Do we protect our courses too much?

Having suffered in the rain yesterday (Sun 4th Nov) many courses will have closed for the day. Now this was probably due to the putting greens being unplayable, but it does raise a wider debate:

With courses struggling for members and the amount of golfers on the decrease in the UK should Golf Courses allow their course to suffer a little more in the winter in order to allow as much golf as possible? Or should they shut their doors and maintain the course for summer months?

I do think my course, Brampton Park, Cambs is often over protective and needs to make a commercial decision to open the course in order to demand satisfy members and vistors. If not it may risk losing business

Would be interested in anyones thoughts on what can be a difficult issue for Golf Clubs.

This is always an issue at some places.

My thoughts are that a Course closes itself, so if no one wants to play OK but if one person does, let them.

The bigger issue is protecting a course, where you get complaint after complaint that you are not allowed off 'grass tees' and 'normal greens'. Winter Greens are a big issue, but if they were cut and prepared all year round it would be a big issue when they are put into play. It's when a circle is cut somewhere on the fairway in early November and that is the green for the next few months that causes most complaints. It takes about half the annual budget to get the greens good for summer play so you can see why a Club wants to protect them over the very damaging winter months.

Owen,

I think that courses need to try and maintain the best of both worlds. As a member one of the reasons that I pay my membership fee each year is so that I can play a course whenever I wish that is going to be better kept than a public course. I imagine that this is the same for a large number of members across the country.

My club is a private members club so has the luxury of not having to worry about enticing general visitors. Interesting though they are facing an entirely different issue; that is the fact that they have a rapidly ageing members list. I am 22 and honestly everryone that I see on the course is at least twice my age, it doesn't bode well for the long term future of the club. I would be interested on hearing your thoughts on this.

Chris

Yesterday (Sunday), the members took the decision to close the course. It had rained constantly since around 830am and as I played the 9th green there was standing water, onto the 10th and more of the same. I want to play everyday but not if it means damaging the course. I think if too much damage is caused during the wet and cold months the course will not recover sufficiently to play at its best during the summer months.

We have started using winter tees (mats to protect themain tees, and the temp greens are ready to be put in place if required. Our greens all have a small area that is used as a winter green and this area is kept cut all year round.

My course (Deane GC) is in the middle of switching over to winter greens. We're off mats on the fairways and tee boxes, with the odd summer green still in play. Unfortunately, we are one of those, cut some fairway, stick a hole in, winter green clubs, which generally ruins the round because of the poor quality. Still, this winter will be about practice for me, scores aside.

I feel very fortunate to play my regular golf as a member of RAF Waddington Golf Club. Our course gets very little traffic and as such we can go into winter with normal tees and greens. Having said that I think it is encumberent on the members to use common sense and desist when playing conditions (particularly frost) are detrimental to the course. Of course we want to play if humanly possible, but it is worth considering the groundstaff who work hard to present our courses at their best.

Frost is an interesting topic in particular in relation to the damaged caused. Anyone have any detailed information or links to research in relation to this ?

It surprises me how many courses allow you out when the greens are frozen, well beginning to thaw.

Played yesterday at Brickhampton Court and after all the rain alot of the fairways were waterlogged and there were quite a few puddles on the green. Was very suprised they kept the course open as i'd say some holes were unplayable due to the amount of standing water. They very rarely close the course even if its frozen. Its all about the money and they dont give a monkeys about the state of the course.

Thanks for the reply's everyone!

Interesting stuff. seems that there is a balance to be struck! There also seems to be a case made for using only winter tees on par 3's and proper prep of winter greens. I know at my club this would help a lot. I do not really understand why a area of the fairway is not set aside all year for winter greens. It would certainly make them more bearable.

Darren raises a interesting point on frost. Certainly my course will play on frozen greens and no damage is done. Others will not even entertain the idea. I think it may be dangerous to the greens when the frost has gone in deep and then is in thaw. I will try and get some comment from a greenkeeper on this.

Owen,

I seem to think that one of the problems with frost is "burning", thats the black marks left after it thaws.

Also if you get a frost in the morning and it thaws enough to allow pitch marks from the ball, then it freezes again the same night, it may damage the roots.

The daftest thing is that many Clubs cut Winter Greens on the front edge of the main green. Then when we get frost and the ground is hard the ball usually ends up on the back of the main green, so traffic is not reduced.

Our course never has winter mats and only have temporary greens if there is work being done on or around the green, or if the greens are frozen but thawing.

Apparently if greens stay frozen it's not an issue. The problem comes when they are thawing because the surface thaws quicker than the subsoil. If a ball hits the green when the surface is thawed and the subsoil frozen, the top of the grass gives and moves but the root can't so the roots are ripped away from the blade. There doesn't have to be much movement and just walking on the green can be enough to cause damage

By all accounts, a thawing green is the one most susceptible to damage

Really intersting in terms of the thawing greens; I had never considered that before

My club has the luxury of having a number of tees for each hole. There are only two holes that have mats for tees, and we may end up on winter greens, maybe, a handful of times at most. A lot of problems you see from frost damage are almost cosmetic. Give the course a few weeks growth and all signs of the dmamge is gone.

A number of clubs have members carry a little mat to use off the fairways. The clubs in question has probably been in operation the thick end of 100 yrs without needing mats... go figure that one out.

Hi Brian,

I like you don't get having to use a little mat to use as you go round. Sounds crazy to me. I am not sure i could stomach being a member at one of those clubs.

Brian/Owen - I am a little mat user. Forced upon us! they used to be given out at the start of a round, then handed back in to the pro shop. Now you have to buy one for use over winter at a cost of �5... I'm only due to pay �400 (as I'm 26) for next year's membership, but I certainly see why the lads/ladies over 30 who pay �800 are annoyed at this more than me.

Oh I should also add we only play 17 holes max over winter. As our 13th is closed due to it being a green saddled inbetween two rivines, so no space for a winiter green it seems.

I'm only new to the game and find it mildly amusing that people have to carry a little piece of mat around with them to hit the ball off - frankly, I'd find somewhere else to spend my money.I am a member at a proprietary 'pay and play' course, but I have to say that whatever the weather / time of year, the course is in fantastic condition. Greens are spiked etc in the winter which does change the game slightly, but other than 2 short par 3s where we have mats to play off, we use normal tee boxes and greens. I think the owners are clearly committed to keeping the course open (for obvious reasons) but invest accordingly. It's easily done if it's planned properly and spend the money that is required.

Totally agree Greg. In a lot of cases, I think the over protectiveness of courses is down to under investment of maintenance.

Like already mentioned I'd read stuff on the damage to the roots but check this out in relation to frozen grass actually damaging by cutting http://youtu.be/QR7eAloWCpM