No more Winter Rules.....

[Arthur Wedge]

I am not sure what you mean by “Interesting that one’s will have had to deal with” but a lot of work done by the County to help clubs is done by unpaid volunteers, including the help that clubs will get with the implementation of this change of policy
The sort of uninformed contemptuous, disdainful comments on here are luckily just confined, in my experience, to this forum.

Comments on here will be made based on people’s opinion and experiences

There is also a lot of work done by clubs by unpaid volunteers- and dealing with people within a county organisation isn’t always a positive experience

The change last year removed the need for any “help” from the county with the club taking responsibility for their own course

As we can see the rule has gone backwards now the county are back involved with their “help” - and it reading the article this comment helps understand why

“England Golf said the decision had been taken following feedback from counties, with the aim to “ensure clubs are using the rules correctly”.

So the counties have decided that clubs need their “help” again

 

[D-S]

Comments on here will be made based on people’s opinion and experiences

There is also a lot of work done by clubs by unpaid volunteers- and dealing with people within a county organisation isn’t always a positive experience

The change last year removed the need for any “help” from the county with the club taking responsibility for their own course

As we can see the rule has gone backwards now the county are back involved with their “help” - and it reading the article this comment helps understand why

“England Golf said the decision had been taken following feedback from counties, with the aim to “ensure clubs are using the rules correctly”.

So the counties have decided that clubs need their “help” again

So you think that Counties have never asked for or been given any feedback from clubs and club members about the success or otherwise of the change of policy earlier this year? You think that Counties feedback was entirely aimed at increasing their own senses of self importance and their need to give themselves more unpaid work?
It is exactly this sort of uninformed, mildly offensive nonsense that I was referring to in my earlier posts.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

So you think that Counties have never asked for or been given any feedback from clubs and club members about the success or otherwise of the change of policy earlier this year? You think that Counties feedback was entirely aimed at increasing their own senses of self importance and their need to give themselves more unpaid work?
It is exactly this sort of uninformed, mildly offensive nonsense that I was referring to in my earlier posts.

That’s close enough to my experience of a county - maybe we have one that’s not the norm

And it’s informed from experience , you don’t need to be offended on their behalf , it’s just a forum

No more shown when they visit the course for the county champs and someone unqualified questioned the work of a professional green keeper and refused to trust his opinion on how the course would play its best and toughest for the championship

 

[Bunkermagnet]

As I read it, a club can ask to be allowed to go on PL if they think it's needed. My club did exactly that about 6 weeks ago due to the fairways struggling with the extreme dry weather and us not having any sort of fairway irrigation.
It strikes me the only people moaning about it are those who feel too precious about the game.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

As I read it, a club can ask to be allowed to go on PL if they think it's needed. My club did exactly that about 6 weeks ago due to the fairways struggling with the extreme dry weather and us not having any sort of fairway irrigation.
It strikes me the only people moaning about it are those who feel too precious about the game.

6 weeks ago there was no requirement for your club to ask permission from anyone

They were within their rights to make their own judgement

 

[woofers]

Having played a number of courses with preferred lies in place lately when the closely mown areas were in good condition this decision comes as no surprise and one I support.

England Golf and club committees have not been helped by professional golfers playing preferred lies when “lift,clean and replace” (model local rule E2) would seem to have been more preferable, e.g. were the fairways at Wentworth in a condition that, under EG guidance, did not allow acceptable scoring so they had to use E3?

England Golf now need to issue guidance, definition and examples, regarding “acceptable scoring”, for example following this years hot and dry summer does a parched and patchy fairway prevent acceptable scoring? Many clubs think so.

 

[rosecott]

I find it extraordinary that, as a club, we have not been advised of this change. Do I now have to subscribe to the National Club Golfer to find out about changes made by England Golf?

 

[Imurg]

The way I'm reading this is that communication between clubs, counties and EG is appallingly inept.
There is simply no reason why clubs shouldn't be fully aware of what's necessary to introduce PL...
It's EG's job to tell the counties and/or the clubs what the score is.
And they should be telling them in plain English until they understand.
It's not a particularly difficult concept ....
Communication, in the world of golf, as a whole leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[NearHull]

I find it extraordinary that, as a club, we have not been advised of this change. Do I now have to subscribe to the National Club Golfer to find out about changes made by England Golf?

Adverse/extreme weather reference guide - England Golf

www.englandgolf.org

It’s on the EG website.

 

[rosecott]

Adverse/extreme weather reference guide - England Golf

www.englandgolf.org

It’s on the EG website.

I now know that, but I surely don't have to trawl through the England Golf website to be able to tell members of any changes to policy. We were emailed about the introduction of the adverse weather policy so why no email when it's changed?

 

[D-S]

I find it extraordinary that, as a club, we have not been advised of this change. Do I now have to subscribe to the National Club Golfer to find out about changes made by England Golf?

Strangely enough as this thread started criticising all the obnoxious, self important, overpaid County officials who do not care about clubs and never listen or try to help them, I, as an unpaid volunteer, was in the process of writing to all the Clubs in the County to not only send out the new policy document but also to explain the changes as best as we could and, as usual, to tell our clubs that they can contact us at anytime and we would welcome any feedback on the subject.

 

[D-S]

I now know that, but I surely don't have to trawl through the England Golf website to be able to tell members of any changes to policy. We were emailed about the introduction of the adverse weather policy so why no email when it's changed?

Counties were advised last week of the change, it was said that EG would be sending this out directly to the Clubs in sometime after 2nd October. The fact that publications have decided to write about it before clubs were told (having no doubt having been given the same timeline) will no doubt be used as a stick to beat people with.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

The way I'm reading this is that communication between clubs, counties and EG is appallingly inept.
There is simply no reason why clubs shouldn't be fully aware of what's necessary to introduce PL...
It's EG's job to tell the counties and/or the clubs what the score is.
And they should be telling them in plain English until they understand.
It's not a particularly difficult concept ....
Communication, in the world of golf, as a whole leaves a lot to be desired.

Evidence tells us over the years it’s not really a surprise - and it wouldn’t surprise me if there are already some changes come next year

I now know that, but I surely don't have to trawl through the England Golf website to be able to tell members of any changes to policy. We were emailed about the introduction of the adverse weather policy so why no email when it's changed?

I’m sure an email would have come out at some point in the next couple of months after everyone was told anyway

Having played a number of courses with preferred lies in place lately when the closely mown areas were in good condition this decision comes as no surprise and one I support.

England Golf and club committees have not been helped by professional golfers playing preferred lies when “lift,clean and replace” (model local rule E2) would seem to have been more preferable, e.g. were the fairways at Wentworth in a condition that, under EG guidance, did not allow acceptable scoring so they had to use E3?

England Golf now need to issue guidance, definition and examples, regarding “acceptable scoring”, for example following this years hot and dry summer does a parched and patchy fairway prevent acceptable scoring? Many clubs think so.

Looking at the state of some courses it was more than just parched dormant fairways and clubs without fairway watering have really suffered to the point the grass covering was just gone and clubs had just compact solid fairways

 

[D-S]

For those of you railing against the startling suddenness of this u-turn in policy and the incredibly late notice,I assume you do realise that the major, material, actual change will not occur until 1st May 2026 which will be the first time that clubs will have to request permission from Counties to implement the relevant model local rules outside the winter period?

 

[AussieKB]

Here in OZ the Club decides if Preferred Lies are on or not......since it is your course, surely you are in best position to decide ?

 

[SteveJay]

I'm intrigued by the statement that EG acted on feedback from clubs over this. Did some clubs actually contact them saying please reverse this rule as we are finding it hard to make a decision whether to implement PL or not!

 

[Neilds]

Is this not a bit of a storm in a tea cup? Does it matter who makes the decision, as long as we can clean the muddy ball when the weather is pants?

Some people do worry about the smallest things, makes me wonder what the average blood pressure is with some forum members.

 

[AussieKB]

That is why I am blood pressure pills......reading this forum

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I'm intrigued by the statement that EG acted on feedback from clubs over this. Did some clubs actually contact them saying please reverse this rule as we are finding it hard to make a decision whether to implement PL or not!

“England Golf said the decision had been taken following feedback from counties, with the aim to “ensure clubs are using the rules correctly”.


Looks like it was from counties and suggestions of clubs not using the rules correctly - some counties being snitches

 

[D-S]

Looks like it was from counties and suggestions of clubs not using the rules correctly - some counties being snitches

Let’s hope this snide view of reporting rules breaches isn’t shared by many other club members, clubs or counties.