[David_Tepper]

When I left the Highlands in early October last year, it was obvious many of the links courses were very much the worse for wear due to the warm, dry conditions most of GB&I experienced over the summer. Patches of little or no grass were commonplace and fairways were even muddy in spots after it rained.

For those of you who have played links golf so far this spring, I am curious as to how your course has recovered. Has the grass grown back or are there still bare patches with little or no turf?

[Sean_A]

David

My club is struggling. The approach seems to be to allow the grass to grow so fairways are shaggy, yet still bare in spots. We need a prolonged period of rain...sad to say.

When I played the Bann 9 in Northern Ireland the course was in good nick with the greens being outstanding.  Purbeck wasn't bad at all for grass coverage.   

Ciao

[Ally Mcintosh]

To the best of my knowledge, they’ve all recovered perfectly David.


In fact, it was an incredibly mild November and December here and mixed with soft rain, it provided good growing conditions until well after Christmas.


We built a green on a really exposed site in mid-November, hydroseeded it with the expectation we’d see no germination until May. It was perfectly green by January.

[David_Tepper]

"To the best of my knowledge, they’ve all recovered perfectly David."

Ally -

I presume you are referring to the courses in Ireland. I wonder if the courses there did not get quite a badly beaten up by the warm, dry weather last summer as the British links.

DT

[Tommy Williamsen]

I was in Ireland a couple of weeks ago and the courses were just fine, but they were good when I was there in November as well.

[Thomas Dai]

From what I’ve seen quite a bit of seeding has been done and as temperatures have been increasing so re-growth has been occurring.
Atb

[James Reader]

It’s not just the links. I played both courses at Sunningdale a couple of weeks ago and the fairways there were still very patchy - still a great day though.

[JT Taylor]

I've been in NI and Ireland for the past week and conditions have been very good. Played Portmarnock on Wednesday and it was just about perfect firm and fast conditions. Players are going to love playing there for the Amateur Championship. Just a wonderful club and excellent playing conditions.

[Jon Wiggett]

David,


the links courses are playing similar to mid summer. Most are in good nick but do look quite brown and there has been little growth to date. We had over 20C last weekend but only just above freezing today and quite a bit of snow.


Jon

[Philip Gawith]

David I was in Dornoch last weekend and that is definitely still below par. same at Castle Stuart. At Royal st George’s in the south I would say 25 per cent of fairways still not properly recovered. Indeed in stressed places you are asked to use mats, thought that is as much/more to do with 2020 Open.


Philip

[Duncan Cheslett]

Spare a thought for the vast majority of golf courses in the UK which have no fairway irrigation, and precious little on tees.


Normally there is no need to water fairways - nature sees to that, particularly in the west. Last year's drought however, played havoc with fairways at most clubs, and the dryish mild winter has led to moss replacing grass in many places. I've seen some shocking fairways this year on courses that are generally very well maintained.

Until we get some proper rain it is difficult to see what greenkeepers can realistically do about it.

[Adam_Messix]

I was in the UK a few weeks ago playing mostly links courses and found conditions pretty close to normal for this time of year.  Royal Birkdale was in particularly good condition.  David, more in the direction that you are looking, conditions in Aberdeen were pretty good.  The mild winter helped with the healing process from the dry weather last summer.  The 14th green at Cruden Bay was covered with close to a foot of sand from a wind storm and is still recovering.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised given the conditions last summer.

[Rich Goodale]

I was up in Dornoch for 4 days last weekend, and the course was in reasonable nick (probably due to the relative warmth the previous weekend as Jon W experienced).  I didn't golf on the big course due to two open comps (good idea in not entering as the course played brutally in the 45F temperatures and chilling winds of Sat and Sun[size=78%]).  [/size][/size]I did play on the Struie and it was in very good shape, and friends of mine who did play in the Opens thought that it was in good nick, particularly given the horrendous weather which still prevails.[size=78%]

[/size]Off to sunshine with Josie Monday through mid-June.  The attached video might at least put a smile on anybody else's face here or planning to come and interested in Brexit.......[size=78%]

https://twitter.com/janeygodley/status/1088147622798475264?lang=en


Rich

[MClutterbuck]

David,


the links courses are playing similar to mid summer. Most are in good nick but do look quite brown and there has been little growth to date. We had over 20C last weekend but only just above freezing today and quite a bit of snow.


Jon

Jon, is this still the case? Any news on conditions at Turnberry, Royal Troon, Prestwick? Old Course and Elie? Carnoustie? Are conditions bad across all these areas?

[Jon Wiggett]

I can only talk about those that I have played, namely Brora, Wick, Tain and Fortrose but they were all decent. It is interesting that all the clubs you mention are top end and I do wonder if they have paid for the folly of over watering and inappropriate height of cuts.

[MClutterbuck]

I can only talk about those that I have played, namely Brora, Wick, Tain and Fortrose but they were all decent. It is interesting that all the clubs you mention are top end and I do wonder if they have paid for the folly of over watering and inappropriate height of cuts.

When you only get a golf trip every other year and travel half the world to get there, going to some of the best makes sense. I will report back in 2 weeks.


Having said that, Brora is one of the best and most enjoyable courses I have played, and in awful weather.

[Jon Wiggett]

Sorry, misread your post and took it as saying 'reports you had were that those courses were in poor nick' not 'any news on...' I have not heard any news on those courses but would have thought they would be in reasonable nick.

[Erik Mosley]

Report from my playing partner is that Western Gailes was in good shape while Prestwick was average but still a blast to play. Will report my own views of the conditions at N Berwick today and the Old Course tomorrow... If I can somehow look past the incredible golf!

[Mark Chaplin]

With regards to the Old Course other that the area immediately around the Swilken Bridge there wasn’t a blade of grass out of place on the entire course.


For the whole of last summer there was one area on the Strathtyrum course around the size of a dinner plate that wasn’t in great condition, I jest not. All the other courses were damned near perfect.


Gordon Moir The recently retired Keeper of the Links said the Old Course on any given day in the summer could hold a major within two weeks.

[Thomas Dai]

No slight intended, but this thread does beg the thought that perhaps some higher echelon links courses seem to have become over-conditioned during the last few decades, fairways, green surrounds and walkways in particular, and that some players expectations of what a links course should be like have become swayed as a consequence. To me a links is best when it’s a little edgy, a bit variable, a bit like the weather. That’s part of the fun, the challenge, the experience.

Atb

[Ben Stephens]

My home course Rutland Water and Luffenham Heath fairways are in quite good condition however Lindrick fairways were in a poor condition even though they have irrigation - they have rebuilt/relocated a lot of bunkers. Whether it is due to the sandy soil or taking eyes off things that need more priority.

[Jon Wiggett]

Thomas,


I for one am of the opinion that TOC is a lesser course from a golfing point of view now compared to 30 years ago due to lower HOC on the fairways and a narrowing of the playing corridors.


Ben,


irrigation is certainly not a bad thing if used diligently but it should be used in conjunction with other measures. I am sorry to here the conditions at Lindrick are not so good as the turf there was usually top class.
 

[Thomas Dai]

Links courses installing rye grass pathways that have their own sprinkler systems. Ugg! Way OTT.
atb

[Mark Chaplin]

Thomas the other option is rutted cinder pathways which do nothing to blend into their surroundings, I know which I prefer.

[Thomas Dai]

Totally disagree Mark. For one thing rutted cinder pathways are not the only other option. And secondly, what a waste of water. Just the kind of thing that gives golf a bad name.
Atb

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