Playing on concrete...

Imurg

Imurg

The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Joined
Mar 15, 2008
Messages
39,373
Location
Aylesbury Bucks
Visit site
Or at least that's what it felt like this morning. Frosty, solid fairways followed by rock hard greens made playing golf a lottery. Added to that, the pins were all within a yard of the front of the green, making getting the ball close almost impossible.
We knew it was going to be tough when I hit a wedge to the 2nd green. It pitched, bounced 20 feet in the air and went through the back. Sometimes the ball skipped through the fringe and went over the back of the green, sometimes it held and you were short.
Interestingly, I made quite a few longish putts today. I wasn't spending a lot of time lining them up as they were frozen solid and bobling about all over the place but still sunk 3 or 4 over 15 feet.
As we got nearer the end, the fairways thawed out a bit and the ball just stuck in the grass where it pitched - more or less. But you still couldn't fire for a green, it just bounced, skipped and disappeared over the back.
31pts on a day like today with 3 blobs and I'm relatively happy. Shame luck played such a big part of it. Still, that's winter golf.....
 
Don't get me wrong fellas.

I play winter golf as well, but the conditions Imurg describes above just don't seem right for golf. Sure, it's a different test on the course, watching your ball bounce 20 ft in the air then over the back of the green. You have to alter your game and the way you play, ie laying up shorter and allowing the ball to run further when the course is frozen.
Also, when the course thaws out you're left with the wet and muddy conditions. Tee boxes like quagmires, soggy fairways and squelchy greens. Don't you just love British Golf?

Suppose it's just me dreaming of those long summer days, short sleeve order, perfect fairways and greens.....sigh!

PS. Well done on your round Imurg. ;) Good shooting considering the conditions mate.
 
I'm giving frosty mornings a miss this winter, no fun at all. I love my golf liike the rest of us but not in the frost.
 
I can remember visiting Eastbourne Downs GC many years ago when the ground was frozen solid. There was more "give" in our patio than there was on the greens that day.
We played 18, stopped for lunch and then went out and played another 18. The greens never thawed out all day, and they were as hard at 1 o'clock as they had been at 8 that morning. We must have been fecking mad but we were keen. Dead keen.
Now? I wouldn't set foot in the club car park if it were like that let alone play.
Anybody who goes out and plays on frozen ground and rock hard greens needs their head examined.
 
I've been off work this week and obviously my thoughts have been around getting a few holes in.
With the weather and conditions outside I have been nowhere near the course. Part of me was keen to go up and play, the other part just said "Don't be daft it's bloody freezing outside!"

I do play winter golf. When it's cold and fresh, no problem. I draw the line when the course is frozen though!
 
31pts on a day like today with 3 blobs and I'm relatively happy.
Click to expand...

To me it wouldn't matter if I only had 6 pts for the whole 18, I'd just be out there to keep my swing alive (whilst making sure I didn't freeze to death), scoring would run a close third.
 
Walking on frozen greens breaks and kills the grass you step on as there is no give. Wait a month or two and watch the grass turn brown and take ages to recover.
I wouldnt waste a midweek day to go out and butcher our course, if you want to keep the swing going, go to a range or practice area.
 
Total b.

Played today, 18 temps, all frozen. Will be for the next 3 months, they love keeping us off the greens.

However, they never close the practice putting green. You can chip to it, put on it, whatever.

Does it suffer? No. It is, without doubt, the best green on the course. All year.

I don't buy into this keep off the greens nonsense.
 
Played 18 yesterday and the greens and fairways were like rock. First time out since having a couple of lessons so I was only concerned with how I was swinging and picked up on most holes as I reached the green.
I played the last 4 holes with three seniors who I caught up and they were loving it as they duffed their tee shots and got 200+ of bounce and roll. :D :D
I set off out at 9am and the fairways and greens were still white with frost at 12.20 when I got back to the club house even though the green staff were even out mowing the rough.
 
I'm out tomorrow as usual @ 11:30, just after my head's been examined.

I still enjoy it. If the greens are bone hard i try to aim for the fringes or "good" spots to miss the green. Chipping onto frozen greens is hardly any different to chipping onto rock hard greens in the middle of summer (except you have 6 times as many clothes on!).

In the winter frozen ground, i can finally keep up with you 20 h'cappers off the tee! :rolleyes: :p
 
I can remember visiting Eastbourne Downs GC many years ago when the ground was frozen solid. There was more "give" in our patio than there was on the greens that day.
Click to expand...

Yeah I heard that Ice Age was a bugger for golf :D :D
 
I'm tempted to join the usual greedie about 8.00am tomorrow particularly as I've a set of I15's to demo but it is becoming increasingly difficult to convince myself to bother. I'm sure the course will be frozen most of the day and that if we're on proper greens at all it'll be a nightmare trying to get any sort of control on approach shots and pitches. On the other hand can I really be asked to just stand in a freezing bay (don't think the heated bay will make any difference) and just hit balls.

I'll have to have a think but playing is ahead of practicing but doing neither is the firm favourite. An Ashes fightback and then the golf is sounding very enticing
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Slime
It's finally happened ................. a Hole in One !!!!!
2
Replies
30
Views
3K
Billysboots
Billysboots
N
Putting Leave Distances
Replies
8
Views
526
Hobbit
Hobbit
T
Playing proper golf whilst trying to change your swing
2
Replies
22
Views
2K
timd77
T
Tashyboy
Water on concrete slab
Replies
0
Views
408
Tashyboy
Tashyboy
T
Just how good is Scheffler?
2 3
Replies
52
Views
2K
Voyager EMH
Voyager EMH
Top