When will it end?

[AmandaJR]

Our Par 3 manufactured course was open and all on temps. Range first then played and to be honest didn't enjoy it too much as just getting fed up of the conditions. The water on our 3rd and 4th was very high and the river seems to have burst it banks by a good few hundred metres which means the 5th and 15th are all but submerged.

Plan to find 18 holes somewhere this week before I go stir crazy. Looks like Royston or St Ives (or both) which will be challenging as the wind is forecast to be strong most of the week.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Closed again today - flooding has drained but still way too wet underfoot But it didn't rain today

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Off Wednesday afternoon and Thursday and Friday so praying for a gap in the weather to get some golf in, even if its hitting off grass on the practice ground

 

[cookelad]

Got invited to play at Austin Lodge yesterday as we were expecting to be closed, drove down there got the email that "course open - buggies not it use" group decision to stay where we were.

First seven holes 9 over, birdied 8 bogeyed 9 then **parred in (One par 4 was shortened down to par 3 distance, due to badgers, so while I got 3 points for my 3 I'm only really counting it as a par!) left a birdie putt on the last hanging over the hole but 35 points 2nd place and pleased with my golf on the back 9!

 

[Imurg]

Still closed but the short course is open so might wander down. Longest hole is 97 yards so I'll only need wedges...
With what's forecast for the rest of the week it doesn't look good......

 

[louise_a]

We were closed yesterday but open today, I will go up later on, but I expect it to be very wet underfoot.

 

[Fish]

Closed all over the weekend but open today, carry only.

 

[Birchy]

Not been shut a day this year yet at Bolton as far as I know. Quite a few of the well draining courses in the north west are in very good condition. The course im leaving this year Davyhulme was in great nick Saturday morning too, only a few damp patches and nearly all full greens.

Played Fairhaven yesterday and it was only a bit wet in a couple of areas of rough and walks between holes. Fairways were running nice and greens were lightning in winter terms! A couple of us putted off one green!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

We have just formed a "Flood response Committee" (OK, it's a working group to look at improving drainage). Their task is to report on the possible solutions to relieve flooding from the worst affected areas on the back nine, including costs, machinery needed course disruption during work etc. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. It does seem a shame that a couple of holes on the back nine cause the whole thing to be shut.

They were hoping that 2012s deluge was a one off and that clearing the ditches would be enough to cope with normal rainfall, unfortunately, here we are in the middle of another spell of unprecedented rainfall so action is needed. It's nice to see they are actively looking at solutions but I wonder what it might do to the fees?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

12 holes open - not sure that's great as folks may well play the 12 then a loop of 6. So 6 holes being played twice by everyone who wants to play 18 with conditions underfoot still very wet. hmmm. Anyway,

We know our issues - problem is that they are to an extent out of our control - neighbours! But we are going to investigate what we can do to alleviate the problems when they occur. We've talked about ditches but even if they would help - and opinion is probably not - most of the year they will be empty and hence possibly rather ugly - but maybe the cost to be paid.

 

[Fish]

All blue skies this morning with a slight frost, had a few things to do around the house which I've just finished, got myself ready to go to the club just for a few holes to loosen up and....................................the heavens open up again

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We have just formed a "Flood response Committee" (OK, it's a working group to look at improving drainage). Their task is to report on the possible solutions to relieve flooding from the worst affected areas on the back nine, including costs, machinery needed course disruption during work etc. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. It does seem a shame that a couple of holes on the back nine cause the whole thing to be shut.

They were hoping that 2012s deluge was a one off and that clearing the ditches would be enough to cope with normal rainfall, unfortunately, here we are in the middle of another spell of unprecedented rainfall so action is needed. It's nice to see they are actively looking at solutions but I wonder what it might do to the fees?

My concern is the fact we have to deal with Crown Estates to access the land beyond the course boundary and get permission to do any work. I don't know how they will alieviate the problem on the 12th as there is not adjacent ditch other than right and behind the green until you get across the fairway parallel with the 13th. That seems a long way to try and get a mass of water to flow.

The 14th is a similar issue although there is the ditch by the 13th tee and so drainage back towards that and the flow away into the environmental area would seem a sensible answer. The 15th is similar and I thin they just need to find a way to get the water flowing into the ditch to the right of the fairway and away and also into the ditch on the left although I fear that is already taking water from the planatation area between 14 and 15 and doesn't really seem to flow properly anyway.

On the plus side with the over subscribed bonds scheme recently closed you would hope that has generated sufficient cash in the kitty for the problem to be investigated properly and it tackled once and for all. It is a shame 10, 11, 13, 17 and 18 (although that needs looking at on the right from the ditch onwards) and there are just one area per hole on the others that stop it opening regularly

 

[Foxholer]

My concern is the fact we have to deal with Crown Estates to access the land beyond the course boundary and get permission to do any work. I don't know how they will alieviate the problem on the 12th as there is not adjacent ditch other than right and behind the green until you get across the fairway parallel with the 13th. That seems a long way to try and get a mass of water to flow.

The 14th is a similar issue although there is the ditch by the 13th tee and so drainage back towards that and the flow away into the environmental area would seem a sensible answer. The 15th is similar and I thin they just need to find a way to get the water flowing into the ditch to the right of the fairway and away and also into the ditch on the left although I fear that is already taking water from the planatation area between 14 and 15 and doesn't really seem to flow properly anyway.

On the plus side with the over subscribed bonds scheme recently closed you would hope that has generated sufficient cash in the kitty for the problem to be investigated properly and it tackled once and for all. It is a shame 10, 11, 13, 17 and 18 (although that needs looking at on the right from the ditch onwards) and there are just one area per hole on the others that stop it opening regularly

Be content that you only really have a couple of holes to worry about.

Think what the state of Datchet, not far away but probably under a foot of water, would be!

Drainage is an iterative process, as work done to resolve problems in 1 area can adversely affect other areas. Ditches aren't the only solution by any means - but are simple and obvious.

 

[Fish]

and now we have snow!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

and now we have snow!

View attachment 9098

I think it's about time we all just bowed down to Mother Nature and gave up

 

[BTatHome]

Quite suprised that after quite a few years of rainfall that greens committee don't already know the areas that flood and haven't had some idea of what to do. It costs very little (apart from time) to have prepared some plan of action ... even if your course doesn't have the money right now they should have the plans ready to action.

We've been identifying areas of concern for years, and each winter a few areas get done. Now we are an incredibly free draining course (built on chalk) but there are still a couple of low spots that get very wet, and last year we saw more appear so we put a couple more sink holes in to combat these, this year has been mainly extending a few paths where the water has been flowing. We haven't had a course closure for ages (can't even remember the last one ... apart from snow)

 

[guest100718]

Our course is shut till furher notice. No surprise really.

 

[garyinderry]

snow back home in derry. fell for an hour! the lads are not impressed!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Quite suprised that after quite a few years of rainfall that greens committee don't already know the areas that flood and haven't had some idea of what to do. It costs very little (apart from time) to have prepared some plan of action ... even if your course doesn't have the money right now they should have the plans ready to action.

We've been identifying areas of concern for years, and each winter a few areas get done. Now we are an incredibly free draining course (built on chalk) but there are still a couple of low spots that get very wet, and last year we saw more appear so we put a couple more sink holes in to combat these, this year has been mainly extending a few paths where the water has been flowing. We haven't had a course closure for ages (can't even remember the last one ... apart from snow)

Our course is only 9 years old and last year was the first time it had ever been shut for flooding. To be fair to the course manager, he did identify some issues and has attempted to rectify the problem by doing some work on the ditches but has also identified issues outside the boundary of the course which we have no control over. Discussions are now taking place with the Crown estate to alleviate those issues. I would imagine the course manager now has a very good understanding of the risk areas and I have complete faith he can rectify the issues if funds permit. You also have to weigh up the liklihood of such intense rainfall. Last year it was deemed to be a once in a 100 year event which is difficult to justify spending money against, that has now changed.

 

[Scrindle]

I've had a message from the hundreds of thousands affected by Hurrican Katrina, and the Asian Tsunami , few years ago. They send their sympathies to the people of Somerset who have only lost their homes and some possessions. They say keep strong, they are thinking of you.

Comments like this always amuse me. Problems are relative, sure, but crutially they are also subjective. That is to say that other people affected by natural disasters or generally in a worse off position, comparatively, to our own, simply aren't relevant to our personal circumstance.

If you want to go down that path of reasoning, where do you draw the line? Why not strike everyone's worries off the table and tell them they shouldn't be complaining about anything at all, because they don't live in a war zone, or weren't born with AIDs?

Endless comparisons may be drawn demonstrating how others are always worse of than you, to varying levels of the ridiculous, but ultimately nothing is relevant to the self other than one's own personal circumstance, or the circumstances of those they are emotionally connected to.

In other words; I just want to play golf, am sick of the weather and wish the sun would come out again .