Winter Greens Scoring

[007chappie]

Evening,

Sorry I havn't posted on here for a while, to be quite honest I've been a bit busy the last few months. I would like to ask fellow forum members your opinion on scoring on winter greens.

Every wednesday (when I am home) I play with the senior group at my club, stableford, for a couple of quid each. We rolled up last week to find that, like most courses in the UK, it was p*ss wet through and we would have to play on winter greens. To cut a long story short, out of nowhere I shot a gross 74 playing off 17 (16.6), 5 shots better than I had ever managed, even on a casual round. This equated to (say it quietly) 50pts and a lot of muttered remarks about being a bandit! Now this isn't willy waving - I am in no doubt whatsoever that this would not have been possible on proper greens, yet I can't quite grasp what it is that makes such a score possible - yes the greenside bunkers are taken out of account, and the course is shorter, but on our course the most any hole is shortened by is maybe 20yds, the greens aren't easy to putt on and are usually on very steep gradients, and all the yardages are complete guess work as all the datum points, i.e. 150/100 yd markers are irrelevant. Maybe the wet turf helped stop the ball nearer the pin, but then again it also made the course play longer! Do any of you have any thoughts on the pros and cons of winter golf and any arguments as to why you think it is easier/harder thatn summer golf? Apologies if this has recently been covered, haven't had time to read through recent posts.

Happy Golfing.
Dane

 

[evahakool]

First of all congrats on a great round.Dont think I can remember anyone getting 50 points.Like you i seem to play well in winter winning our last two winter comps.Cant fathom out why as you genrally dont get any run in winter the ball dosant travel as far in the cold and the weathers against you.As you say you might get help with the ball holding the greens but thats the only benifit.So I cant give you a anwser cos Iam baffeled as well.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Well done on such great scoring. It is a tricky one. My club now has yardages available for the temp greens showing how far short from the front of the regular green they are which at least helps with clubbing.

I guess the easy part of temps is the hole tends to be huge but against that you have the longer grass and bobbly surface. I think it plays easier because as the OP rightly states most of the trouble is taken out of play in terms of bunkers and greenside rough. I don't atually think the wetter conditions make a difference although its important to be short and straight and taking advantage of winter rules (lift and place) that playing from further up the hole but out of thick and wet rough.

 

[Smiffy]

I guess the easy part of temps is the hole tends to be huge

But was he playing "bucket" holes???
I know at Crowborough they never used them on the temps, don't know what Highwoods do, I haven't played to a temp there yet.

 

[RGDave]

Do any of you have any thoughts on the pros and cons of winter golf and any arguments as to why you think it is easier/harder thatn summer golf? Apologies if this has recently been covered, haven't had time to read through recent posts.

Firstly, well done. That's a very good score.
Winter greens....easier or harder? depends on the course and the placement of temps etc. We don't use temps, so it's been years. However, my old course was far easier on temps.
This might not be the case everywhere, so be happy!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

A lot of courses I've played tend to have them cut just off the side of the fairway which make them very accessible. However I know of some courses that have specific temporary greens in use all year (Ashbury Manor) and rest the main greens on a rotational basis. These greens are properly maintained as a green but are at the sides of the main ones and so are at the mercy of some bunkers and slopes. Being so much smaller they are also hard to hit and stay on and so there is an added challenge.

Clearly there is a lot of initial expense in making and maintaining these permanent temps and then the cost in terms of time in labour in keeping them playable but it would make sense for new courses to consider

 

[KHW]

I had my only hole in one and a gross score of 74 on winter greens many years ago. Never came close to repeating again. Personally I dislike temp greens and would rather play links golf in winter or not at all

 

[USER1999]

A guy in our swindle had a 50 pointer last year. He is off 19, and tbh hasn't a chance in heck of breaking his handicap on the summer course. With double buckets, scoring is a doddle. It's got to be 6 or 7 shots easier, minimum. Short course, massive holes. Even chipping on from 50 yards seems easier.

I hate winter greens. I would rather they shut the course.

 

[toonarmy]

Can't understand why people get so narky about winter greens. The season is over, so scoring is no longer the bee's knees, so isn't it all about getting out, enjoying some fresh (i.e. bloody cold) air and keeping the swing grooved for the next season?

This is the best time of year to try out things on the course. I drop to a half set and try and make sure I use the clubs that I have struggled with or shied away from during the season to get to grips with them again. After a few rounds, I am becoming friendly with my 3w again.

The fact that the putting is largely pointless doesn't matter as it's not about the socring. I can always putt on the practice green if I want some proper green time. You can even try and replicate the putts you would have had on the winter greens if you like to try and make the score feel more real. Besides, winter greens certainly encourage a firm accelerating stroke so it's not all bad.

There's a reason why golf is cheaper in the winter. Accept it for what it is and use the time productively and don't moan about temp greens and the like. This is the off-season so go do your repairs to your game while the greenstaff do theirs to the course. Reciporocity is a wonderful thing.

 

[Robobum]

Our place doesn't have the bucket holes and so I'd say it is marginally more difficult in the winter. If I could be bothered to take time to get the proper yardages it would probably be equal.

We have one temp on a side slope, if it is in use for any length of time and the grass is trampled down flat then it becomes nigh on impossible for the ball to stay on the temp and all putts are from the collar of longer grass 10ft below the hole!! There is no other place safe enough to locate a temp on this hole.

Luckily temps are a rare sight at our place anyway.