When the rough is genuinely rough

[Billysboots]

I haven’t played at ours for a couple of weeks, and had heard rumours that the rough was getting a tad long.

This is what I found on the right side of our 5th this morning. The first cut is about 8 yards wide, the prevailing wind into off the left, and this part of that hole is regular territory for many. My trolley gives some perspective.

Acceptable? Or just a bit daft?

 

[Neilds]

A lot daft.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Guess need to see the make up of the hole , how far from the fairway is it , is it a place where many could go

If that’s only 8 yards from the Fairway then that’s beyond stupid

need to have a more defined second cut first and then potentially a thicker rough but that’s just silly for it to get to that levels

 

[Billysboots]

Guess need to see the make up of the hole , how far from the fairway is it , is it a place where many could go

If that’s only 8 yards from the Fairway then that’s beyond stupid

need to have a more defined second cut first and then potentially a thicker rough but that’s just silly for it to get to that levels

It’s a dog leg left, and that rough starts at the dog leg about 200 yards from the tee, extending all the way to the green. There’s water left.

As I say, the prevailing wind is into off the left, so trouble for most club golfers. I’m now taking 4 iron from the tee but even that doesn’t guarantee safety, but anything less means the hole, a par 4, becomes a 3-shotter.

We have members who disappear up to their shoulders in grass this long. And it’s thick into the bargain. I actually think 8 paces is generous for the width of the first cut - on reflection it’s probably about 5 yards wide.

 

[IanM]

Well, it saves you the bother of looking for balls

 

[RRidges]

Is it as bad down the left (where it's not water)?
Of course, the solution is to hit it straight!
SI1 perchance?

 

[Billysboots]

Is it as bad down the left?
Of course, the solution is to hit it straight!

Water left, so no bail out that way.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm rubbish at imagining descriptions but that photo looks daft. That isn't rough, it's a ball eating zone. Surely that just slows everything up horribly?

Better to call it oob, or cut it down of course.

 

[Billysboots]

I'm rubbish at imagining descriptions but that photo looks daft. That isn't rough, it's a ball eating zone. Surely that just slows everything up horribly?

Better to call it oob, or cut it down of course.

We’ve got long rough elsewhere, but this is the worst. It used to border every hole, and at that time I simply stopped playing medal competitions - they were carnage.

 

[RichA]

Have they got ground nesting birds in there that they aren't allowed to disturb? Happens at ours sometimes.

 

[Billysboots]

Have they got ground nesting birds in there that they aren't allowed to disturb? Happens at ours sometimes.

No. Lost a few seniors in there, though. I suppose some of them may have set up home until winter ?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We’ve got long rough elsewhere, but this is the worst. It used to border every hole, and at that time I simply stopped playing medal competitions - they were carnage.

I don't know if it is the case there but I know some clubs like rough like that as a macho, badge of honour. Personally, it puts me off. I just envisage slow rounds as time is wasted searching for balls, the cost of buying more balls than should be necessary.

We are amateurs, we aren't looking to qualify for The Open. Why do that ?‍

 

[Orikoru]

That's not rough, that's been abandoned! Might as well mark it out of bounds since you won't find or hit anything in there.

 

[Imurg]

That's stupid rough and if rough like that is needed on a course then the course is poorly designed.
We've had rough up to about waist height but only well off the playing areas - you have to hit a real shocker to find it.
They began cutting it down last week and will continue until it's all gone..

 

[Billysboots]

I don't know if it is the case there but I know some clubs like rough like that as a macho, badge of honour. Personally, it puts me off. I just envisage slow rounds as time is wasted searching for balls, the cost of buying more balls than should be necessary.

We are amateurs, we aren't looking to qualify for The Open. Why do that ?‍

Despite this thread, we are actually a lot more sensible now than we were. The 5th is an extreme example. Despite the length elsewhere - up to a couple of feet in places - it’s generally playable.

Four or five years ago it was knee high and literally bordered every hole. There was no respite. Societies stopped visiting and, in one memorable B-Team fixture one of the opposition conceded on 15 when he ran out of ammo. It was ridiculously difficult, and my mood at the time wasn’t helped by the advice of my regular pairs partner, a 2-handicap, who said “Take a club off the tee you can hit straight.” If it was that easy I’d also be off 2.

As I say, much more sensible now. I just hope this is not an indication that we are returning to the dark days of a few years ago.

 

[Backache]

Maybe the greens committee have a grudge against hay fever sufferers, either that or they have the silage rights on the course.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

There's a couple of holes at Aberdovey like that, 6 and 7 or 7 and 8 and if you fade your tee shot towards the railway line that's the last you will see of it. Put mine in there last week and had a walk/climb in there while the others played the hole and found half a dozen but not mine.

 

[Billysboots]

Is it as bad down the left (where it's not water)?
Of course, the solution is to hit it straight!
SI1 perchance?

S.I 14, believe it or not! And the water runs almost the entire length of the hole down the left.

It’s a brute at the best of times. When the wind is up it’s probably the most difficult hole I’ve ever played.

 

[Jason.H]

We have a lot of tall fescue rough between holes on our course. It defines the holes beautifully though we don’t have too many trees or water hazards and fairways are generous. If it goes in the rough it,s a really bad sho.

 

[pendodave]

I don't know if it is the case there but I know some clubs like rough like that as a macho, badge of honour. Personally, it puts me off. I just envisage slow rounds as time is wasted searching for balls, the cost of buying more balls than should be necessary.

We are amateurs, we aren't looking to qualify for The Open. Why do that ?‍

Exactly this.
Happens a bit at ours. Though less than it used to.
Our semi used to be between 3 and 4 inches as well. There were some areas where you could lose a ball in that. Thankfully there were enough protests to lower the blades.
Obviously, mowing grass takes time and money, so I guess sometimes there's no alternative.