Is Your Course Up To Scratch

[Crazyface]

After playing four away courses in the last two weeks it's made me realise just how poor my place is. All four were well presented some with the Criss cross cut fairways which always looks great and all four with brilliant greens. Whereas my place seem like it just goes though the motions of grass cutting and mowing greens which have been starved of water and are now burnt and brown and patchy in places. It has really made me question why I'm wasting money on playing there. Unless there is an improvement I think I'll be leaving next year.
PS we have five greenkeepers. So manpower isn't a problem. Oh and full membership so money shouldn't be a problem either

 

[howbow88]

My local place is dreadful and has been dreadful for a number of years. The staff are paid poorly, often have no interest in golf, and so they don't really care about it. It's very sad to see as they course is potentially superb, but I doubt it will still be there in 15 years time.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Course is in superb condition.
Head greenkeeper is a 4-handicap full playing member and has been here for a good number of years.

 

[Slab]

Local club is going through a process to change the greens from one type of grass to another, so that means they're not in their usual condition for some weeks. But it'll be fine when done
Other than that its looking good, fairways are nice, wild areas are still managed so they don't get out of control and tee markers are changed every 1-2 days so no overuse there either

 

[IanM]

Newport is in really good condition this season. New fairway mowers have really improved the cut. Greens were a little late "getting good" due to the weather, but have been very good for last 6 weeks or more.

We needed this weeks rain though, as a few areas were starting to burn..

 

[Backache]

Generally happy but our greens have just been vandalised.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My local place is dreadful and has been dreadful for a number of years. The staff are paid poorly, often have no interest in golf, and so they don't really care about it. It's very sad to see as they course is potentially superb, but I doubt it will still be there in 15 years time.

I think this is one of the key things to the condition of the course. Back in April my track was shortlisted for the England Golf Tournament Venue of the Year. The evening awards ceremony was broadcast live. A load of us members were in the clubhouse to watch - and hopefully celebrate. With us were all six of the greens team plus Head Greenie. When we won they celebrated with us - I believe because they are proud of their course and what they are doing. Plenty of beer was drunk and the Head Greenkeeper gave them the next day off...

And today we have a course that is in great condition; greens fabulous and all the new bunkering looking superb. The plans for the final elements of the current course development plan have just been released to us - a lot of work and big changes to one of our par 5s and a par 4 - with on par 5 especially, total remodelling of ground and bunkering from 100yds in with raising and complete re-turfing of fairway from 65yds in. I think the visualisations look superb. The work is aimed at mitigating the risk of hole closure due to serious flood events we very occasionally experience - and at the same time will increase playing interest and challenge.

Key is that we trust our greens team to do a great job.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

After playing four away courses in the last two weeks it's made me realise just how poor my place is. All four were well presented some with the Criss cross cut fairways which always looks great and all four with brilliant greens. Whereas my place seem like it just goes though the motions of grass cutting and mowing greens which have been starved of water and are now burnt and brown and patchy in places. It has really made me question why I'm wasting money on playing there. Unless there is an improvement I think I'll be leaving next year.
PS we have five greenkeepers. So manpower isn't a problem. Oh and full membership so money shouldn't be a problem either

5 greenkeepers is nothing, not surprised your course is in poor condition. We have 10 another course near us has 14 I believe. There is way more to looking after a course than just cutting grass and raking bunkers.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Yes, Kedleston has been awesome this season.
Greens are immaculate, fairways running fast, plenty of sand in the bunkers…
It’s not cheap to play, but I consider myself lucky to be a member there.

 

[Slab]

5 greenkeepers is nothing, not surprised your course is in poor condition. We have 10 another course near us has 14 I believe. There is way more to looking after a course than just cutting grass and raking bunkers.

I was thinking 5 seemed low, but with only resort courses round here (with 25 plus GS) its probably not realistic to compare to other course set ups

 

[Imurg]

We're in great condition, if a little firey, at the moment.
Only partial complaint is the rough has been left to grow up in places.
This is due to numbers of greenkeepers..we should have 7, we've had 5 for a few months - add I to that sickness and holidays and it makes a difference
So, to concentrate on the more important greens, tees and fairways, they've let the rough go a bit but they're starting to get a handle on that now.
Still loving the place, playing 4-5 times a week, sometimes more, and it's just a glorious place to play.

 

[Robster59]

Our course is in great condition. We are in our Centenary year, so a lot of work has been done to the course in terms of tree felling and drainage, and the greens at the weekend were superb, slick and true. We have enough rain up here that the course drying out isn't an issue.

 

[Bdill93]

For the price I pay the course is in good nick. But im not sure id ever want to host someone at my club

We arent an expensive club, so I always take that into account before passing my opinion. There are about 4 members of the Greenkeeping team and they do a very good job of maintaining what we have. Greens are small but now running miles better than when I first joined. Drainage and irrigation systems have been installed this year at a cost of approx £2k per hole to improve the quality around the greens too.

The rest of the course is left to the elements, fairways sometimes are great, sometimes dry and burnt out. Tee boxes arent brilliant, could be moved more - along with the pins - but again, theres only so much 4 guys can do in a day! The white tees are always 10x better than the yellows, I really couldnt play off the destroyed land that is our yellow tees....

We have a lot of hackers around our place, its where youd come to play if you were new to golf, so with that you do see some real chunks missing from grass at times.

Its a shame, because I sound negative but I do love my little golf club. Our owners just dont throw money at the course like they could - they do go on plenty of nice holidays though.....

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

...

The rest of the course is left to the elements, fairways sometimes are great, sometimes dry and burnt out. Tee boxes arent brilliant, could be moved more - along with the pins - but again, theres only so much 4 guys can do in a day! The white tees are always 10x better than the yellows, I really couldnt play off the destroyed land that is our yellow tees....

We have a lot of hackers around our place, its where youd come to play if you were new to golf, so with that you do see some real chunks missing from grass at times.

Its a shame, because I sound negative but I do love my little golf club. Our owners just dont throw money at the course like they could - they do go on plenty of nice holidays though.....

Why I get irked by the threads that are quite often posted on here with Subject of the sort 'The worst course you've ever played'...and I never contribute to them.

 

[Bdill93]

Why I get irked by the threads that are quite often posted on here with Subject of the sort 'The Worst Course you've ever played'...and I never contribute to them.

Honestly our new head greenkeeper is great. Hes made loads of small and subtle changes out on the course that have really improved things.

I do wish they did change pins and tees every other day or so, but I do also pay £33 a month - which is nothing like what guys on here pay - so ill take what I get with a smile!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I felt the same about my last club, made the same realisation after playing plenty of opens last year, and so left. My new club is spot on, very well kept, no complaints. Ultimately, taking your money elsewhere is the ultimate sanction and considering golf is not cheap is something to seriously consider if you feel it is not right.

 

[Neilds]

My club is not the best round here but they are spending money to try and improve it, drainage, new bunkers etc. They have just had the course re-rated including for winter so we can be qualifying when the course is shorter.
What keeps me there is the group i play with and the fact it is nice and close, 10 minutes in the car and I am there. I could pay more at a different club but the fact I would have to drive further would put me off the quick 9 holes, etc so happy where I am.

 

[timd77]

Our course, in general, is in excellent condition. Greens are fast and true, fairways are lovely and work is being done to repair the odd bad patch (under trees, in the shade etc). The only negative is the bunkers, very inconsistent in terms of the amount of sand in them and the fluffiness. Makes it difficult to get out consistently as every shot is a little unknown and different to the last bunker shot.

 

[The Fader]

After playing four away courses in the last two weeks it's made me realise just how poor my place is. All four were well presented some with the Criss cross cut fairways which always looks great and all four with brilliant greens. Whereas my place seem like it just goes though the motions of grass cutting and mowing greens which have been starved of water and are now burnt and brown and patchy in places. It has really made me question why I'm wasting money on playing there. Unless there is an improvement I think I'll be leaving next year.
PS we have five greenkeepers. So manpower isn't a problem. Oh and full membership so money shouldn't be a problem either

This is almost word for word how I feel about my course. If I bring a guest, I spend most of the round apologising for the course deficiencies.

As we head into July, the course should be in peak condition. It is a long way off from there.

We can only dream of having 5 greenkeepers. The staff is 4 (only recently upped from 3) and now one is on long term sick. Course investment is minimal. I believe the GK's have lost the will to try and improve conditions as they have all on just doing the basic cutting.

It is only the people and the proximity to home that keep me there. For those reasons alone, I keep saying I will give it one more year to see if there are signs of improvement only to be continually disappointed. I really need to start looking elsewhere.

 

[Jimaroid]

My course is currently closed as it needs so much work doing to it. ?