members complaining this is now seldom in place.
 

phils226

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My course is open but there's a lot of damage you can see from buggies and trollies. Bizarrely they've now decided to ban buggies and electric trollies but allow pull trollies. I would have thought the damage is just as bad from pull trollies. Also what's happening is the vast majority are using pull trollies many whom have no need to at all.

I havent had time to watch the EG video on this yet but in terms of disabilities the relevant legislation is the 2010 Equality Act and the requirements around reasonableness. So I would suggest if a risk assessment is completed and evidenced to support the decision then there would not be an issue but this needs to be specific. For example dependant on the course topography a reduced number of holes may be able to be open to those wih disabilities to use buggies or trollies.
 

C7usk

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My course is open but there's a lot of damage you can see from buggies and trollies. Bizarrely they've now decided to ban buggies and electric trollies but allow pull trollies. I would have thought the damage is just as bad from pull trollies. Also what's happening is the vast majority are using pull trollies many whom have no need to at all.

I havent had time to watch the EG video on this yet but in terms of disabilities the relevant legislation is the 2010 Equality Act and the requirements around reasonableness. So I would suggest if a risk assessment is completed and evidenced to support the decision then there would not be an issue but this needs to be specific. For example dependant on the course topography a reduced number of holes may be able to be open to those wih disabilities to use buggies or trollies.
Some good stuff in there philis. Electric trolleys can cause more damage as they are heavier, but mostly due to spinning wheels on heavily trafficked, muddy areas or on steeper slopes when frost is on the course. I do get it for banning buggys though as if we are out early after the greenkeeper inspection you can clearly see where they have drove to change pins / move tee mats / changed roped off route guide areas or check the course condition. We do try to allow single riders where poss. Last year we had 2 holes that had excessive amounts of ice on them as the low sun wasn't reaching the fairway due to trees ( which have now thankfully been chopped) and we just played 16 holes... This was so much better than just closing the course and gave us Hardy souls a chance to play.
 

rksquire

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Shortened, wet, mats for teeing areas, a lot of leaves and a lot of plugged lies. But all 18 are open and bar the odd frustratingly lost ball on fairways most rounds have been quite enjoyable.
 
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