Not enjoying it.

The Green Fairy said:
Well next week we are on temps as it is a 'greens maintenance' week. Which means chopping them up by tining and putting a load of sand over them.
It's the best part of the year and we will be without a perfect putting surface for about two weeks, while they recover.
Crazy.
Click to expand...

:eek: Just think how bad the greens would be if they didn't do the work at the optimum time... :eek:
 
Perhaps find a course with a points system so you only pay when you play?

Or (and this may not be very practical) join a course with a country membership for a fraction of the cost. You will have to travel perhaps 50 mile+ but its another option to get some golf in if your course is suffering.
 
The Green Fairy said:
Well next week we are on temps as it is a 'greens maintenance' week. Which means chopping them up by tining and putting a load of sand over them.
It's the best part of the year and we will be without a perfect putting surface for about two weeks, while they recover.
Crazy.
Click to expand...

Not crazy at all.
Agronomists agree that early maintainence ,such as tining and dressing ,while greeens are still growing leads to faster recovery and less aggravation to us golfers.
Dewsweeper
 
Chances are all courses in your area are suffering the same.

Maybe just go have a drive to a few, if they are nearby, and have a quick nose round and see what the condition is like.

But, depending on the contract with your current club I doubt they'd let you leave after a month, without penalty, unless you have a very good reason.
 
from the weekly, word for word weather condition report i get from my mum in Glasgow, it sounds like every parkland course in the area is seriously affected by the constant rain.

i see East Ren tweeting occasionally about the course being opened, which suggests that it has been closed for some days in June / July...

i would suggest that you stick it out and play when you can. if it doesn't improve maybe reconsider next year. at least give the club a little spell of dry weather to get things sorted... you're probably obliged to pay for the rest of the year anyway, you've just had the bad luck to join during a spell of apocalyptic bad weather, not the club's fault, hopefully things will improve...
 
We've had a few days closed this summer (just west of Glasgow). I'm worried for the winter and am seriously considering a links ticket down the coast if we don't get a prolonged dry spell soon.
 
we're never happy with UK weather its always too hot too cold too wet too dry, its an uncontrollable variable.
Sounds as if you've had a pretty poor year for grass growth with the temps being well down until late may and now a prolonged damp spell its little wonder your greens are at there best. Not sure any will be though.
 
pbrown7582 said:
we're never happy with UK weather its always too hot too cold too wet too dry, its an uncontrollable variable.
Sounds as if you've had a pretty poor year for grass growth with the temps being well down until late may and now a prolonged damp spell its little wonder your greens are at there best. Not sure any will be though.
Click to expand...

our greens are fine... It's the bunkers and fairways that are waterlogged
 
Well it sounds like quite a fair few course are in a similar spot. I don't know the ins and outs of course management in tough conditions to be fair. It could be that my club just doesn't have the money or machinery to put into proper green care when we get bad weather. A few weeks ago it was the grass cutter that was broke and we had daisies growing all over the fairways. Sorted now though.

It's just sad to knock your ball on in two and you look at the green and it's all Deer footprints and pitchmarks and you feel like you're the only person repairing yours and others you see. You work to line your putt and it trundles and skips along the line and hardly rolls. Naturally you miss the putt and the next one.

It's hard enough to putt without the greens being in poor nick. Is this the nature of golf in general or what? Am I being too snobby about the state of the greens?
 
Paul77 said:
Well it sounds like quite a fair few course are in a similar spot. I don't know the ins and outs of course management in tough conditions to be fair. It could be that my club just doesn't have the money or machinery to put into proper green care when we get bad weather. A few weeks ago it was the grass cutter that was broke and we had daisies growing all over the fairways. Sorted now though.

It's just sad to knock your ball on in two and you look at the green and it's all Deer footprints and pitchmarks and you feel like you're the only person repairing yours and others you see. You work to line your putt and it trundles and skips along the line and hardly rolls. Naturally you miss the putt and the next one.

It's hard enough to putt without the greens being in poor nick. Is this the nature of golf in general or what? Am I being too snobby about the state of the greens?
Click to expand...

I'm nearby in Cumbernauld and the courses at my club, while very wet and muddy in places around the place after one of the wettest July's in history, our greens are still in brilliant nick considering the "summer" we've had.
 
Paul77 said:
Well it sounds like quite a fair few course are in a similar spot. I don't know the ins and outs of course management in tough conditions to be fair. It could be that my club just doesn't have the money or machinery to put into proper green care when we get bad weather. A few weeks ago it was the grass cutter that was broke and we had daisies growing all over the fairways. Sorted now though.

It's just sad to knock your ball on in two and you look at the green and it's all Deer footprints and pitchmarks and you feel like you're the only person repairing yours and others you see. You work to line your putt and it trundles and skips along the line and hardly rolls. Naturally you miss the putt and the next one.

It's hard enough to putt without the greens being in poor nick. Is this the nature of golf in general or what? Am I being too snobby about the state of the greens?
Click to expand...

Did you know there were Deer on the course when you joined?
 
Paul77 said:
I play 9 holes about 3 times a week and 18 when I can. Only been a member of my course for about a month now. I played a lot of paid for rounds before I joined too. I don't always Game Golf my rounds either in case anyone goes for a look. I did tonight though.

A few things that I'm really getting quite annoyed about and a lot of it can be out down to the extreme amount of rain we've had lately but I'm not really happy where I am.


  • Greens are seriously stubly and bumpy, ball never runs true in a line
  • Greens are hardly ever cut
  • Greens really need rolled or something.
  • Tee boxes are mostly all running away to one side, never level.
  • Bunkers are hardly ever raked and some full of water

Persistent rain has meant that a lot of the above is normal, but I wouldn't know, never being a member of a club before. You ball just plugs in the ground off all the tees. Your ball is consistently dirty with no respite from it.

Needless to say this has had a knock on effect on my golf. Enthusiasm has dropped away to nothing and scores are creeping up again with average putting strokes increasing.

I follow a lot of clubs in my area on Twitter and they always tweet about things they are doing to the courses. Greens cut 4mm, rolled etc etc. Pin positions tweeted every time they are changed and even when the bunkers are raked. One course even told everyone today about buying new rakes to get a better lie in the bunkers.

I kind of feel my club isn't really bothering with the upkeep or am I just expecting too much? What would you guys do, and what can be done?

Can I just cancel and leave to go elsewhere?
Click to expand...
You have two options:

1) Write to your Club Committee or Manager (if you have one) and complain about the condition of the course, Threaten to leave if it isn't improved.

2) Just quietly cancel your membership and join a club with a better maintained course.

In the long run the first option is probably the better one, because poorly maintained courses tend to lose members and eventually go bankrupt and close, which is in nobody's interest!
 
Im in the east coast of scotland and my course is the best its been in years, new green keeper has seriously made a huge difference this season
 
A local club near me was in quite poor condition about 4 years ago, particularly the greens, and down to about 200 members, with a threat of going bankrupt. Then a new greenkeeper was bought in who completely transformed the course. One of the issues was that there were too many overgrown trees too close to the greens, which was stopping enough light getting to them. A program of tree felling and lopping back solved this and a program of reseeding and rolling the greens greatly improved them, to the extent they are now about the best in the area. This club is now the only one in the area with a waiting list for membership! Course condition is one of the most important things that club management should prioritise!
 
It's a horrible situation really. We've had horrible weather, and some courses have managed just fine, others have not. Catch 22. The courses need the members to pay for extra stuff, can't get the members if it's in poor condition.

First and foremost, you need to be happy with your place of play. It's hard enough this game without being unhappy with the course too. I think a good well maintained course brings out the best golf in anyone most of the time. I think what annoyed me last night too was the 4 folk walking their dogs and one of the dogs digging on the 4th tee. Soft ground I might add.
 
FairwayDodger said:
I agree, Steve. My course is in great shape as was yours when I was up there.

Definitely less rain over in the east!
Click to expand...

When were you up playing it Karen?, we've noticed a huge difference in 4 of the greens which historically weren't the best plus he's brought the fairway bunkers back into play and put the greens back to there full size, i think next year well see huge benefits in his work.
 
stevek1969 said:
When were you up playing it Karen?, we've noticed a huge difference in 4 of the greens which historically weren't the best plus he's brought the fairway bunkers back into play and put the greens back to there full size, i think next year well see huge benefits in his work.
Click to expand...

It was towards the end of June for the east division inter-county jamboree. First time playing up there and really enjoyed the course.
 
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