Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
Thanks Phil. ðŸ‘
Set up of your course
- Thread starter GG26
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Thanks Phil. ðŸ‘
Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
xreyuk
Assistant Pro
We are 6718 off the whites.
The current major problem with our course, that should have been prevented, is the state of some of the grass around the greens. For some reason it is just dead, it was there in winter, and has died at the start of summer. This means more often than not, you're better missing a green by 10 yards, than you are by 2 or 3 yards, because you'll actually get a lie you can play from. I don't think it's fair that a worse shot ends up better off. At the very least it should be GUR on these patches of green.
The only gripe I have about the way the course is setup is that you can miss some fairways by 2-3 yards and be in knee length rough. Missing a fairway you should definitely have trouble, but 2-3 yards should be semi, not full blown rough.
A more minor one, they have a tendency of places pins right on the bigger slopes on the green, and you'll get multiple ones like this a round. When I say slopes I mean a 2 foot putt needs aiming outside of the hole, and this is usually on at least 6-7 holes.
General course condition is okay other than that.
The current major problem with our course, that should have been prevented, is the state of some of the grass around the greens. For some reason it is just dead, it was there in winter, and has died at the start of summer. This means more often than not, you're better missing a green by 10 yards, than you are by 2 or 3 yards, because you'll actually get a lie you can play from. I don't think it's fair that a worse shot ends up better off. At the very least it should be GUR on these patches of green.
The only gripe I have about the way the course is setup is that you can miss some fairways by 2-3 yards and be in knee length rough. Missing a fairway you should definitely have trouble, but 2-3 yards should be semi, not full blown rough.
A more minor one, they have a tendency of places pins right on the bigger slopes on the green, and you'll get multiple ones like this a round. When I say slopes I mean a 2 foot putt needs aiming outside of the hole, and this is usually on at least 6-7 holes.
General course condition is okay other than that.
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
Great course, great clubhouse. I know you have lost some trees (purposely) but I encourage anyone to play it in Autumn. A riot of colour and one of the most stunning courses I've played at that time of year
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Haste Hill is 5750 yards off the whites - par 68. Heavily tree-lined, and a lot of ditches - often down the right hand side, and quite a few going across fairways as well. In fact I can only think of 3 or 4 four holes that don't have a ditch to consider at all. They've let the rough grow really long at the minute. We've actually lost balls this year having only missed the fairway by 5 yards. The greens are usually very slow compared to other courses, although they've improved a bit lately. While 5750 probably sounds short, there is only one par 5 and five par 3s, so there are still some long par 4s of 470 and 430 yards, plus others that feel long because I have to lay up before one of the aforementioned ditches.
The fairways on a couple of holes are still knackered from last summer. They've planted a load of grass seeds which have started to come through in the patchy bits, but there's still loads of areas where you'll get a horrible bare lie in the middle of the fairway. Some of the tee boxes are awful at the moment, they've tried to sort that by throwing some sand on them lately.
The fairways on a couple of holes are still knackered from last summer. They've planted a load of grass seeds which have started to come through in the patchy bits, but there's still loads of areas where you'll get a horrible bare lie in the middle of the fairway. Some of the tee boxes are awful at the moment, they've tried to sort that by throwing some sand on them lately.
Patster1969
Assistant Pro
We have the two courses - one is 5800 off the whites & the other is 6400, so plenty long enough for me! We had a new general manager & greenkeeping staff come in in October last year and have been battling to overcome the mistakes made by the previous team. There was a lot of grumbling from members up until the beginning of May, as the greens were shocking because the previous team had not properly prepared them before the start of winter and the new GM was taking a bit of a kicking on the club FB page. Give him his dues, he always replied to every whinge (without chucking the previous regime under the bus) and said that they were on track to get them sorted by May and they were true to their word, as they are a million miles away from what they were even in March. Both courses look excellent currently and they have also done a lot more shaping on the fairways as well (although they have narrowed them - damn them).
Two grumbles from me, bunkers are still pretty crap and some don't have a lot of sand in at all, leading to many a bladed bunker shot. Have tried to refine my technique for these situations, as you can't really play a traditional bunker shot.
2nd, the rough is absolutely penal and knee high is most areas - even anything just rolling in off the first cut is gone unless you are very lucky. However, this is more a problem for my inaccurate shots, so really can't blame them for this
All in all, pretty happy with how the course is playing currently.
The interesting thing will be winter, as last year the club shut down the historically bad 18 holes across the two courses, so we played a 3rd course through. This has meant a huge improvement to these bad holes but not sure if the same will happen this winter, as apparently the green staff will have a piece of kit (hopefully) that will alleviate the issues from these waterlogged holes - time will tell I suppose.
Two grumbles from me, bunkers are still pretty crap and some don't have a lot of sand in at all, leading to many a bladed bunker shot. Have tried to refine my technique for these situations, as you can't really play a traditional bunker shot.
2nd, the rough is absolutely penal and knee high is most areas - even anything just rolling in off the first cut is gone unless you are very lucky. However, this is more a problem for my inaccurate shots, so really can't blame them for this
All in all, pretty happy with how the course is playing currently.
The interesting thing will be winter, as last year the club shut down the historically bad 18 holes across the two courses, so we played a 3rd course through. This has meant a huge improvement to these bad holes but not sure if the same will happen this winter, as apparently the green staff will have a piece of kit (hopefully) that will alleviate the issues from these waterlogged holes - time will tell I suppose.
Jimaroid
Journeyman Pro
I've yet to find a golfer that knows more about course setup than a greenkeeper. It's a shame so many think the opposite.
Jacko_G
Blackballed
I've yet to find a golfer that knows more about course setup than a greenkeeper. It's a shame so many think the opposite.
You haven't met me yet obviously!
😂😂😂
Siolag
Active member
I've yet to find a golfer that knows more about course setup than a greenkeeper. It's a shame so many think the opposite.
I expect many golfers have an idea of how a course should be set up/they would like it. A greenkeeper will tell you why it cant be/isn't.
Grant85
Head Pro
Similar events at our course with a new head green keeper / course manager in and has done similar with defining the fairways and speeding up the greens.
However I have only heard compliments. The committee did a very clever thing by giving him a small budget to re-do a few green-side bunkers over the winter. He did a great job and even though the green was out of play most winter everyone was very impressed and so all on board with his ideas and the changes he will try and put into place.
I would say the contouring of fairways does tend to favour the better players who can play a more accurate shot, and while the rough is a penalty, it is not a problem to find it and play it.
Likewise quicker greens will favour the better players as well.
However as a higher handicapper who is keen to improve I'd rather play a course like this and learn to play well in tougher conditions than kid myself on around a more benign set up.
Jacko_G
Blackballed
^^^^
Hearing very good things about East Renfrewshire at present.
Hearing very good things about East Renfrewshire at present.
Mind, the greenkeeper doesn't have to play on the course do they?I've yet to find a golfer that knows more about course setup than a greenkeeper. It's a shame so many think the opposite.
Jimaroid
Journeyman Pro
Really? Ours do. They're generally pretty good golfers.
I've got no complaints about our courses. All of them are in pretty good condition and every day hundreds of golfers score terribly on them. It's nothing to do with the setup.
I was being slightly cheeky as I do respect what greenkeepers do. However, I am not aware of any of the clubs I've played at having the greenkeepers play there so they do not get to experience the course as a golfer. They might keep the rough down in the trees if they lost a few balls in thereReally? Ours do. They're generally pretty good golfers.
I've got no complaints about our courses. All of them are in pretty good condition and every day hundreds of golfers score terribly on them. It's nothing to do with the setup.
Jimaroid
Journeyman Pro
I am also, of course, being cheeky but I am genuinely surprised by that.
Grant85
Head Pro
The course manager has relocated from Aberdeen to the West of Scotland and the chat is that he is pretty much targeting getting the course ranked in the top 50 in Scotland within the next 3 or so years and ultimately will get a job at a bigger / wealthier course down here - Troon, Turnberry, Loch Lomond etc.
Obviously will be good to benefit on the way up and I'm sure the existing ground staff will learn a lot from him, even if he is only with us for a few years.
We've also had a good influx of new members so if that continues I'm sure that projects will be accelerated and more significant and visible changes will be made over the next couple of winters.
Siolag
Active member
I’ll put your course on my “to do†list. Not far from me.
Oldham92
Hacker
I think mine is set up in a way that has a bit of variety and will make most people think a bit. Do think it favours longer hitters though.
We've got some holes where anything right of centre could lead to a lost ball due to the hill it's on, and some where anything to the left is lost in trees. Got some really wide fairways and some compact. A couple of tees on par 4's with a carry over water. A couple where you have to get a reasonable distance or the ball rolls back down the hill and ends up at the bottom so you can't see where you're aiming. And one with a small ditch about 240-250 yards in so it's a tough decision for some over whether to lay up or try and clear it.
There's also a signature par 3 18th with a tee over water for about 170/180 yards.
Can't comment on condition much because I've been there less than a year but always been great while I've been there.
Can't see why anyone would complain really, and I struggle on some because I'm not a big hitter. £600 a year for under 40s so think that's decent for the variety on the course.
1st hole par 4 tee over water looks great too!
We've got some holes where anything right of centre could lead to a lost ball due to the hill it's on, and some where anything to the left is lost in trees. Got some really wide fairways and some compact. A couple of tees on par 4's with a carry over water. A couple where you have to get a reasonable distance or the ball rolls back down the hill and ends up at the bottom so you can't see where you're aiming. And one with a small ditch about 240-250 yards in so it's a tough decision for some over whether to lay up or try and clear it.
There's also a signature par 3 18th with a tee over water for about 170/180 yards.
Can't comment on condition much because I've been there less than a year but always been great while I've been there.
Can't see why anyone would complain really, and I struggle on some because I'm not a big hitter. £600 a year for under 40s so think that's decent for the variety on the course.
1st hole par 4 tee over water looks great too!
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Doing lots of tree and other work (not just on rebuilding all of our bunkers)
We have been removing loads of gorse from most of the heathland part of the course; much of it is in areas that do not really come into play. Where it is play we want to encourage heather to grow and the gorse prevents that. The heather is the penalty.
On other holes we are removing trees that have grown to the extent that they stop the hole being played the way it was designed - in some cases a tree might impinge on the proper line off the tee; some block off-line tee shots where the very fact of being off-line and in the rough is, by design, the penalty. Some of these are relatively new plantations/copses - some are mature trees. One perhaps controversial one will be removal of a now very high tree in the dogleg of a very short par four. The tree makes 'going for the green' almost a non-option for the vast majority of golfers - they being unable to clear the tree. Removing the tree increases the risk/reward quotient for the hole - indeed it is returned to what was designed for it.
We are also removing some mature trees where a tree does not really play a part in our playing of a hole and where by removing one or more such trees we expose 'specimen' tree(s) that enhance the look of the hole and course. So for example we have a few beautiful mature copper beech trees not far off the fairway - but that have for years been hidden behind other mature and less attractive trees. We remove the unattractive trees and the copper beeches can be seen in all their glory.
A couple of fairway bunkers will be moved back 40-50yds to make them issues for the better golfer and not as they are - issues currently mainly for the medium to high handicap player (due to ball being hit further due to club and ball technology).
One thing that we have done that is making a huge difference to the condition of the fairways is that we have little bags of seed on a 'bag tree' for members to take with them as they head out - using the sand/seed mixture to fill holes left by divots not replaced. The tree is alternated between the 1st and 10th so that front and back nine get their share of the divot filling. I tend to keep some mixture for later holes on each 9. Our fairways aren't divot hole free - but what a difference it has made.
We have been removing loads of gorse from most of the heathland part of the course; much of it is in areas that do not really come into play. Where it is play we want to encourage heather to grow and the gorse prevents that. The heather is the penalty.
On other holes we are removing trees that have grown to the extent that they stop the hole being played the way it was designed - in some cases a tree might impinge on the proper line off the tee; some block off-line tee shots where the very fact of being off-line and in the rough is, by design, the penalty. Some of these are relatively new plantations/copses - some are mature trees. One perhaps controversial one will be removal of a now very high tree in the dogleg of a very short par four. The tree makes 'going for the green' almost a non-option for the vast majority of golfers - they being unable to clear the tree. Removing the tree increases the risk/reward quotient for the hole - indeed it is returned to what was designed for it.
We are also removing some mature trees where a tree does not really play a part in our playing of a hole and where by removing one or more such trees we expose 'specimen' tree(s) that enhance the look of the hole and course. So for example we have a few beautiful mature copper beech trees not far off the fairway - but that have for years been hidden behind other mature and less attractive trees. We remove the unattractive trees and the copper beeches can be seen in all their glory.
A couple of fairway bunkers will be moved back 40-50yds to make them issues for the better golfer and not as they are - issues currently mainly for the medium to high handicap player (due to ball being hit further due to club and ball technology).
One thing that we have done that is making a huge difference to the condition of the fairways is that we have little bags of seed on a 'bag tree' for members to take with them as they head out - using the sand/seed mixture to fill holes left by divots not replaced. The tree is alternated between the 1st and 10th so that front and back nine get their share of the divot filling. I tend to keep some mixture for later holes on each 9. Our fairways aren't divot hole free - but what a difference it has made.
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SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Well with the EastRen layout you have a superb starting point - though TBH I'd try and get rid of many of the 'new' trees (those that were planted in the early 1980 when I was a member).
For me the trees really quite significantly changed the look and feel of many of the holes - and I think I preferred it back then when it was a pretty open moorland track. That said - windswept moorland courses might not be everyone's cup of tea and maybe more tree-lined as it is now is more attractive to bringing in new members.
