The purists won't like it....

[Orikoru]

The only problem i have with frozen golf is that some of our holes , literally, become unplayable.
Our 10th is 145 yards quite steep down hill and you have to clear a big bunker in front.
Pitch it on the green and, if frozen, the ball bounces into the garden that bounds the course
Pitch short and try to hop the bunker and when the ball pitches on the green it bounces into the garden that bounds the course
And if you play it into the bunker, which is frozen, you're going to thin it out, over the green and into the garden that bounds th...you get the picture.

What if you just aim left of the green in the rough? (I remember this hole but don't quite remember what left of the green was like.)

 

[Deleted member 23270]

What if you just aim left of the green in the rough? (I remember this hole but don't quite remember what left of the green was like.)

You could do that but it would spoil imurg's story

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Got my only ever proper HI1 last winter, off a mat with ground frozen and a frozen temp green. That said, we were working on the hole and it had been reduced to a ‘fill-in’ 49yds. But according to my roll-up buddies it still counted…and so a bottle of the club’s best Grouse uisge beatha on the bar was required.

Rather fun playing social and friendly ‘competitive’ golf on frozen ground and temps…but can struggle playing winter comp matches…but if I didn’t still enjoy it I wouldn‘t enter.

 

[Captain_Black.]

I hate winter greens with a passion.
At the merest hint of a frost, we are on winter greens & they are truly awful.
So I just go out with half a dozen clubs (carry) play a few holes, chip on the the green & pick up
I don't even bother taking a putter out with me.

 

[Rlburnside]

I go out and play as much as possible in winter months it’s just good to socialize and get fresh air.

Our last hole is a 280 carry over a big loch to the green which the big hitters can go for and cut out the dogleg

When it’s frozen it’s good fun for me to try and cut the dogleg and bounce it on frozen loch and hopefully get a nice bounce onto green.

 

[Billysboots]

We have a monthly stableford this Saturday. Forecast is such that the greens are likely to be frozen. Pound to a pinch of snuff it’ll be played as a qualifier knowing our competition committee.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

There was always a great debate about whether to play on frozen greens or not. The argument was the frozen grass was broken by walking on it exposing the roots which lead to real damage. Think this has been largely debunked now but in all honesty if they are frozen solid it doesn't make much different whether the hole is put on the green or the apron.

As Bones would no doubt say "It's golf Jim, but not as we know it".

The tea and bacon sandwich taste even better on cold days - providing you eat it with brown sauce!

 

[Deleted member 23270]

There was always a great debate about whether to play on frozen greens or not. The argument was the frozen grass was broken by walking on it exposing the roots which lead to real damage. Think this has been largely debunked now but in all honesty if they are frozen solid it doesn't make much different whether the hole is put on the green or the apron.

As Bones would no doubt say "It's golf Jim, but not as we know it".

The tea and bacon sandwich taste even better on cold days - providing you eat it with brown sauce!

It was all going so well until you said brown sauce

 

[SteveW86]

It was all going so well until you said brown sauce

Brown sauce completed a bacon/sausage bap

 

[Mandofred]

There was always a great debate about whether to play on frozen greens or not. The argument was the frozen grass was broken by walking on it exposing the roots which lead to real damage. Think this has been largely debunked now but in all honesty if they are frozen solid it doesn't make much different whether the hole is put on the green or the apron.

I have seen a few opinions about people thinking it doesn't hurt the greens.....haven't seen this info on debunking. Even without official studies, common sense would indicate there would be at least a little bit of damage. I read a piece earlier that said it wouldn't be too bad, but would take an extra 3-4 weeks in the Spring to get the greens back to where they would have been. But then again, plenty of people who hate winter mats claim that they see no difference in the fairways. Again, common sense says that if you take a big chunk of turf out at this time of the year....it will be the end of March before the grass starts growing half way decently and then another month or two to fill in decently.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

@banjofred the real question for the title of this is, how is your putter going?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I have seen a few opinions about people thinking it doesn't hurt the greens.....haven't seen this info on debunking. Even without official studies, common sense would indicate there would be at least a little bit of damage. I read a piece earlier that said it wouldn't be too bad, but would take an extra 3-4 weeks in the Spring to get the greens back to where they would have been. But then again, plenty of people who hate winter mats claim that they see no difference in the fairways. Again, common sense says that if you take a big chunk of turf out at this time of the year....it will be the end of March before the grass starts growing half way decently and then another month or two to fill in decently.

I've been member of courses at opposite ends of the spectrum and the reality is that ground recovers. At no time did I reach a point in April or May and think, blimey these greens are potted or the fairways are iffy. I understand the reasoning, my current course uses mats and temp green, but my own experience, at clubs within only a few miles of each other, is that all the protection in the world doesn't give you a superior fairway or green once winter is over.

 

[Mandofred]

@banjofred the real question for the title of this is, how is your putter going?

Sure would help if I could play more. Oakdale is constantly closed, so mostly been playing at Ripon when I do play. The putter has potential.....just need to be stubborn for a month or two when we get playing again.....which is what all the advice keeps telling you. I still think it has merit, so will give it a good go for the next couple of months at least. Heading out to the US for a few weeks....so no playing until the first of the year if things will get less wet.

 

[Mandofred]

I've been member of courses at opposite ends of the spectrum and the reality is that ground recovers. At no time did I reach a point in April or May and think, blimey these greens are potted or the fairways are iffy. I understand the reasoning, my current course uses mats and temp green, but my own experience, at clubs within only a few miles of each other, is that all the protection in the world doesn't give you a superior fairway or green once winter is ove

Come May, I'd probably agree with you. But March and April.....worse than normal. Once the grass gets zooming in May....really covers up a lot of things. The first time I joined Ripon they had a LOT of April freezes and the grass had started growing....I couldn't believe they let people play on them like that. They paid for it....greens were iffy all summer. I think part of that was that the freezes and tramping happened when the grass was trying to start growing. I saw the same thing back in Spokane at the end of one winter....a REALLY harsh freeze hit the first week of March (like -20C)....it had been mild for a week or two before that and I think the grass thought it was time to crank it up.....every golf course in the area had damage that lasted all summer....and some spots didn't fix themselves until the next summer.

 

[clubchamp98]

What if you just aim left of the green in the rough? (I remember this hole but don't quite remember what left of the green was like.)

Problem there is are they accurate enough to hit the rough!

most ams in my experience miss right so aiming for the rough left guaranteed to hit the green.

 

[clubchamp98]

I have seen a few opinions about people thinking it doesn't hurt the greens.....haven't seen this info on debunking. Even without official studies, common sense would indicate there would be at least a little bit of damage. I read a piece earlier that said it wouldn't be too bad, but would take an extra 3-4 weeks in the Spring to get the greens back to where they would have been. But then again, plenty of people who hate winter mats claim that they see no difference in the fairways. Again, common sense says that if you take a big chunk of turf out at this time of the year....it will be the end of March before the grass starts growing half way decently and then another month or two to fill in decently.

The damage isn’t done when it’s frozen.
It’s when it starts to thaw.
footprints and the weight on them can break the roots if the ground is still frozen under the top 1/4”.

 

[Orikoru]

Problem there is are they accurate enough to hit the rough!

most ams in my experience miss right so aiming for the rough left guaranteed to hit the green.

I wish that were true, I'd aim left of every green on every par 3.

 

[clubchamp98]

I wish that were true, I'd aim left of every green on every par 3.

I did say most !
You must be unique

 

[Kennysarmy]

What greenkeeper doesnt close the course when the ground is frozen ???

Brickhampton Court Golf Complex | Course Information | Gloucestershire

www.brickhampton.co.uk

 

[Canfordhacker]

I had a mate who was a member at the Belfry years ago. We played the Brabazon one January, and I bounced a 9 iron off the (frozen solid) lake in front of 18 onto the green and two putted for par.