How Dry Is Carnoustie?

[David_Tepper]

With much of Scotland experiencing almost drought-like conditions, I am wondering if anyone has been by Carnoustie in the last week or so to see just how dry the course is. Are they watering the course other than the greens & tees?

[Brian_Ewen]

Follow Craig Boath on twitter : https://twitter.com/CraigBoath

[Adam Lawrence]

How beautiful is that?

[Ryan Coles]

Looking at social media, the fairways have been watered quite heavily as they didn’t want it to dry out too early. Most uk courses are completely brown at the moment, apart from tees and greens.

[Mark Pearce]

I heard a suggestion recently that it won't be as dry as Muirfield '13.  Which can only be because they have been watering.  Shame.

[David_Tepper]

Brian E. -

Thanks for the link to Craig Boath's twitter feed. Looks like the situation is well in hand.

It also looks like there will be little or no rain over the next two weeks. Conditions may be similar to Hoylake in 2006.

DT

P.S. Speaking of dry conditions: https://www.northern-times.co.uk/News/Water-warning-for-Dornoch-Bonar-and-Lairg-06072018.htm

[Richard Fisher]

Drought is actually becoming a real issue in some areas this British summer  (and I know that drought is legendarily good for golf courses, killing off the 'bad' grasses). Going to beloved Harlech tomorrow, where all cutting/mowing/rolling of any kind is currently forbidden (including the greens) as the irrigation system dries up and the green staff try to protect the green surfaces: this could be like playing seaside golf fifty years ago, and I am very intrigued to see what playability will actually be like. The Harlech/Cardigan Bay area has (astonishingly) been about the warmest place in Europe for the past fortnight.

Watching the Irish Open on tv, there does seem an amazing contrast between (I infer) the championship (watered and pampered) course and the second eighteen, certainly as seen from overhead.

For about the last time the (British) Open was played on a truly white golf course, check out Youtube footage of the 1976 Birkdale Open and the Miller/Ballesteros duel of that drought summer - pockets of green but everything else tending to off-white and very, very pale indeed.

[Mark Chaplin]

A mate posted a picture from Hoylake earlier in the week, looked like he was playing off a beach.

I went to Carnoustie on Tuesday for a course walk with Craig Boath the superintendent. They were watering the fairways until Saturday when golf stopped, this was to protect them due to heavy wear and to assist the divots in germinating. Now the only golf is competitor practice, Adam Scott and Justin Rose were there for 3 days this week, they have turned off the water. The course looks fiery already and will be getting drier by the day. The greens are putting great but the odd spot of Highland Bent will show up on high definition TV.

They have extra staff but the lack of growth means there maybe nothing to cut! I think the course will play superbly.

[Thomas Dai]

Not dry enough! Mind you, one wet thunderstorm and the colour will change pretty quick.
Hope the approaches aren't (excessively) watered. Seen it too often. Not much worst on a links than really firm fairways and greens but softer approaches, kind of limits ground game options.
The Twitter link is quite enlightening.
4 great weeks - Irish Open, Scottish Open, The Open and then the Seniors Open.
atb

[David_Tepper]

Mark C. -

Thanks for the report. I assume Gullane will also be brown and bouncy for next week's Scottish Open.

DT

[Brian_Ewen]

Craig Boath @CraigBoath
Application of seaweed and wetting agent on the greens today @carnoustiegolf keeping moisture up, whilst we go through this hot spell. #readytodrydown

[Kalen Braley]

I'm looking at the 10 day for Carnoustie and the forecast shows high 60s, low 70s all the way thru with little to no chance for even a shower.


With a course that looks like that, they'll need to do something.  A brown tinge is perfect, but that is looking baked....

[Mark Pearce]

I'm looking at the 10 day for Carnoustie and the forecast shows high 60s, low 70s all the way thru with little to no chance for even a shower.


With a course that looks like that, they'll need to do something.  A brown tinge is perfect, but that is looking baked....

No, that's looking perfect.

[Sean_A]

Mark C. -

Thanks for the report. I assume Gullane will also be brown and bouncy for next week's Scottish Open.

DT

East Lothian hasn't been nearly as hot as the rest of Scotland. Last week, the courses were just starting to get the effect of little rain. The previous week at Burnham, the course was complete toast.  My garden is incredibly dry...the grass crinkles when I walk on it...sounds a bit like snow crunching.  I would like to know what Enville looks like!

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

A regular playing partner just back from Tenby and Ashburnham described both courses as “white with the fairways rolling quicker than the greens”.


Burnt and brown and very firm is great. I recall spending time on Burnham and Berrow Channel Course’s 9th green post a Buda when Lynn, Craig, Bryan, Lou, Mike and I spent a good half hour chipping, pitching, putting, hybriding and bumping shots from around the green in an effort to find the best way to make an up-n-down. Great fun, challenging and educational as well.


Atb

[Jon Wiggett]

I'm looking at the 10 day for Carnoustie and the forecast shows high 60s, low 70s all the way thru with little to no chance for even a shower.


With a course that looks like that, they'll need to do something.  A brown tinge is perfect, but that is looking baked....

No, that's looking perfect.

+1

[David_Tepper]

The 2006 Open at Hoylake. Plenty of brown/yellow/white grass there, even on the greens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJYkw6hCXMY

[David Jones]

I had a chat to the Gullane Course Manager ahead of next week and wrote it up here, there’s a few pics as well -


http://www.ukgolfguy.com/golf-blog/gullane-scottish-open


We’ve not had much rain in East Lothian for weeks but it’s not been as hot as the west for sure so we’ve still got some green on the course and it’s not white yet. Stewart was putting a little water on the fairways until last Sunday but stopped then. He told me he was trying to get a burnt out look. It looks in great condition anyway, a little breeze and we’re in for a treat.

[Joe Hancock]

I'm looking at the 10 day for Carnoustie and the forecast shows high 60s, low 70s all the way thru with little to no chance for even a shower.


With a course that looks like that, they'll need to do something.  A brown tinge is perfect, but that is looking baked....

Kalen,


Grass has a built-in survival mechanism called dormancy. It goes into drought dormancy to survive a drought....similar to trees shedding their leaves in the fall and going dormant to survive winter. Brown grass isn’t always dead grass. The only time brown grass is dead grass is when it’s getting everything it needs to be green but something else goes wrong.

[David_Tepper]

David J. -

Very good interview with Stewart Duff. Very informative. Thanks for posting the link.

DT

[Kalen Braley]

Joe,


I certainly won't disagree with any of that, but I suspect a lot also depends on where in the world you are.  If you let your lawn get like that here in Utah where summer temps are frequently high 90s/low 100s for 2-3 months.....you can kiss it goodbye for the summer, and only hope it comes back the following year.


It happened to me when my sprinkler system broke down a few summers ago....and after losing most of the lawn when it didn't regrow the following year, I had to start from scratch.   


I suspect UK grasses are much more naturally adapated to this sort of event....

[Thomas Dai]

It’s been an unusual U.K. summer. The U.K. cliche “a few hot days and then a thunderstorm” is said for a reason, but this year the weather pattern has been way, way different. Bit like the winter of 2010/11 was way out of kilter with the usual.
By the way, anyone remember when the Govt created a Minister for Drought!?
And watch out for water abstraction checks.
Atb

[David Jones]

David J. -

Very good interview with Stewart Duff. Very informative. Thanks for posting the link.

DT

Thanks DT! He was a very pleasant guy, huge pride in his team and the course.

[Mark Chaplin]

We’ve been in St Andrews since 14th April in that time there’s been 2 or 3 short showers and one downpour giving an inch. I doubt there’s been more than 1 1/8th inch of rain in that time.

[Sean_A]

It’s been an unusual U.K. summer. The U.K. cliche “a few hot days and then a thunderstorm” is said for a reason, but this year the weather pattern has been way, way different. Bit like the winter of 2010/11 was way out of kilter with the usual.
By the way, anyone remember when the Govt created a Minister for Drought!?
And watch out for water abstraction checks.
Atb

There has also been a load of nothernly wind which typically doesn't bring summer rain.  I have been to North Berwick three times this year and have yet to have a southwesterly wind!  The same thing has been happening at Burnham.  Its very odd.

Ciao