THE GOLF "SEASON"

[drewster]

For the past couple of weeks our course has looked and played as well as it has for as long as I've been a member there. The greens have rolled beautifully and the aprons and surrounds are brilliant. Loads of lush new growth on the fairways too. I'm just so P**ed off that the "season" ended at the start of the month and we now have to wait for the end of March for another qualifier. Selfishly it's coincided with some good play too but surely a decision could be made to extend the season , if you really need to have a season, until 1st of December at he earliest. Maybe it's global warming but I can't remember ever having an October or November competition weathered off. Rant and frustration over but would be keen to hear others views and thoughts.

 

[patricks148]

For the past couple of weeks our course has looked and played as well as it has for as long as I've been a member there. The greens have rolled beautifully and the aprons and surrounds are brilliant. Loads of lush new growth on the fairways too. I'm just so P**ed off that the "season" ended at the start of the month and we now have to wait for the end of March for another qualifier. Selfishly it's coincided with some good play too but surely a decision could be made to extend the season , if you really need to have a season, until 1st of December at he earliest. Maybe it's global warming but I can't remember ever having an October or November competition weathered off. Rant and frustration over but would be keen to hear others views and thoughts.

Whats wrong with putting in a Supplementary Card or 2?

 

[Garush34]

I agree, I would like to see the season last longer at least until the end of October the course is just as good, would just need to put preferred lies in due to mud balls.

 

[Jacko_G]

Whats wrong with putting in a Supplementary Card or 2?

This. ^^^^^^

 

[Coffey]

Our club competitions ended last weekend but we are still qualifying in the turkey competitions until the weather changes. If the forecast is correct I can see us qualifying for the next two weekends.

I don't see the point in just saying it is now non qualifying because the planned season competitions are over, the weather should dictate when this is.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

My club has medals all year round. We arent a links, just a parkland course.

 

[duncan mackie]

We run 12 months - we pay for it!

I do understand those courses that have serious winter issues, and the most Northerly that have to take every step they can to maintain course conditions because of the small growth periods available, but outside these issues there's surely no reason not to run comps as Q?
Whether the low handicappers would wish to play them as Q is another thing entirely, of course, but that's true at other times as well and, frankly, does it matter.

It's a clubs choice...

 

[cliveb]

Although the major comps are now finished for the year at my club, we still have normal medals and stablefords throughout the winter - is that unusual?
We also have a very important fourball knockout that runs November to March (in fact it has the biggest prize fund of any of our comps).
And the high handicap section even continues to play inter club matches through the winter.
Our club tries its best to encourage members to keep playing throughout the year.

 

[Wolf]

Always thought the playing season should run right upto November and start again in March, allows for the real winter time and prolongs the playing season.

Most clubs will still run monthly medals etc that allows for a cut but not much increase.

I always liked the idea of a competitive and non competitive season when I was playing junior and intermediate golf, felt like there was something more to the game then bit like the pro's. Could then use the winter to play about work on the game and try to get that bit better.

Plus this year it's great for me as we move on 30th November to Lincoln so a non playing season gives me chance to start playing properly, get a handicapand bed in at a new club before I take part in anything competitive.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I dont get the need for a "golf season".
If you dont want to enter medals in the winter months than thats fine, just give members the choice thats all.

 

[Grant85]

As an aside, look at what has happened on the European Tour the last few weeks.

Dunhill Links was disrupted due to bad weather and the final round was a shotgun start to try and get the play finished on the Sunday.
Didn't see it but the British Masters was by all accounts a survival of the fittest by the Sunday. May not be all that enjoyable to play or watch, but it was playable.
Andalucia Masters at Valdarama had serious disruption - mostly due to Thunder - and was reduced to 54 holes and still needed a Monday finish.

Yes - it's all very well saying they should put more competitions on, but there's plenty of room for these to be wet / windy / cold etc at this time of year.
Plus it's a good time to start repairs to parts of the course and they may have big areas GUR or the greens may have been treated.

But maybe an optional could go in as a provisional in the diary. Of course, I don't really see such a big need. Just go out and play with your mates or get a wee sweep organised. Personally find this even more enjoyable. And if you are really that bothered about your handicap, then as others have said, put in a supplementary - albeit for no prizes.

 

[IanM]

I grew up in Surrey... October was always great for golf. November could go either way.

Global Warming? Didnt Pliny write about wine being produced in Yorkshire?

 

[Dasit]

That would be a big factor in me not joining a club, if they did not have competitions all year round.

If it is the same conditions for everyone, why can they not have a compeition in mid winter like they do midsummer.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Yes - it's all very well saying they should put more competitions on, but there's plenty of room for these to be wet / windy / cold etc at this time of year.
Plus it's a good time to start repairs to parts of the course and they may have big areas GUR or the greens may have been treated.

But maybe an optional could go in as a provisional in the diary. Of course, I don't really see such a big need. Just go out and play with your mates or get a wee sweep organised. Personally find this even more enjoyable. And if you are really that bothered about your handicap, then as others have said, put in a supplementary - albeit for no prizes.

Its Britain in winter, its going to be wet. possibly windy and probably cold.
If some members want to partake of medals during that time, then why not? Personally I abstain from medal entry from about november to february but that is because winter golf is more social for me. Most of my group will do the medals, and those saturdays or sundays when the course isnt open those medals will be rescheduled for another saturday or sunday (our medals are the last weekend of every month)

 

[Orikoru]

This 'season' concept is alien to me. Our club has comps all through the winter, they just tend to be Stablefords instead of medals.

 

[jim8flog]

There is no 'season' where I play. The comps run all year round. The Saturday comps become optional for the period December to February but that is only so that if the course is closed they do not have the hassle of refunding entry fees.


I thought the main idea of having a variable standard scratch was so that clubs would run their comps all year round.

 

[Grant85]

Its Britain in winter, its going to be wet. possibly windy and probably cold.
If some members want to partake of medals during that time, then why not? Personally I abstain from medal entry from about november to february but that is because winter golf is more social for me. Most of my group will do the medals, and those saturdays or sundays when the course isnt open those medals will be rescheduled for another saturday or sunday (our medals are the last weekend of every month)

There is one fairly big reason that is the course often plays easier in the winter.
A course with defences of thick rough and quick greens is likely to play much easier.

Also, I'm certainly one for saying the course should be 'rested' during the winter when the grass doesn't grow. Obviously most courses will still have some traffic on them, especially in dry & mild conditions, but they can easily implement winter mats and temp greens or even take some holes out of play if they are working on them.

And it's all very well having the course available for bounce games November to February, but in reality when the weather is pretty bad very few will go out. Having medals scheduled throughout the year encourages some folk to play on regardless when the course may be only just playable. Ok, so they may well have modest uptake, but what if they didn't and there were 100 players roughing up the fairways and greens twice a month?

Appreciate for a links or coastal course this is not as relevant, but even then some rest periods will benefit the course during the season. Look at the Old Course... something like 40,000 rounds on it a year and by all accounts it's pretty much always in great nick. Absolutely no play on it almost every Sunday.

 

[tugglesf239]

i genuinely wish we could record every score towards a HC calculation.

It just seems wrong that only club members get them from playing Q comps.

I am a club member but I’ll say about 90% of my golf is not in a comp

There must be a way to incorporate more scores, thus increasing HC accuracy.

Obviously trust is a huge element of this.

Trust does already govern a huge amount of out game already though.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

There is one fairly big reason that is the course often plays easier in the winter.
A course with defences of thick rough and quick greens is likely to play much easier.

Also, I'm certainly one for saying the course should be 'rested' during the winter when the grass doesn't grow. Obviously most courses will still have some traffic on them, especially in dry & mild conditions, but they can easily implement winter mats and temp greens or even take some holes out of play if they are working on them.

And it's all very well having the course available for bounce games November to February, but in reality when the weather is pretty bad very few will go out. Having medals scheduled throughout the year encourages some folk to play on regardless when the course may be only just playable. Ok, so they may well have modest uptake, but what if they didn't and there were 100 players roughing up the fairways and greens twice a month?

Appreciate for a links or coastal course this is not as relevant, but even then some rest periods will benefit the course during the season. Look at the Old Course... something like 40,000 rounds on it a year and by all accounts it's pretty much always in great nick. Absolutely no play on it almost every Sunday.

I would say my course plays longer and harder when its that wet that the ball isnt rolling and just lands and stops.
Yes when the weather is that bad, the course will close itself, with very few venturing out to the course. Being a members club, the members want to be able to play, and TBH the winter wear arguement doesnt stand up, with the course being in cracking condition all through the year with most damage this year as a result of the very hot baren summer. Well, that and badgers.

 

[patricks148]

I would say my course plays longer and harder when its that wet that the ball isnt rolling and just lands and stops.
Yes when the weather is that bad, the course will close itself, with very few venturing out to the course. Being a members club, the members want to be able to play, and TBH the winter wear arguement doesnt stand up, with the course being in cracking condition all through the year with most damage this year as a result of the very hot baren summer. Well, that and badgers.

Speak for yourself,500 miles north is a different proposition