November & December Playing

[whoppersk]

Hey Guys

I have the opportunity of taking advantage of a trail membership for £99 for November & December at the Hilton Templepatrick. I played there yesterday and I have to say i have never been so impressed by a course and also with the amount of rain we have had recently. It is obvious that these guys have spent alot of money over the recent years.

My question is, realistically how much golf would you play in Nov and December? 2 kids and everything that involves. I am guessing 4 or 5 times with weather and family commitments?

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Hey Guys

I have the opportunity of taking advantage of a trail membership for £99 for November & December at the Hilton Templepatrick. I played there yesterday and I have to say i have never been so impressed by a course and also with the amount of rain we have had recently. It is obvious that these guys have spent alot of money over the recent years.

My question is, realistically how much golf would you play in Nov and December? 2 kids and everything that involves. I am guessing 4 or 5 times with weather and family commitments?

I’m a little bit confused as to why you would wanna know how often others would play, given the circumstances you’re giving. Is that to make your decision if you should take the offer up or not? Surely, only you would know how many times you can get out and play? Perhaps I’ve misunderstood the question though.

 

[whoppersk]

I havent played that much in the winter months tbh and just trying to gauge from others what their experience was playing in the winter months?

 

[Coffey]

Yes surely it is completely down to your own circumstances.

If you work a 9-5 job monday - friday then the most you are going to play is twice per week. If you can only play one weekend day then that's once per week (obviously). But you need to work that out given your own circumstances and time commitments. Also consider the Xmas week, you could squeeze a few rounds in over those days if you get the leave from work and family.

Then bring the weather into the equation and it is a complete lottery, the course could be closed due to rain/snow/frost. But no one can predict what it is going to be like come end of November and December.


Hilton is a good course and as the greens are USGA standard they are sand based so will drain well but it is a low lying parkland course so will be wet in other places.

 

[whoppersk]

Yes surely it is completely down to your own circumstances.

If you work a 9-5 job monday - friday then the most you are going to play is twice per week. If you can only play one weekend day then that's once per week (obviously). But you need to work that out given your own circumstances and time commitments. Also consider the Xmas week, you could squeeze a few rounds in over those days if you get the leave from work and family.

Then bring the weather into the equation and it is a complete lottery, the course could be closed due to rain/snow/frost. But no one can predict what it is going to be like come end of November and December.


Hilton is a good course and as the greens are USGA standard they are sand based so will drain well but it is a low lying parkland course so will be wet in other places.

Perfect, thanks

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Lots of variables including your own life with the kids and their own hobbies and sports but also weather dependent and snow and heavy rain could shut the course at some point. Do you have someone you can get a game with and do you need to book tee times?

 

[whoppersk]

i don't have anyone to play with atm, my friend seems like he has given up (he was the one that got me into it in the 1st place, ha)

 

[Grant85]

I've played plenty of winter golf when I was taking up the game and didn't have kids.

But I've come more to the conclusion that it has too many limitations and doesn't really benefit your golf game all that much. Especially if playing on mats and playing with winter greens.

Generally courses up here have forward tees, winter greens (either due to frost or course maintenance), not much rough, as well as preferred lies / fairway mats. So with full handicap, you can go round in a pretty good score and get into a total false sense of security.

I'd play a bit more if I was down south or at a links course.

Had a game yesterday and resigned to maybe having one or two more games before mid February.

 

[whoppersk]

Thankfully all the T-Boxes were perfect, I didnt see one winter T-Box in site

I am going to go for it. Its the opportunity to play a great course for a great price

 

[patricks148]

Personally i play right through the winter, maybe twice or 3 times a week if i can, but i work from home and don't have children.


As others have said its surley up to you how often you would play, but for £99 even of you only play once a week thats 9 Saturdays till the end of Dec so only going to cost you £11 a game got to be cheapest way rather than paying a green fee.

 

[Foxholer]

I intend to play every weekend! But even down South (of England), and on a course that seems, now, to drain well (except for bunkers) there'll be some weekends that the 2 other regulars of the group think it won't be anything but a soggy, damp slog - something that definitely affects my scoring as much as my enjoyment - the last 3 holes have been a definite slog for me, in my recovery mode, the last 2 or 3 weeks! Bear in mind I haven't any experience of Winter in NI, so adjust accordingly!

I'd suggest you take the opportunity to 'review' the course at probably 'its worst'. Even if you only get out 4 or 5 times, it's relatively cheap golf.

 

[whoppersk]

I intend to play every weekend! But even down South (of England), and on a course that seems, now, to drain well (except for bunkers) there'll be some weekends that the 2 other regulars of the group think it won't be anything but a soggy, damp slog - something that definitely affects my scoring as much as my enjoyment - the last 3 holes have been a definite slog for me, in my recovery mode, the last 2 or 3 weeks! Bear in mind I haven't any experience of Winter in NI, so adjust accordingly!

I'd suggest you take the opportunity to 'review' the course at probably 'its worst'. Even if you only get out 4 or 5 times, it's relatively cheap golf.

Perfect, thanks for the reply.

For an extra £5 (at most) for everytime 'I manage to Play' basing on getting out 6 times from now until Jan I think it worth it tbh. I have to say its probably the most enjoyable golf I have played.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

If your on you own, joining a club may mean you can join other members on a tee time, so to find new playing partners.

At £50 a month, I wouldn't call it a cheap deal for winter golf...but possibly a good way to trial it out.

Enjoy.

 

[whoppersk]

Personally i play right through the winter, maybe twice or 3 times a week if i can, but i work from home and don't have children.


As others have said its surley up to you how often you would play, but for £99 even of you only play once a week thats 9 Saturdays till the end of Dec so only going to cost you £11 a game got to be cheapest way rather than paying a green fee.

Exactly, thanks

 

[whoppersk]

If your on you own, joining a club may mean you can join other members on a tee time, so to find new playing partners.

At £50 a month, I wouldn't call it a cheap deal for winter golf...but possibly a good way to trial it out.

Enjoy.

Its not the cheapest I have come across but the course is certainly worth it. I pay £13 everytime at Mallusk and its not great tbh. so for an extra couple of quid I can a far better course and not go home mucked to the eyeballs

 

[Orikoru]

I find that November and December are much milder than January and February these days. We don't tend to miss that many rounds due to weather until around the turn of the year.

 

[IanM]

Yes, it is milder than after Christmas...... just as long as the rain stops!

Hasnt rained in SE Wales since Saturday evening..... they'll be on TV tonight saying "Hose pipe bans" imminent!!

 

[jim8flog]

The same amount as I have done through out the last 35 years (2--3 times a week) but there again I did a job which meant I had the time to play. The time of year I played the least was during the summer school.
holidays.

The only time I do not play in winter is when the course is closed due to fog, waterlogging or snow.

 

[trevor]

One of the major drawbacks of November and December golf is the time it gets dark, you need to be teeing off before midday to get round in the available daylight, along with everyone in the club who wants a game so can get busy, especially at weekends.

 

[Hobbit]

I'd ask about what comps and winter leagues they have before joining. If their weekends are taken up with comps and winter leagues, and you don't have a handicap yet when will you get to play?