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Leftie

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...do it again.

Smiffy (plus 3 friends), Murph, Flandango and myself met up this morning at Old Thorns in Hampshire. It was great meeting the guys.

As expected it was rather chilly and drizzling most of the time and the course was so wet that at times we had to play the ball while in standing water as there wasn't anywhere else drier to drop it. Needless to say I think that we were all a bit disappointed with our scoring although under the circumstances it was to be expected.

Well done to Smiffy for organising the game. Hopefully we can play the course again when, or if, it dries out.
 

HTL

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[quote Needless to say I think that we were all a bit disappointed with our scoring

[/QUOTE]

You couldn't have scored worse than I have at my forum meets.

Remember stuff your shoes with newspaper or they gonna stink very soon.
 

flandango

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Disapointed is a bit of an understatement as far as I am concerned Leftie. Total embarassment is a better word. Couldn't hit a thing......the whole thing just fell apart!!!

But still smiling. Great to meet you guys and put a face to the names. Leftie done well to take the wagers agreed before round!!!

Smiffy and his friends were great company and would love to do it again (redeem myself)....I can play i swear...lol!!!

Was nice to also meet murph, good player, nice swing.

Thanks for the invite smiffy. Had a really good day!

Carvery would have been nice though!!!......lol.
 

Smiffy

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Well I got in about half an hour ago and have my clubs all lined up in the kitchen drying off.
As nice as it was to meet Leftie, Murph and Flandango I have to say I have not been so relieved to walk off an 18th green for years.
Constant "drizzle" all the way round, and as Leftie says the course was waterlogged in places.
Any "swing" that I used to have has now been left down in deepest Hampshire. A combination of the cold (although it wasn't too bad to be fair), wet (that was bad), layers of clothing and wet grips/gloves put paid to my thoughts of being a golfing god today.
One of my mates in the threeball ahead of us actually walked in after 10 holes he was that cheesed off.
As I say, it was great to meet up with the other members off the forum, but with hindsight the course shouldn't really have been open.
God help anybody who has to play there tomorrow!
Good track though and will deffo return for another game there in the Spring/Summer.
Well played Leftie for winning the dosh, you strung a really good score together especially on the back nine when you take the conditions into account.
And as Lee says, Murph has got a lovely swing, really gets through the ball a treat.
The Go-Kart is a revelation. I feel fairly fresh after the round, had I carried my knees would be in agony. So the other great thing about today was that I vindicated it's purchase.
Thanks once again lads, was great to meet you
Rob
 

USER1999

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Thanks for organising the day Smiffy, it was a nice venue (if we ever have a drought again, as I think that course will take about a year to dry out if ever stops raining, I may go back and play it again). Nice to put some faces to names too. Got back home to see the last 20 minutes of the Arsenal game too.

No suprise that the winner on the day was the one with the wet weather gloves. Must get me a pair of those. That said, Leftie has the touch with the putter. Deadly from 6 ft.

We must do it again sometime. Sometime when it is hotter perhaps.
 

Smiffy

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I've been thinking about this for most of the day and to be honest I feel a little cheated and have contacted Old Thorns to lodge an official complaint.
I was told to phone early on Sunday morning to find out whether the course was playable. I did this at 7.15am as I personally had a 2 hour drive down there and didn't want to go all that way for nothing.
The person that I spoke to in the pro shop told me the greenstaff had inspected the course first thing and had decalred the course playable but said that it was a bit "boggy" in places.
Now I know that it rained all throughout our round, but to be honest, it wasn't heavy rain more of a persistent "drizzle". I've certainly played in a lot worse. Now the amount of rain that fell during the day would have not caused the course to be as flooded as it was. As Leftie quite rightly points out, there were very few places that you could take relief from "casual water" that weren't actually flooded themselves! Most (not all) of the bunkers were completely full of water and if you had hit your ball into 80% of them you would not have been able to find it again. Murph even lost his ball in a water filled pothole on a cart path!
And to top it all, after being "promised" a carvery lunch when I booked (and this was confirmed to Flandango in the pro shop on the morning) to be offered bangers and mash instead was a bit of a rip off! I couldn't care less what I have to eat after a game (within reason) but we didn't get what was part of the deal!
It's not sour grapes because I played badly, (I couldn't have played any worse!), but I feel totally cheesed off because had I known the course was going to be in that state I would have stayed at home and lost my £30.00 green fee. Seriously, it was that bad.
I'll see if I can negotiate something towards the cost of a cheaper round when the weather improves.
I'll let you know how I get on.
Rob
 

Leftie

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I sympathise with your feelings Smiffy.

The course has a great lay out with lots of interesting holes. Murph and I were talking about the condition of the course and thoughts were that it was built down to a price with inadequate drainage, not only on the fairways and rough, but also in hazards. OK we have had a wet spell but most courses would be either playable or closed in those conditions. Smacks of "green fees are king"!

In your discussions with them, although it probably wouldn't make any difference, it might make you feel better if you mentioned that at least 2 of our party have regularly featured in GM articles (well I have in 2 and I think that Murph has at least 2 as well). And, GM are currently running a "Post a Review" for magazine buyers and forum users. Would Old Thorns like 4 forum members to go for 1st prize in the competition?
 

viscount17

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you could also point out that this months feature is pace of play and presenting, what sounds like, a virtually unplayable course does not contribute toward that goal.
 

DCB

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Hey Guys, I take it you were there on the clubs Winter Offer as advertised on their website?

If so, you pays your money and you takes your chance. At this time of year you can get anything thrown at you by the elements. Clubs are going to get whatever they can in the way of greenfees to tide them over the winter.

Sometimes you will get a good day, other times you will end up with the type of conditions you seem to have encountered on Sunday.

I played on the West Coast with some mates on Sunday, we had temps on due to the frost , but other than that it's just good to get out at this time of year.

Look on the bright side, another three weeks and the days get longer again!
 

Smiffy

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Hey Guys, I take it you were there on the clubs Winter Offer as advertised on their website? If so, you pays your money and you takes your chance. At this time of year you can get anything thrown at you by the elements.

Errr.....my gripe was that the course should not have been open. Full stop. 80% of the bunkers were full of water, and I don't mean a bit of casual water in the middle of them. You could have sailed a boat in them they were that deep. I have played in rain before, and normally don't mind. But as I said above, the amount of rain that came down to leave the course in that state came down either the day before or the previous night. They should never have opened the course. I have played in howling winds and persistent rain on Carnoustie in May, we carried on playing because despite the rain the course was playable. I have been blown off of Dunbar because of 70 mph winds but the course was playable so we played it. I was a member of Crowborough for a number of years and despite it not being a suitable course for temporary greens, when they were in play, I played it. But I have never seen so much water on a course as we saw on Sunday. The person (or persons) that took the decision to open the course were, in my opinion, wrong.
 

DCB

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The unfortunate thing is that the only criteria for closing a course to greenfee paying golfers is if the actual greens are flooded to the extent that the hole cannot be played to.

Been there , done that, won't get stung again though!

Once they've got your money it's all over.
 

Parmo

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Played 9 holes last weekend at my local muni and on both days played 9 and was charged 18, I am not that bothered but on the Sunday there was sheet ice covering the greens so totally pointless :s

Chin up Smiffy, I am sure next time will be a lot better.
 
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