Worn out patches - GUR?

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As I'm sure most courses have come out of their muddy winter stage, a lot will be left with dry muddy/bald patches around the course and especially around the green.
I've been stung 3 times by these in the last couple of rounds. Granted on each occasion it's because I've missed the green in regulation, but I only just missed it and they've been in a position that's a good miss.
Upon getting to my ball each time I've had 3 awful lies with the ball looking like planet Saturn.

Do you think that's unfair or do you think it's just part and parcel of the game and a bit unlucky.
I've always thought they should be marked GUR until the new grass has grown, but there's so many patches at the moment I don't think the green-keeper would have enough spray paint.
Imagine how annoyed you would be to be in a good position with a good card in your hands and having to chip from a little bald hole next to the green!
 
Ideally would be marked GUR, but it's just one of those things that happens from time to time. Just have to suck it up I'm afraid.
 
Have the same on our course, was out last night and noticed they have marked most of them as GUR for tomorrow's comp. I only played 9 holes but it does look they have marked as many as they can. Was still getting mud balls though when landing in the rough
 
We're still playing lift, clean and place on closely mown areas so just off the green and you're ok. If you can't get a decent lie within 6" then I put it in the clearest (least grass around it) spot and bunt it with a 7 or 8 on.

It does make me cringe during winter watching all the idiots wheeling their trolleys right next to the green, knowing that this is going to happen, yet they are oblivious to doing any wrong.
 
We are still lift and place at present, but around the green is fine as we have ropes (all year round) to stop trollies and buggies from getting close to the green. I was unsure about the ropes when I first joined, but think they are great now. You can replay your shot on the rare occasion you hit one, and also move them out the way when you are near the approach.
 
We have some areas where heavy traffic mean the grass never recovers. They are marked GUR for comps but heavy rain usually washes the lines away in a day or so.

My frustration is they are not GUR as they are never repaired! To play off some areas near bridges you would destroy a club on embedded stones (not loose ) or take a penalty drop. I'm all for playing the ball as it lies but this is just unfair.
 
mikejohnchapman said:
We have some areas where heavy traffic mean the grass never recovers. They are marked GUR for comps but heavy rain usually washes the lines away in a day or so.

My frustration is they are not GUR as they are never repaired! To play off some areas near bridges you would destroy a club on embedded stones (not loose ) or take a penalty drop. I'm all for playing the ball as it lies but this is just unfair.
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Sounds like a length of rope needs invested in.
 
Ross61 said:
We are still lift and place at present, but around the green is fine as we have ropes (all year round) to stop trollies and buggies from getting close to the green. I was unsure about the ropes when I first joined, but think they are great now. You can replay your shot on the rare occasion you hit one, and also move them out the way when you are near the approach.
Click to expand...

I hope that's a keyboard slip - there shouldn't be any choice over replaying a shot in such situations. It should be a 'must replay the shot'.
 
duncan mackie said:
I hope that's a keyboard slip - there shouldn't be any choice over replaying a shot in such situations. It should be a 'must replay the shot'.
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No keyboard slip.
i quote the local rule written on the scorecard.... "a ball striking either the rope or the posts of the hole in play, between the player and the green, may be replayed without penalty"
 
Tough at our place. No GUR and play as it lies unless it's a mown area but normally these are in the rough around the green. Can really give you the shakes with a short pitch over a bunker and off a bare patch.
 
If they're that bad they should be GUR, but your green staff should also be roping areas off during winter to move traffic around and prevent known bad areas from getting that bad.
 
HawkeyeMS said:
If they're that bad they should be GUR, but your green staff should also be roping areas off during winter to move traffic around and prevent known bad areas from getting that bad.
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Not bad at my place mate. As you'll know from bitter experience, areas like left of 2, left of 6, right of 7 and right of 9 on the front nine alone will usually leave a bare lie at any time of year
 
HomerJSimpson said:
I know :thup: Just reminding you that you didn't always have it as good as you do at your new home!
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The thing is, 3 of the 4 holes you mention have paths so if they roped the green off and made you access it from the front only, or moved the access around through the winter then the grass in the areas you mention wouldn't get so worn. It is something they do quite well at Blackmoor and you can see the difference.
 
HawkeyeMS said:
The thing is, 3 of the 4 holes you mention have paths so if they roped the green off and made you access it from the front only, or moved the access around through the winter then the grass in the areas you mention wouldn't get so worn. It is something they do quite well at Blackmoor and you can see the difference.
Click to expand...

You do remember the quality of green staff at our place? Moving flags and tee markers is a big ask
 
Glad to hear it's not just my place then.

They should be marked but they never are. A vigilante marked larger ones last year much to some people's annoyance and somes amusement.
I have a qualifier tomorrow and if I get one again I'll be putting a letter in.
 
We've got several areas near greens which have been over-seeded but are not marked GUR. To the right of 17 there are heavily sanded and seeded patches which are soft underfoot but no markings in sight.

The issue we have is that, informally, some treat them as GUR in friendly knocks. My fear is that this will also happen in forthcoming comps if 4-balls of mates who adopt the relaxed approach play together. It does happen at ours, I'm afraid.

I simply can't understand why our greenkeeping staff don't just rope it all off until it's recovered.
 
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