Hypothetical Golf Club

[asf72]

Cheers, I am a bit of an Adams tart but like you said very under rated, my current MB2's has Kbs C-Taper shafts in and boy do they fly but the heads rust like buggery, first clubs I have to clean with a scouring pad..lol...that's raw finish for ya.

 

[In_The_Rough]

Cheers, I am a bit of an Adams tart but like you said very under rated, my current MB2's has Kbs C-Taper shafts in and boy do they fly but the heads rust like buggery, first clubs I have to clean with a scouring pad..lol...that's raw finish for ya.

I have to make sure my Mizuno's are carefully looked after with them being forged they are more prone to rusting. Where did you get kitted out for your stuff was it Sheffield Pro Golf?

 

[asf72]

I have to make sure my Mizuno's are carefully looked after with them being forged they are more prone to rusting. Where did you get kitted out for your stuff was it Sheffield Pro Golf?

No mate, I have friends in the business who sort a few bits out for me like the loft/lie sort of things but usually do most of the work myself, I know all my stats and mess about with clubs all the time, I source most of my gear off EBay as no one really stocks Adams gear and I don't really like the new stuff, wouldn't mind a blast with the new XTD Ti driver though.

 

[In_The_Rough]

No mate, I have friends in the business who sort a few bits out for me like the loft/lie sort of things but usually do most of the work myself, I know all my stats and mess about with clubs all the time, I source most of my gear off EBay as no one really stocks Adams gear and I don't really like the new stuff, wouldn't mind a blast with the new XTD Ti driver though.

Just wondered as Adams is not really that well represented here. Would definitely be a brand I would look at should I swap clubs

 

[asf72]

Just wondered as Adams is not really that well represented here. Would definitely be a brand I would look at should I swap clubs

yes, you should defiantly.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I know it happens at a few. Our green keepers apparently cut the greens every day in the summer but I can't say for sure this is true. Very often, the pins will be in the same place all weekend. I have seen more activity at weekends with the current course manager than the last one who was a tad lazy. The course is generally reviewed during the day if it is closed first thing and likely to thaw\drain in a couple of hours.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

If you have a greenkeeper who can cut greens and change holes in a couple of hours he must be superman so hold on to him at all costs.
Or.......perhaps you have a 6 hole golf course.

 

[Twire]

Be interested to hear the thoughts if you were a member of this hypothetical golf club.

HGC is a well established members club

The greenkeepers do not work weekends - one of them comes in for a couple of hours to (sometimes) cut the greens and, on comps days move the pins. They get paid overtime rate for this!!!

The course is very, very quick draining.

If the greenkeeper classes the course unfit @ 8am, it remains so until the following morning regardless of whether it becomes playable an hour later.

Is this standard practice at other courses? As it has totally baffled me

That's madness. Apart from the lost revenue, it looks like they could loose membership as well through this lazy HGK

Depending on weather conditions, ours gets reviewed a couple of times during the day. If you ring our pro shop, they will tell you what time the review is.

 

[Imurg]

That's madness. Apart from the lost revenue, it looks like they could loose membership as well through this lazy HGK

Depending on weather conditions, ours gets reviewed a couple of times during the day. If you ring our pro shop, they will tell you what time the review is.

That's the sensible route.
OK, sometimes it's obviously not going to improve but often it does and to just declare Temps first thing and leave it in place regardless is astonishing...

Yesterday w only had the back 9 open...
Some holes run through the same areas as the front 9.
The back 9 was perfectly playable so it's not clear why the front was shut...lots of people out trying to go round a 9 hole course led to some long waits...
Was it necessary? Nobody seemed to know.
Bizarre

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If our is shut it does get reviewed throughout the day. My biggest bugbear is the flags not getting moved regularly. They tend to get moved lated Friday PM ready for the weekend and can still be in the same place the following Tuesday or Wednesday which can't do that part of the green any favours.

The course manager we have now is a lot more pro-active than the last one, with the exception of moving the flags. I am much happier with the condition of the greens and the course presentation. The greens were in a poor state and I was looking at moving because of it but the new guy has come in and done a good job in getting them back as part of a longer three year programme.

 

[the smiling assassin]

If you have a greenkeeper who can cut greens and change holes in a couple of hours he must be superman so hold on to him at all costs.
Or.......perhaps you have a 6 hole golf course.

having done a bit of labouring in the past, 2 of us used to come in each weekend day, one to cut greens (apx. 2.5-3hrs) and one to rake bunkers (apx 2-2.5hrs depending on how wet they were). changing pins used to take around an hour scooting round seperately, and these were always done on a tuesday (prior to weekly wednesday medal), and last thing on a friday. if there were 2 competitions at the weekend, then they'd usually change over on saturday evening - if not, not

 

[Robobum]

having done a bit of labouring in the past, 2 of us used to come in each weekend day, one to cut greens (apx. 2.5-3hrs) and one to rake bunkers (apx 2-2.5hrs depending on how wet they were). changing pins used to take around an hour scooting round seperately, and these were always done on a tuesday (prior to weekly wednesday medal), and last thing on a friday. if there were 2 competitions at the weekend, then they'd usually change over on saturday evening - if not, not

HGC has tiny greens and the bunkers do not get tended to at weekends!!

 

[Deleted member 17920]

The issue is at HGC that the budget isn't there for anything to happen at a weekend and no procedures are put in place for the course re opening if closed and for the greens to be put back on main greens if the greenkeeper selects the temps 1st thing in the morning.

Having worked at a few clubs over the years as a greenkeeper the issue wont go away unless the course manager/head greenkeeper changes the way the department is operated at the weekend. I did work at a members owned course for 6 months and they had a very similar policy to HGC and because they didn't have any visitors at weekends so they didn't care one bit. Also I would say its about personal pride for any head greenkeeper, If they cared they would actually wait around or give some instruction to his own staff to hang around or for one to come back at 10am and check the course.

Our Saturday & Sunday morning consisted off arriving at 6.30 am in the winter months walking round giving the bunkers a quick rake if they hadn't got water in them, No holes to be cut or moved as that was done Friday. That's about it. Took around an hour. No need for greens to be cut at weekends as the growing season had ended.

The Summer months are obviously different but that's not the issue here as its about course closures during the winter.

 

[cookelad]

Sounds a lot like my old place, greens and holes cut Thursday afternoon before the seniors play their "big" comps on Fridays, so by the time we working folk arrived on a Saturday morning there had been a day and a half's worth of traffic and growth, and if they didn't feel like moving the holes they'd just get left for a couple of weeks!

I used to post pictures on Facebook of the Portal greenstaff working Sunday mornings when I "worked" in the hotel there in the hope that the "Greenkeeper" (read grass cutter) would take the hint!

 

[Foxholer]

To be fair to Greenkeepers....

I'd be happy with more closures (of both Greens and Course) if

a) They reviewed the condition when/if improvement likely/possible.
b) They justified closure by assuring that prime season condition would suffer if they were open. Remember that growth is only marginal at this time of year, so damage can take a long time to recover.

There's a balance too:
Golfers are generally extremely selfish and short-sighted when it comes to course condition - if it's marginally possible to play, they/we want to, and on proper greens.
Green-keepers are generally protective of Greens - if it's possible to damage them, then they'll be protected and much better to upset a few fools trying to hack it around in Winter than the vast majority who demand perfect surfaces in Summer!

 

[Robobum]

The issue is at HGC that the budget isn't there for anything to happen at a weekend and no procedures are put in place for the course re opening if closed and for the greens to be put back on main greens if the greenkeeper selects the temps 1st thing in the morning.

Having worked at a few clubs over the years as a greenkeeper the issue wont go away unless the course manager/head greenkeeper changes the way the department is operated at the weekend. I did work at a members owned course for 6 months and they had a very similar policy to HGC and because they didn't have any visitors at weekends so they didn't care one bit. Also I would say its about personal pride for any head greenkeeper, If they cared they would actually wait around or give some instruction to his own staff to hang around or for one to come back at 10am and check the course.

Our Saturday & Sunday morning consisted off arriving at 6.30 am in the winter months walking round giving the bunkers a quick rake if they hadn't got water in them, No holes to be cut or moved as that was done Friday. That's about it. Took around an hour. No need for greens to be cut at weekends as the growing season had ended.

The Summer months are obviously different but that's not the issue here as its about course closures during the winter.

That's pretty much spot on there!

I find it hard to get my head round green staff not being rota'd to work weekends as part of their job. The courses busiest time is when it is least tended to!

Anyhow, I've put some questions to the mgr and offered some help to promote club etc

We shall see

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

To be fair to Greenkeepers....

I'd be happy with more closures (of both Greens and Course) if

a) They reviewed the condition when/if improvement likely/possible.
b) They justified closure by assuring that prime season condition would suffer if they were open. Remember that growth is only marginal at this time of year, so damage can take a long time to recover.

There's a balance too:
Golfers are generally extremely selfish and short-sighted when it comes to course condition - if it's marginally possible to play, they/we want to, and on proper greens.
Green-keepers are generally protective of Greens - if it's possible to damage them, then they'll be protected and much better to upset a few fools trying to hack it around in Winter than the vast majority who demand perfect surfaces in Summer!

I would go with this. If the committee feel that the course is being closed too readily (by the Head Greenkeeper - following I assume guidance provided by the greens committee) they change their guidance, or if loss of income due to closure becomes an issue then the greens committee also then changes their guidance to the head greenkeeper.

So I am happy to leave it to the greens committee and Head Greenkeeper to make decisions based upon the facts and understanding of the course and impact of closure on club that only they actually have. In truth I am not that bothered at all about whether member X thinks that course could have been open or if member Y thinks club income is being hit significantly.

That said we are perhaps fortunate that our head assistant and soon to be Head Greenkeeper lives in a club property beside the clubhouse - so is on hand to review course condition as it might change during the day.

 

[SocketRocket]

At my Club the Head Pro and a member of the Greens Committee tend to recheck the course at intervals and open it if deemed playable.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

At my Club the Head Pro and a member of the Greens Committee tend to recheck the course at intervals and open it if deemed playable.

That's what I don't get, You supposedly pay for a qualified greenkeeper then the course is re opened by a pro and a greens committee. Not having a go at your course but it amazes me, Why pay for a qualified greenkeeper in the 1st place?

 

[Robobum]

That's pretty much spot on there!

I find it hard to get my head round green staff not being rota'd to work weekends as part of their job. The courses busiest time is when it is least tended to!

Anyhow, I've put some questions to the mgr and offered some help to promote club etc

We shall see

Response received - Is not willing to discuss!!

I await his next email asking for member support. Stunned