When should a course be closed?

[louise_a]

A few people were saying today that our course ought to have been closed. The fairways were generally very wet with quite lot of standing water, there were also couple of temporary greens. We don't have any bans on trolleys or buggies so the areas just off the tees have been fairly churned up.

I am happy to play but can see the point that others are making and in fairness I wouldn't moan if it had been closed.

What do people think about course restrictions/closures?

 

[Alex1975]

When its dangerous.

 

[pokerjoke]

When its unplayable or will do more damage than good taking longer to recover.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I think it's a difficult one as a lot of members will view it differently, definitely when it's dangerous, then there's a lot of other factors, Society bookings, damage to Course, members pay for 12 months access etc. Ultimately it may come down to the Head Greenkeeper as he will probably take a wide view, plus Staff and costs, if the course is closed revenue is likely lost but Staff are still expected to turn up and be paid.

 

[swanny32]

I don't think "Danger" comes into it really, a course should be shut a long time before it's deemed as "Dangerous", it should all be down to whether or not the course is going to be able to recover properly from what it's being put through over the winter months. My old place never ever closed, nor did it ban buggies or trolleys. My 3rd winter there, when the course was starting to look "wintery" damage from the previous winter was still apparent. During the summer months, if you were a yard offline into some of the greens, you'd get a really nasty bounce because of the rock hard mud either side of the greens where the greenkeeper had you walking in the previous winter.

Sounds to me as though your course should be shut Louise. I know a lot of people, as they were at my old club, are happy to play in mud and sludge, but there is a lot to be said for a general boycotting of the course, despite it being open, just so it's preserved a bit for the summer months. I used to hate walking off the course in the winter and having mud up to my knees. Nowadays, at my new club, the drainage is second to none and the course is more than playable all winter, sure you get a bit of mud around your ankles, but never as much as my old place.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Our greenkeeper works along the lines that the course will shut itself

We used to close at the drop of water put recently even with snow on the ground the green keeper has allowed the course to be open

He is confident that a damage done over winter is easily repaired

 

[louise_a]

Interesting comment about the greenkeeper, we have a new one starting next month, although he has been around the club the last couple of weeks, I wonder if he has said keep it open.

 

[Sats]

When its unplayable or will do more damage than good taking longer to recover.

This guy ^

 

[drdel]

What about closure do to high winds?

What wind speed would be 'high' above 40mph?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

What about closure do to high winds?

What wind speed would be 'high' above 40mph?

As long as it's not dangerous can't see any reason to close the course because of wind

 

[Leereed]

Our course is never shut,unless covered in snow. We have no temp greens or tee's.
The course holds up very well.But I suppose like most courses traffic gets a lot lighter this time of year. Ours was open at the weekend.
Like everythink else it's all about the money.

 

[drdel]

As long as it's not dangerous can't see any reason to close the course because of wind

Our course has houses and roads that are predominantly on the windward side of the fairways so a 40mph wind can take the average golfer's 150mph sliced drive off-line significantly more 'right'!

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

What do people class as dangerous? The course is a dangerous place at the best of times before you throw the weather in. Is it gale force winds that then make it unplayable, slippy conditions following heavy rain, ice or snow on the course or a combination? I assume that we all agree that lightning would automatically be classed as dangerous but it would be interesting to know what other peoples views were on the term dangerous, as in enough to close the course.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Our course has houses and roads that are predominantly on the windward side of the fairways so a 40mph wind can take the average golfer's 150mph sliced drive off-line significantly more 'right'!

Judgement call from the greenkeeper againn

 

[HomerJSimpson]

A decision made by the head greenkeeper and general manager. Generally when it's too wet and keeping it open will cause longer term damage. To be honest if a course is that iffy that is borderline open/closed I doubt I'd want to be playing it anyway unless I'd either paid upfront or it was a competition

 

[chrisd]

When you're obliged to show your swimming proficiency certificate in the pro shop instead of your handicap certificate!

 

[Fyldewhite]

I go with "the course shuts itself" argument. Accept that if there are dangers out there then that should come first but generally if the course is so bad that it would sustain damage from use then you will find there will only be a handful of idiots who would go out anyway so any damage is really insignificant.

 

[CliveW]

Never closes....

 

[Old Skier]

My understanding was that comp committees had a responsibility over matters of safety for comps in that if a course could be considered dangerous because of lack of visibility/poor underfoot conditions/hazardous weather they could/might be considered liable if a player was injured.

Players out on social golf are responsible for themselves and others.

 

[3offTheTee]

Regrettably not sure how many courses would have been open in Cumbria over the weekend!

In grneral common sense should prevail although like most things in life it is subjective. The head greenkeeper is paid to make that decision