Investment in your course

[One Planer]

Do you feel your club invests as much as it could into your course.

Does it make the best use of the facilites and course space available?

Do you have a course development fee you pay when renewing your subs?

The reason I ask is this.

Around 18 months ago, our course was lengthened. Our 9th used to be a 234 Yard par 3, they moved the tee around 100 yards back to make it a (Very) short par 4 and added a new green lengthening another hole, the 9th, by over 200 yards.

Now, more changes are being implimented.

Over the next few years, the course is being re-modelled. One of the par 4's is being lengthened into a Par 5.

Two new greens are being added to existing par 4's, with the current greens being removed which will make the holes play significantly longer.

The course is also having additional hazards added both in the fairways and greenside traps to toughen some of the easier holes up, including making a pond bigger to the left of the 8th so it is more in play and to help with additional drainage.

The knock on effect this will have on the practice facilities is also going to benefit. The turf being lifted from one of the out going greens is going to be used to make the practice putting green bigger and re-lay the practice green on the short game area.

.... And it's not just talk either. The drainage is now in place for the new greens. The earth has been shaped on top of the added drainage, with the markings made where the bunkers will be dug out.

There will also be minimal course disruption and no forcaseted closures as the current greens will be used until the new greens are ready.

All-in-all some pretty hefty changes are planned, which 90% of the members I've spoken to are happy about. There are a few "nay sayers" who are a little unhappy, but from most members point of view, they are happy to see the club investing in the course and its facilities.

Interesting times ahead

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Was the course quite short before all this?

Adding the length won't necessarily make it harder I guess (if the par goes up with it), but it could well make it more interesting. What club is it?

 

[groundskeeperwilly]

Sounds like your club is trying to steadily improve what they have which should make it better for all involved. What do the 'nay sayers' find to complain about?

 

[cookelad]

Was the course quite short before all this?

Adding the length won't necessarily make it harder I guess (if the par goes up with it), but it could well make it more interesting. What club is it?

More importantly as the length & difficulty increases the standard scratch will too!

What course is this?

 

[One Planer]

Was the course quite short before all this?

Adding the length won't necessarily make it harder I guess (if the par goes up with it), but it could well make it more interesting. What club is it?

Yes, the course is pretty short, a shade over 5200 yards. That said, it's a very tight course with narrow fairways and small'ish greens.

Sounds like your club is trying to steadily improve what they have which should make it better for all involved. What do the 'nay sayers' find to complain about?

The general complaints I've heard are regarding the increased hazards. People who have been members years who don't like to see change. These are the same people who didn't want it lengthened originally, but now perfer those changes..... Go figure.

I took a few pictures a while back, just after the changes.

http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?45515-Blythe-Bridge-G-C

 

[fundy]

They always seem to be trying to improve our place. Each year they release a plan for what is intended. Last year the main focus was on reloacting a lot of trees and some drainage work plus adding a new chipping green on the practise ground. This year they are building 8 new tee boxes on various holes.

That said there is always more they could do Definite room for improvement with our practise facilities (and room) not to mention they have the room (and i believe the plans) for an additional 9 holes out the back.

 

[Iain.faulkner]

It's our centenary this year (along with a fair number of local clubs), so they've spent a fair amount of time and money (I would imagine) doing up the course and the clubhouse and it does look significantly better for it. Although I've only been a member for a few years, the course has never looked better, and the clubhouse is an inviting place to go and myself and the people I play with regularly are spending ore time in there as a result.

In addition, the club has also invested heavily in improving the greens over the last few years and although 1-2 years ago we were going through a transition stage and the greens weren't at their best, however now it's complete, they are simply superb and are playing quite beautifully.

In terms of layout and the course as a whole, I really quite like it. Given the space we have available I don't think there's much more they could do with it, the course is well spaced out and theirs only one hole where you play over the top of the previous hole (a personal irritation). Par is 69, and my only slight gripe with it is that one of the lengthy par 4's (11th hole, plays 466 yards off the white Tee's) in an ideal world would be lengthened slightly and turned into a Par 5 (this is purely a personal thing though) and there isn't actually any scope to do this.

 

[Imurg]

they have the room (and i believe the plans) for an additional 9 holes out the back.

They've had those plans since the late 90's if I remember rightly......

Unsurprisingly, there's little investment at my place.
With the probability of HS2 slicing the Course in half there was never going to be.
And unless HS2 gets knocked on the head - there won't be.
Just enough to keep it going but no more.

There's a few changes I'd like to see made but they won't ever happen.

 

[MegaSteve]

They've had those plans since the late 90's if I remember rightly......

Unsurprisingly, there's little investment at my place.
With the probability of HS2 slicing the Course in half there was never going to be.
And unless HS2 gets knocked on the head - there won't be.
Just enough to keep it going but no more.

There's a few changes I'd like to see made but they won't ever happen.

Sadly, I believe HS2 will be happening ...
Only UKIP can save us ...

I used to live right in the middle of three really good muni's...
Harefield is now a wreck of a place due to [characteristically] poor administration...
Ruislip will be decimated when HS2 ploughs its way through...
Both courses will never return to how they were...

Nine years of disruption predicted... Hopefully I'll have sold up and moved away before it all starts...

 

[DCB]

Investment, if planned out properly and well executed is always going to add to a course and its appeal. We did two new greens and a fair amount of fairway drainage three years back and it is only now showing its full worth. It did cost an awful lot of money to do, but it was money well spent.

There is nothing worse than a half hearted scheme to improve a facility that doesn't have enough cash input or technical input to get it done right at the first time. This usually requires a re-visit of the project a short time afterwards to get it right. I've seen several, well meaning projects falter for these simple reasons.

If you're doing it, do it right first time. it's actually cheaper to do it that way in the long run.

 

[JustOne]

Gareth, sounds like you have a 'proper' golfer in charge at your place, the changes sound excellent (are they trying to bring it up to a par 72?)

We need to change our 9th hole.... I can't see it getting past the committee of old fudders though :angry:

 

[One Planer]

Gareth, sounds like you have a 'proper' golfer in charge at your place, the changes sound excellent (are they trying to bring it up to a par 72?)

We need to change our 9th hole.... I can't see it getting past the committee of old fudders though :angry:

To be honest James I don't think we have the room to get up to a par 72. I think the absolute best we could do with the space we have is a par 69.

 

[Fraz]

Our course has only been open a handful of years (although it was complete for a good few before that too) and over the last 24 months they have been working hard on the drainage. The difference has been massive and while we are currently having to deal with a bit of GUR on a few holes I really don't mind as I can see the improvements that it is bringing.

They have been focusing on the playing surface and all the surrounding areas could do with some work to tidy it up (a lot is waste ground and the course covers a massive area with very few holes running beside each other) but hopefully that will get sorted out once the course is done!

I am more than happy paying my money as I can see they are working on it.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

We are constantly improving the course by re bunkering planting etc, the next big ticket item is to install a reservoir to augment our borehole, this will enlarge one pond and create a new lake, as a members club it was voted thro without dissent albeit we may need a levy to help fund this expensive project, but members with a medium term view realise it is in our interest to do so.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

The Belfry are constantly investing in the 3 courses and I have seen changes in my short member life already. Think they (De Vere) are spending something like 28 million on the whole venue.

Hopefully Hovis will be along soon to fill you in with all the details as he attends the meetings I believe.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We have a new greenkeeper and he has a three year programme to get the greens back. We lost the big time three years ago with moss and an incompetent incumbent. I would love the club to invest in a dedicated short game area but to be honest there isn't that many areas you could safely put it in

 

[Slab]

A fair wedge currently being spent making the course easier as many find it simply too tough

Main things in last few weeks are bunker removed from front of par 4 green, large hazard removed from tee-shot landing area on a par 5, new tee box on par 3 & looks like a bunker going in on same hole to prevent balls going into red stake area at rear, plus a few trees going to bite the dust

I heard there was even consideration being given to taking the SI1 par 4 and turning it into a par 3 (though not sure it'll happen that way but they will definitely make it easier somehow