Winter - What does your course do?

[KenL]

Fairway mats are absolutely fine to play off. For me this is far better than wrecking the semi-rough.

Teeing up on the fairway is a bizarre one. I would still take a divot off a tee with an iron.

Links course. Full greens and full length except when things are being worked on.

Preffered lies introduced when required.
Optional mats (some people love them) on fairways and then compulsory for about 6/8 weeks in Jan/Feb.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

We go down to 14 holes as from Sunday and will then play off mats from the tees only. Preferred lies on fairway, lift, clean and drop in the rough but we never go to temp greens.

 

[garyinderry]

Pretty soon we will play the course in a different layout. Its more of less the back 9 first. Some of the greens on the usual front 9 are shaded by trees. This change gives the course more time for the sun to get up and defrost the green before the first golfers make it round.

Always prefer the usual lay out. Great pleasure when the layout changes back in spring and the season can get back underway.

We have also been lift clean and place for what seems like ages now. Ball barely bounces at all the whole round. Throwing darts at the green.

 

[louise_a]

We play off mats or drop in the rough, we try and keep the full course open all winter, but sometimes have to close a few holes that are built on old colliery ground. We have temporary greens but only use them in a frost.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Apart from winter rules we'll stay on full greens unless there is a frost and then it's temps. We ran a trial last year to play without winter wheels (although buggies are banned if it gets too boggy) which seemed to do no additional damage compared to having hedgehogs (but that's a whole different discussion)

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Generally, pick & place that we already have. Sometimes a temp rule about a plugged lie in the rough. Get quite a few plugged lies and soft ground as not a sand based course.

Still play from tees and greens and trollies allowed.

 

[jim8flog]

Our 9 hole course - virtually nothing, just a small amount of roping off and will get a very occasional buggy ban. It is closed solely on Health and Safety grounds.

Our 18 hole course - winter tees, if necessary, these were built years ago, have been measured for competition purposes and are quite decent, temporary greens only if the frost is ground penetrating (particularly when the frost is thawing), some roping off and occasional buggy bag in really bad wet weather. Course closures are very occasional and only after a period of prolonged wet weather or snow, mind you it has only snowed 5 times in the past 30 years.

I do question if the roping off actually does more damage because it makes everybody walk the same path.

 

[jim8flog]

The 2 things I dislike about our place are that they run medals throughout the winter and they keep them as qualifier, both of which (for me) should be stopped as soon as balls start disappearing in the fairways.

This is what the Variable Standard Scratch System was bought in for and it is what Congu want clubs to do. They do not want clubs having a Non Qualifying period. If things get too bad the CSS the system will make a comp a non qualifier or reduction only automatically.

 

[Capella]

I’m quite surprised at this, the course I’m looking at for after the big move is closed from Christmas-ish through to March, admittedly 1 country further over!

We have temporary tees for the par 3s and we have preferred lies in play for a couple of weeks now. We only have about 3 holes where a temporary green is possible so we’re a bit stuck on that front.

The 2 things I dislike about our place are that they run medals throughout the winter and they keep them as qualifier, both of which (for me) should be stopped as soon as balls start disappearing in the fairways.

From your sig I am guessing you are going to Poland. Even though that's just "1 country further over" as you say, it gets way colder there in winter with much more snow than in my neck of the woods. I live in the west of Germany, almost on the Dutch border and the climate is much more maritime here, usually we get almost the same weather as the south of England, just a day or two later. Only on very rare occasions does a winter high pressure system from the East stretch out its frosty fingers in our direction. I used to live further to the east, not too far from the Polish border, and it was noticeable colder in winter there with more snow. So I am not surprised your new golf course might feel they have to shut down in winter.

We don't do qualifiers in winter. Actually, the last qualifier is played tomorrow. After that it is all just fun and games until end of March/beginning of April, depending on the conditions then. We do have a winter eclectic series and the men and the seniors continue their weekly comps on Wednesdays and Fridays, but as non-qualifiers during the winter. The ladies and senior ladies stop playing altogether in mid-November, at least officially. Some die-hards will continue to meet up weekly for their game no matter what.

 

[Sats]

This is one of the benefits of being a member of a links club. No real change in the winter, save the colder weather, shorter carry with the clubs. The only thing in sync with most clubs is the preferred lies.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

We stay open all year on full greens and tees. Placing from 1st November.

Local rule re plugged ball anywhere through the green is brought in.

Buggies banned in the wet

Most greens roped off some way short to ensure people go the long way round with trolleys.

Tend to have team / knockout / fun comps through the winter which re non-qualifying.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I've never been at a club that insists on hedgehog wheels. They will ban buggies but no comment is made about trolley wheels. I'm not sure that I see the benefit of them but no doubt they have been tested and shown to make a difference.

Do users here see an obvious saving to the course or do you do it because you have to?

 

[Tommo21]

Dunbar, links.....no change, plays like summer with less run. fairway mats in use on jan and feb only. Still full greens and tees. Brill

Royal Musselburgh, mats on tees and fairways, winter greens, leaves all over the place, soft as s.... Basically 7 months good golf.

 

[Lazkir]

Last qualifier was on Saturday.
From now on it's off the yellows, down to 16 holes (will go to 14 in the deepest darkest winter), pick and place, (through the greens if it gets too wet).
No winter greens, but parts of the course will be roped off.
Mostly team comps until the season starts again.

I've never been at a club that insists on hedgehog wheels. They will ban buggies but no comment is made about trolley wheels. I'm not sure that I see the benefit of them but no doubt they have been tested and shown to make a difference.

Do users here see an obvious saving to the course or do you do it because you have to?

One of the advantages of hedgehogs is that the battery isn't wasted on constantly slipping/spinning wheels. It definitely helps on our very hilly course.