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Winter Rules

Region3 said:
Ill wait for rulefan / Colin / Foxholer / Mashie et al rather than jump to conclusions, but it doesn't sound right to me.
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It isn't, unless you have permission from your county union for exceptional circumstances winter rules have to stop on April 1st and can't start until October 1st. I assume being in the new forest they have special exceptions because of the ponies but if not then they are breaking the rules.
 
HawkeyeMS said:
It isn't, unless you have permission from your county union for exceptional circumstances winter rules have to stop on April 1st and can't start until October 1st. I assume being in the new forest they have special exceptions because of the ponies but if not then they are breaking the rules.
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Its a local rule, so I assume they would have permission. As the course is built on open forest land the animals are free to roam and can do quite a bit of damage, particularly if its wet, so as well as the player the rule benefits the course (and the forestry commission who don't really like golf courses that much) as it saves any damage being made worse by someone smashing it up even more with a golf club
 
SaintHacker said:
Its a local rule, so I assume they would have permission. As the course is built on open forest land the animals are free to roam and can do quite a bit of damage, particularly if its wet, so as well as the player the rule benefits the course (and the forestry commission who don't really like golf courses that much) as it saves any damage being made worse by someone smashing it up even more with a golf club
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That was my assumption
 
HawkeyeMS said:
It isn't, unless you have permission from your county union for exceptional circumstances winter rules have to stop on April 1st and can't start until October 1st. I assume being in the new forest they have special exceptions because of the ponies but if not then they are breaking the rules.
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The new forest & burley are on common land therefore open to grazing. Ponies, cows and the like. Both have local rules that allow preferred lies all year round.
 
Personal mats have to be carried round and used on fairways. It makes it difficult adjusting back to normal in Spring, but nice little earner for club pro who sells and rents them out

Hedgehog wheels, can't see what difference they make, but another nice little earner. Our course is privately owned, he very rarely allows the course to close in bad conditions. The course pays the price as a result.

Played a couple of courses in Co Mayo, Ireland last winter, they will not allow you to play off fairway at all. Ball has to be moved parallel onto first cut
 
Shaunmg said:
Personal mats have to be carried round and used on fairways. It makes it difficult adjusting back to normal in Spring, but nice little earner for club pro who sells and rents them out

Hedgehog wheels, can't see what difference they make, but another nice little earner. Our course is privately owned, he very rarely allows the course to close in bad conditions. The course pays the price as a result.

Played a couple of courses in Co Mayo, Ireland last winter, they will not allow you to play off fairway at all. Ball has to be moved parallel onto first cut
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I'd be off finding another course. There is no why I'd be playing off a mat
 
There's another Local Rule that's appropriate in Winter as well - Relief from ball plugged in the rough.

I do wish more clubs would apply that - not pick and place though that would make comps NQ - as it seems to happen quite a lot, at least to me!

Old club had a par 3 with a considerable drop. If you missed the green to the right, you almost always always plugged!
 
HawkeyeMS said:
I'd be off finding another course. There is no why I'd be playing off a mat
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I get your point, but the club is not just about the course, its more about the members. Great bunch of blokes, made a lot of friends in the 4 years I've been a member. So wouldn't go anywhere else

Some blokes love the mats , I hate them. none of us are great golfers, and mis hit now and again. You can get a bit of forgiveness if you hit slightly before the ball and just lose a few yards , but not with mats, hit the mat first your ball has gone before the club meets it. You often see the mat flying further than the ball :D
 
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Shaunmg said:
I get your point, but the club is not just about the course, its more about the members. Great bunch of blokes, made a lot of friends in the 4 years I've been a member. So wouldn't go anywhere else

Some blokes love the mats , I hate them. none of us are great golfers, and mis hit now and again. You can get a bit of forgiveness if you hit slightly before the ball and just lose a few yards , but not with mats, hit the mat first your ball has gone before the club meets it. You often see the mat flying further than the ball :D
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You're right of course, there is more to it than the course, I wouldn't have got past the first winter though :D
 
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