What condition do you expect your course to be in come March 29?

[Bigfoot]

Enville will be great apart from the greens that will be slower than summer as they have done the green maintenance and top dressed.
WP will be much drier than December but greens slow as they won't have cut low yet.

I will know for certain over the next two days as I play Enville tomorrow and WP on Tuesday

 

[PJ87]

Dear Member,


Monday the 29th March is the day we have been waiting for when Ingrebourne Links can reopen and welcome back our members and visitors. Twelve weeks without golf has been a very long time, albeit the terrible weather would have most likely seen the majority of golf courses closed for at least half that time or even more. Let’s hope that we do not have to endure any further lockdowns and that we can all start to move forward.

The full Greenkeeping team have been working hard these recent weeks in an effort to wake the course up from a long hibernation and to present it in decent condition for the time of year.

Please bear in mind we are not out of March yet and there has been little if any real growth, so don’t expect summer playing conditions as we are barely out of one of the worst winters on record.

The teeing grounds, greens and approaches look very neat and tidy as do the fairways. Green speeds will be running at 8.5” on the Stimpmeter, so a good pace for this early in the season.

There are still a few soft patches on the fairways so please avoid them as they continue to dry out.

We will be allowing golf trolleys from Monday, but not golf buggies. Please keep your golf trolley outside of the white lines around the greens and approaches as this will assist our progress. If you are able, we continue to encourage carry bags and walking – I’m sure you will welcome the exercise!

Monday 29th will be a members and their guests only day so that you get first chance to play the course after lockdown. Tee times are for fourball play, so if you are a single, two ball or three ball we will look to ‘make up’ into a four. Speed of Play will be 4 ball pace – please keep up with the group ahead and avoid slow play – thank you.

This year and onwards we are insisting that every golfer makes a special effort to replace their divots on the fairways and repair their pitch marks on the greens. We have instructed our course Marshals to keep a look out for those members that ‘forget’ to do these two basic things and gently remind them of their duty!

We are still under Covid-19 regulations (please see the link attached) which for golf means not touching the flagstick and raking your bunker marks with a club or shoe to smooth over the best you can. Social distancing where possible and facemasks anywhere in the clubhouse area.

We will be offering a ‘takeaway’ food and beverage service (soft drinks, sandwiches, crisps, peanuts, chocolates etc.) but these items must be consumed either on the golf course or in your car as you leave the club after your round.

Bringing any form of alcohol onto the premises is strictly forbidden.

All outside chairs and tables have been stored away so we have to insist that you do not stay after your round.

Needless to say, we will be enforcing the government regulations and expect every member’s full co-operation.

So, my team and I all look forward to seeing you from Monday onwards, to once again play golf at Ingrebourne Links.

Not long now.......!

Kind regards,

- General Manager

 

[MarkT]

For the first time in 102 days I’ve actually thought about what clothes I’m going to wear in the morning

 

[USER1999]

For the first time in 102 days I’ve actually thought about what clothes I’m going to wear in the morning

Boxers or Y fronts?

(I don't really care).

 

[Cockney]

Our lads have done a tremendous amount of work in prep for the season. I expect Tankersley park to be good. Improving to excellent in the weeks to come, due to the lockdown work. Thx lads.

 

[Green Man]

I had a walk across our course yesterday and was disappointed to see that the greens have been spiked and are covered in sand. Bunkers have also not been raked or prepared.
Am I out of order to think that having missing 3 months it’s not too much to ask that the greens are half decent for this time of year for when we return to golf?

 

[USER1999]

I had a walk across our course yesterday and was disappointed to see that the greens have been spiked and are covered in sand. Bunkers have also not been raked or prepared.
Am I out of order to think that having missing 3 months it’s not too much to ask that the greens are half decent for this time of year for when we return to golf?

Yes, you are out of order. Would you prefer to come back to perfect greens, and then have them hollow cored in 3 weeks time? It needs doing, and most courses have done it early so they don't overly impact on playing time when golf returns.

 

[USER1999]

Oh, and there is no point raking bunkers until tomorrow morning. There are people like you walking around, possibly with dogs and young children, so will need doing tomorrow anyway.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I had a walk across our course yesterday and was disappointed to see that the greens have been spiked and are covered in sand. Bunkers have also not been raked or prepared.
Am I out of order to think that having missing 3 months it’s not too much to ask that the greens are half decent for this time of year for when we return to golf?

I have no doubt that many members will act in the same way and every single one of them would show the same lack of understanding of the weather we have had over the past 3 months during the lockdown.

 

[Cockney]

I had a walk across our course yesterday and was disappointed to see that the greens have been spiked and are covered in sand. Bunkers have also not been raked or prepared.
Am I out of order to think that having missing 3 months it’s not too much to ask that the greens are half decent for this time of year for when we return to golf?

Ours were done a few weeks ago. All healed and gone now.
I would have been disappointed for them to be freshly done tomorrow.

 

[Imurg]

Looking at the amount of rain falling north of Birmingham I'm glad I'm well south of Birmingham
There could be quite a few flooded courses come tomorrow morning..

 

[Green Man]

Ours were done a few weeks ago. All healed and gone now.
I would have been disappointed for them to be freshly done tomorrow.

Normally ours are done a bit earlier as the comps start at Easter. I’m just a bit surprised that they looked to be newly done. It could have been done a couple of weeks ago.

 

[upsidedown]

Normally ours are done a bit earlier as the comps start at Easter. I’m just a bit surprised that they looked to be newly done. It could have been done a couple of weeks ago.

There is a school of thought that those that are done early hold the greens back, trust your GK they should understand their own greens and microclimates each green has

 

[USER1999]

Ours were done two weeks ago. It's hardly rained since. The odd day, the odd shower, but not much more. Chuck in zero growth due to the low temperature, and it's hardly surprising they are not 11 on a stimp.

 

[Golfnut1957]

Normally ours are done a bit earlier as the comps start at Easter. I’m just a bit surprised that they looked to be newly done. It could have been done a couple of weeks ago.

Between the weather and the lockdown I've barely played golf since October. The few rounds I did manage in December were all 9 holes.

At the moment I will happily take anything.

 

[Cockney]

Ours were done two weeks ago. It's hardly rained since. The odd day, the odd shower, but not much more. Chuck in zero growth due to the low temperature, and it's hardly surprising they are not 11 on a stimp.

We've had a bit of growth (s yorks) in the last few weeks.
I think " good" is the most to expect. A month or so will show massive improvement.

 

[Captainron]

Open is all I am hopeful for.

Anyone that gets uppity about condition needs to have their head banged against a wall repeatedly until some sense is knocked in!

 

[MarkT]

Boxers or Y fronts?

(I don't really care).

Tangas, it's a big day

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Looking at the amount of rain falling north of Birmingham I'm glad I'm well south of Birmingham
There could be quite a few flooded courses come tomorrow morning..

You are not wrong, very heavy rain all day here, blowing a hoolie and didn't really get light all day.

One positive is it should be drier tomorrow and wind dropping to nearer 40 mph as opposed to nearer 50 mph today

Being links course will be dry but will feel every single one of those mph

Not cried off yet but its only a matter of time

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Went for another walk on the course late afternoon. They've got it really neat and tidy - have given the rough a good short back and sides all over - I guess that this will also enable us to manage the growth and shape things as it does just as we want them. Fairways, greens and tees all look good - not perfect of course as it's still early in the growth year/