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Playing on iced greens

I cannot disagree, as per my original post, which mentioned certain sand based greens ie those with USGA spec, which applies to most new golf courses and the few who have replaced their old traditional ones.....but I do disagree with old fashioned UK greens....

Greenkeeping in the US and here are completely different, and even the US have state to state dfferences....

But think of it this way - if the treading on the frozen grass blade damages it, why is it okay to stand on the tees, fairways, surrounds in frozen conditions?
 
In my limited opinion I think this is down to the types of grass used and their resilience to traffic. Most fairways are constructed of hard wearing grass a bit like your back garden. That deals with you walking all over it throughout the year. The greens are sown with more specific grasses and in the same way as returfing your lawn as a putting green you would find that after a few weekends with mates treading on it at a B-B-Q it would show signs of distress.

It is the same in the winter. The harder wearing grass is stronger by default and more capable of standing up to the frosts whereas the greens will not grow in the limited light and low temperatures and therefore excess strain will cause it to die off.

Not very scientific and only my view. I may be well off the mark and I'm sure someone will come up with a better explanation
 
So then why does not every course close/use temporary greens in frost conditions?

I can think of 5 clubs now that do not use temporary greens at all except when they are reconstructing the proper greens.....

I accept your arguments and indeed agree with them but I believe it is greenkeeper waffle that just makes life easier for them.....grass is probably the hardest thing to kill in the world...after slugs....
 
I think a lot of it, particularly on muni and public courses is to do with getting traffic playing. I'm pretty sure punters wouldn't want to pay full price for a course that had 18 temps. It is a money thing again.

Regarding private clubs a lot of greenkeepers are under pressure from the greens committee to keep them open for the benefit of the members even when their training and logic dictates otherwise. I'm sure there are lazy green staff out there but I also think the majority take pride in seeing their course play and look as good as possible and so try and do everything possible in this type of weather to protect tees and greens.

I agree that in most cases grass is hard to kill which is why the tougher fairway grass allows to a certain degree playablity all year round. However the specialist fescues used in greens are less resilient and can be killed off pretty easily which is why a lot of greens used during the winter often have black scorch marks after the thaw where they have been killed off by the constant traffic.
 
H and S are at it again!!!!

I love your conversations. ;) :p

Back to the op though.

I've played twice in the last week and the greens are like concrete. Surface frost has gone but the ground is still frozen. It adds an extra dimension to the game. I've had to 'experiment' with my approaches to the greens, and even used a putter from off the green as being the safest way to get closer to the holes. Don't take your score too seriously at this time of year and experiment with your game. You never know, like me, you might learn some new tricks.
 
Actually I though sammmebee and I were getting on in quite a civilised way on this post with a bit of give and take on both sides. Pretty sure it won't make it all the way through to the end of 09 but we'll give it a go :D
 
We play on our greens all year round come what may our green keeper says that grass will always recover.I have been a member there for ten years and we have a reputation for having the best greens in the area at any time of the year, So have to agree with Sam here.
 
I'm with Doh, our club is on main greens through the frost and ours are consistently one of the best around during the summer.
 
We don't get near the greens if it was frosty within the last 10 days. Bugs the heck out of me. My Dad's course is the opposite, it has to be a swamp before they use temps, and they are on through frost, whatever. Come spring through autumn, they have the best greens for miles around.

Both our courses are about 120 years old, so I would guess the greens are of similar grass and construction. To me, it is just the green keepers doing what they want, whether it is in the members interest or not.

That said, rather than be on temps (ever), I would rather they closed the course.
 
At my track we have two great winter greens which accually resemble greens the others look like circles cut in the rough with a hole in the middle, in fact the other week a temp was a hole in the fairway about the green!!
 
My local P&P has good greens that seem playable all year round. It's the fairways that are the problem - muddy rather than frozen even this week.
 
Our greens are always on, no matter what. They are starting to look a little burnt as I gues disease is setting in but to be honest, they aint that bad when its dry.
 
I got in the car to go home at 6 last night and my temperature gauge was reading -6 degrees! The last thing on my mind at that time was a game of golf..so I went home with a nice warm duvet and some lurving in mind, saw the missus bending over the kitchen sink and put the xbox on instead
 
Q. Re-Playing on icy greens...

A. Don't. Simply pick up & add two. Firstly putting whether on a proper green or temp green or front fringe temp you really will not get a true representation of your putting.

Secondly, if you are on proper greens, as someone else pointed out, the greenstaff want their rear ends kicking. So to minimise damage pick up, add two unless withing gimmie distance & walk to next green.

Now obviously you wont be able to do this when in a proper club comp, but if out on your own or with mates its really the way to go when things are frozen up.
 
I got in the car to go home at 6 last night and my temperature gauge was reading -6 degrees! The last thing on my mind at that time was a game of golf..so I went home with a nice warm duvet and some lurving in mind, saw the missus bending over the kitchen sink and put the xbox on instead
Click to expand...

Good one Smiffy :D

No xbox here but i have the Setanta Golf Channel and Scott's tips to keep me amused whilst the weather is bad.
 
Why not try Curling ? Far easier to keep the stone on the ice than a ball on the green !

Must be about 25 years since my club had its last bonspiel on the 9th fairway.

The winters must be a bit on the mild side now if that's the case.
 
I went out for some fish'n'chips last night & to seeif my knee had recovered any & thought, "bloomin heck its cold...! Glad I wasn't even thinking about playing today"

That was yesterday. Am staying warm n snug in the house today. totry & get rid of this cold & further rest my knee.
 
It probably is down to the type of grass used and those that tried to follow the trend on imported types will be suffering more than those that stuck to our own. Still at £25K plus to relay a green you can't really blame the greenkeepers for trying.

I still want to be out though, getting stir crazy. Course is closed at the mo' and our medal cancelled (all those hopes). IF I can get out a the w/e, doubtful, I desperately need to practice short stuff but will do as Cernunnos suggests re putting.
 
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