Winter mats already

[Nickrat]

Hello all,

Our club is going onto winter fairway mats on Monday (21st October), there has been a lot of rain recently and the course is quite damp but I don't think its bad enough for mats yet.

The weird thing is we played this weekend and it wasn't even clean and place.

Anyone else on Mats?

 

[PJ87]

Prob off topic slightly but I've only played one place with what I'd class very decent winter Mats rather than a small Mat just cemented somewhere

These mats are fantastic , they are entire width of the tee box (so can get a good stance and not feel cramped) they are made of astro turf rather than matt meaning they can take a castle tee (at least that's better than trying to balance a tee in the little holes or a normal mat)

If you use an iron you always get a perfect lie

Lovely mats

More clubs should use them

 

[2blue]

Optional mats in use for the last 2 weeks.... a few more members are coming around to using them this year.

 

[2blue]

Prob off topic slightly but I've only played one place with what I'd class very decent winter Mats rather than a small Mat just cemented somewhere

These mats are fantastic , they are entire width of the tee box (so can get a good stance and not feel cramped) they are made of astro turf rather than matt meaning they can take a castle tee (at least that's better than trying to balance a tee in the little holes or a normal mat)

If you use an iron you always get a perfect lie

Lovely mats

More clubs should use them

I think he's talking about 'fairway mats'..... it's what I'm on about.

 

[upsidedown]

Will be introducing fairway mats on 3 holes tomorrow .

 

[PJ87]

I think he's talking about 'fairway mats'..... it's what I'm on about.

Ah yes silly me , only skimmed it then went on a tangent

 

[casuk]

Not yet, writer green's have been prepped over the past week or so, expecting winter mats will be in play soon

 

[harpo_72]

Fairway matt being enforced from 28th of the month.
First time last year, but we have got our heads around it and it’s okay.

 

[jim8flog]

Luckily something we do not do (yet)

We have been on lift clean and place for a couple of weeks, with one day so far of course closure on the 18 and several days on the 9.

Winter greens were prepped in early September and we have been on quite a few over the past couple of weeks (decision is made on a green by green basis).

 

[Parsaregood]

Wouldn't play golf somewhere going to winter mode at this time of year regardless of weather. Theres a club a couple of minutes from me who's subs are over £1000 per year and all greens were not consistently on until early May this year, they started drainage work on 2 greens 4 weeks ago so they were off at the end of September. I've heard lots of very unhappy members and 2 I know of who wont be renewing next year because they feel let down and that they are not receiving value for money. Infact I'm sure theres a thread on this forum raving about the course 😂. I play most of my golf down the coast so the only time your on winter greens is if its frosty and never off mats.

 

[Jacko_G]

Wouldn't play golf somewhere going to winter mode at this time of year regardless of weather. Theres a club a couple of minutes from me who's subs are over £1000 per year and all greens were not consistently on until early May this year, they started drainage work on 2 greens 4 weeks ago so they were off at the end of September. I've heard lots of very unhappy members and 2 I know of who wont be renewing next year because they feel let down and that they are not receiving value for money. Infact I'm sure theres a thread on this forum raving about the course 😂. I play most of my golf down the coast so the only time your on winter greens is if its frosty and never off mats.

Sometimes you need to take a step backwards before you can move forwards.

What you say is the very reason I play golf on the Ayrshire Riviera.

 

[Robster59]

Wouldn't play golf somewhere going to winter mode at this time of year regardless of weather. Theres a club a couple of minutes from me who's subs are over £1000 per year and all greens were not consistently on until early May this year, they started drainage work on 2 greens 4 weeks ago so they were off at the end of September. I've heard lots of very unhappy members and 2 I know of who wont be renewing next year because they feel let down and that they are not receiving value for money. In fact I'm sure theres a thread on this forum raving about the course 😂. I play most of my golf down the coast so the only time your on winter greens is if its frosty and never off mats.

I think you're having a go at us again aren't you? I'm not sure why you feel the need to have the occassional dig at East Ren Oh well, carry on if you must. I don't make disparaging remarks about your club, and I've played it, as I don't think that's really the right thing to do.
I don't know where you are hearing about LOTS of unhappy members. Most of the ones I speak to (and I speak to quite a lot) are raving (yes, they really are) about the improvements since our new head greenkeeper arrived (Maybe from the same "source" you had about him, remember the one who you said was a bad choice a year ago? see here). Remember you said the green staff weren't happy? Au contraire, they're loving the regime under Paul.
The only green that was closed over last winter was the third as the new head greenkeeper wanted to do work on the bunkers and edgings. Which everybody loved. The work to the 3rd and 13th going on now will make a substantive improvement and pretty much everyone is looking forward to next year. The changes are making the course even better than it already is (still officially the best course in the area).
Every club loses members at the end of the fiscal. If people want to move, that's their choice but we are likely to lose more if the work isn't done.
Our club knows that they have to improve to move forward. They've identified areas of improvement and have addressed them positively. I think that's a great thing on their part.

 

[jim8flog]

Wouldn't play golf somewhere going to winter mode at this time of year regardless of weather. Theres a club a couple of minutes from me who's subs are over £1000 per year and all greens were not consistently on until early May this year, they started drainage work on 2 greens 4 weeks ago so they were off at the end of September. I've heard lots of very unhappy members and 2 I know of who wont be renewing next year because they feel let down and that they are not receiving value for money. Infact I'm sure theres a thread on this forum raving about the course 😂. I play most of my golf down the coast so the only time your on winter greens is if its frosty and never off mats.

It is very rare for us to go to temp greens because of frost. Test have shown that it only when there has bee a very deep frost for several day is there likely to be any damage and that is normally when the greens starts to thaw out .

 

[MendieGK]

Burnham has just sent an email out saying they are using winter mats for the first time ever. But this is purely because the fairways aren’t to the standard they want them following the 2018 dry summer and they’ve spend £35k on oversees to fix it.

I’m not happy about it as it’s my winter course for the exact reason the course is always great but I fully understand it.

Any anyway, I don’t hit many fairways

 

[Robster59]

We're not on winter mats yet, but I expect us to in the next few weeks. It's down to the head greenkeeper. We only go to winter greens if there is chance of damage (e.g frozen) otherwise we're on regular greens throughout the winter (apart from those being worked on of course 😉).

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think you're having a go at us again aren't you? I'm not sure why you feel the need to have the occassional dig at East Ren Oh well, carry on if you must. I don't make disparaging remarks about your club, and I've played it, as I don't think that's really the right thing to do.
I don't know where you are hearing about LOTS of unhappy members. Most of the ones I speak to (and I speak to quite a lot) are raving (yes, they really are) about the improvements since our new head greenkeeper arrived (Maybe from the same "source" you had about him, remember the one who you said was a bad choice a year ago? see here). Remember you said the green staff weren't happy? Au contraire, they're loving the regime under Paul.
The only green that was closed over last winter was the third as the new head greenkeeper wanted to do work on the bunkers and edgings. Which everybody loved. The work to the 3rd and 13th going on now will make a substantive improvement and pretty much everyone is looking forward to next year. The changes are making the course even better than it already is (still officially the best course in the area).
Every club loses members at the end of the fiscal. If people want to move, that's their choice but we are likely to lose more if the work isn't done.
Our club knows that they have to improve to move forward. They've identified areas of improvement and have addressed them positively. I think that's a great thing on their part.

No idea about the "squabble" between the two clubs on here, but know a few clubs down here that have undergone some extensive works (replacing all the bunkers, new greens, drainage etc) and of course there are some mutterings from certain members about holes being closed or reduced but its such a short term negative approach. Sadly with any form of golf club maintenance there is not normally a quick fix (or if there is its usually not the correct and long term one and therefore ends up costing even more money). I hope the members realise, or are reminded, why the work is being done. I am sure some will leave (most clubs lose a few) but it wouldn't surprise me, as with those that lost members here when the work was on, that they soon come back when they hear how good the course is now

 

[Parsaregood]

I think you're having a go at us again aren't you? I'm not sure why you feel the need to have the occassional dig at East Ren Oh well, carry on if you must. I don't make disparaging remarks about your club, and I've played it, as I don't think that's really the right thing to do.
I don't know where you are hearing about LOTS of unhappy members. Most of the ones I speak to (and I speak to quite a lot) are raving (yes, they really are) about the improvements since our new head greenkeeper arrived (Maybe from the same "source" you had about him, remember the one who you said was a bad choice a year ago? see here). Remember you said the green staff weren't happy? Au contraire, they're loving the regime under Paul.
The only green that was closed over last winter was the third as the new head greenkeeper wanted to do work on the bunkers and edgings. Which everybody loved. The work to the 3rd and 13th going on now will make a substantive improvement and pretty much everyone is looking forward to next year. The changes are making the course even better than it already is (still officially the best course in the area).
Every club loses members at the end of the fiscal. If people want to move, that's their choice but we are likely to lose more if the work isn't done.
Our club knows that they have to improve to move forward. They've identified areas of improvement and have addressed them positively. I think that's a great thing on their part.

I'm only speaking of a first hand conversation I had with a member only 2 weeks ago and I also didn't name the club you refer to. As for you playing my club, well that club is basically somewhere for me to practice or play a few holes during the week, infact I couldn't tell you the last time I played 18 there but I do know condition wise in the locality it's about as good as your going to get.

 

[patricks148]

We will be going onto mats mid November, the reason for us despite being a links course we get little or no growth from Nov though to March an d with the milder winters we get a lot of people playing, the fairways get destroyed.. its to protect the course and it works. its no hassle using one at all. played lossie the other week and they were on mats on the par 3's already. again not the end of the world

 

[Grant85]

Hello all,

Our club is going onto winter fairway mats on Monday (21st October), there has been a lot of rain recently and the course is quite damp but I don't think its bad enough for mats yet.

The weird thing is we played this weekend and it wasn't even clean and place.

Anyone else on Mats?

We're not on Mats - but personally have no problem if we were.

Effectively there will be almost no growth in the grass until Spring... so a divot or a chunk taken out of the course will not grow back until March at the earliest.

Also - consider the wear and tear from traffic on damp tees.

 

[Robin Hood]

Played yesterday.
Currently using two winter tees (not sure why); all greens are perfect.
However told we were operating preferred lies on the whole course and optional mats on the fairways.
For a course that can get very wet I find it more than acceptable.
Pity I couldn't take advantage 😩