Deal flood damage

[Daryl David]

I was aware of the storm and some damage over the winter, but did not think it was this severe.  The R&A has moved the July Open qualifying to Sunningdale New.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2614878/Open-qualifying-heads-Sunningdale-bad-weather-scuppers-Royal-Cinque-Ports.html

What damage remains that they could not hold the qualifying?  Is it effecting play currently?

[Michael Felton]

In mid April, several of the bunkers were out of play on account of being full of water. It was VERY wet indeed. I think the water table is so high that it can't drain because there's nowhere to go. I'm surprised it would be a problem still in July though.

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

The Club announced this last week. The problem is that there will be no time for the flooded areas to completely recover for the event after the water leaves. It is not just a matter of drying, but the turf must recover.

[Daryl David]

That's a shame, but I suspect a day on Deal when it is in rough shape like it is now is still a hell of a lot of fun.   

[Noel Freeman]

I was at Deal three days ago.  In the 15 years I've been visiting there I've never seen remotely anything as bad as what I saw.  Now, on Thursday they received some rain and Sunningdale where I played Friday was also very wet, but still the damage was clear.  Standing water in bunkers, tons of areas that were green under repair etc.  The greens were uber slow and being protected (although putted true).  The course played like a wet marshy meadowland rather than a links.  It was quite sad, I know the greenskeeper there is respected and doing his best, this is mother nature not anything else.  FWIW, I hit some shots in the heather at Sunningdale New and when I found them I was in large casual water puddles (in the heather).  While I didn't see damage at Sunningdale, it didn't play like a well drained heathland course either although Thursday's rains were heavy.

Lets hope for a dry summer. 

[Noel Freeman]

Noel - the conditions you describe (of the non damaged areas)  is very different to what it's been like for the last couple of months - the damaged areas need a lot of time, yes, and it will be a while before the water drains from the bunkers but the greens have been absolutely impeccable as have the fairways - really firm, true with excellent grass coverage. You mentioned Sunningdale was also v wet - I think we had a dirty week of rain which probably contributed to a feeling that things were at lot worse at Deal than they have actually been.

Brian- The fairways were mainly fine except for some mottled areas which are GUR--for example on the left before Lang's Neck on #3- they were firm but not fast if that makes sense.  The greens were as slow as I can imagine.  David Dobby who has played Deal since 1955 said he could not remember them so slow.  The grass had a lot of white seed heads on them and my guess is they putted 5-6 on a stimp.  I didn't mind as they were true, just not what I'm used to.  There were many bunker washouts beside 13 (the lowest in the water table), the three bunkers right on 14 had standing water and so did 15, 17 etc.

I've only seen standing water after a thunderstorm in the bunkers at Deal besides this time with the exception of 13's cross bunkers which can retain a lot of water..

I'm sure the course will be fine by summer.  Didn't matter, I'm in love with the place so it was still a joy out there.

[Mark Chaplin]

Brian I was surprised with Noel's assessment of the green speed as you say they've been great for weeks and were running 10.5 during the Hewitt and not far off for the Brassey.

Noel there's talk of turning the cross bunkers on 13 into a ditch which would possibly make sense as they flood every year, even when it's dry!

It actually hasn't rained much this week in Deal, yet on Thursday at Worplesdon it hammered down yet a chap shot 62 on flooded greens.

[Noel Freeman]

Brian I was surprised with Noel's assessment of the green speed as you say they've been great for weeks and were running 10.5 during the Hewitt and not far off for the Brassey.

Noel there's talk of turning the cross bunkers on 13 into a ditch which would possibly make sense as they flood every year, even when it's dry!

It actually hasn't rained much this week in Deal, yet on Thursday at Worplesdon it hammered down yet a chap shot 62 on flooded greens.

Chappers/Brian, maybe the greenskeeper is protecting the greens by not cutting them down for an Amateur event that I think is coming up.  They putted smooth like glass but as slow as molasses.. David D. had told me like Brian said they were great a few weeks ago…

I guess that makes sense in an odd way on #13 with a ditch instead of the bunkers although I've always liked that triumvirate of spectacle like bunkers.  They are really a good hazard when the northerly is blowing…  Still not enamored with upcoming change to 16, I'd much rather see 12 as a par 5 with a new tee but that would necessitate a hazard off the drive or near the green to make it play properly..

I'd also like to see the medal (not the stones) tees placed on the sea wall now and then on 7 and 9--this may happen more than my 2-4 trips a year to Deal.

Also, the low area in front of 4 was a huge marsh, I know it can retain water well but it looked like quicksand.. Not at all like the sandy area from the old British Golf Links pix of the Sandy Parlour.

[Mark Chaplin]

Noel I cannot imagine the greens are "being protected" for one round of the South East Links. The protection for the Amateur was not cutting holes in certain areas to keep down wear and old hole bumps.

The area on 4 maybe a result of the sea wall, the greenkeepers think this May have caused the flooding on the third green. Everyone forgets millions of gallons of water are pumped out to sea from land surrounding the course everyday, even in the driest of summers.

[Tom Culley]

I'm looping for a friend in the South East Links championship this coming weekend.

Any word on how Sandwich has coped?

[James Bledge]

Hi guys, I am the Assistant Links Superintendent at RCP and i'm quite happy to clear a few things up for you all.

The greens are slow just now as we have been trying to 'beef them up' a touch in preparation for a selective herbicide which will get rid of pearlwort and parsley piert. We couldn't spray these weeds out last year because the amateur was too close so we have double the amount of weeds just now. The greens were stumping at 8' 10" on Friday 2nd May. not 5ft as perviously stated, although the tees may well have been! We intend to top dress this week and we are confident in getting speeds back up to the 10ft we all love!

As for the water! its been the bane of all our lives for the last 6 months! The effort some of the green staff have put in to keep the course playable has been unbelievable. This morning the course looked epic and we only have half a dozen or so bunkers out of play. The second half of 16 is a massive problem with water still lying. Its water table, simple as that, pump it away and she comes straight back! We keep chipping away though and massive progress has been made.

After hosting such a successful Amateur Championships we are all gutted the course won't be used this year however we are very much looking forward to providing a course in even better condition for next years Open Qualifying and for many more years to come.

Lets just hope last Winter was a one off… Don't think we could handle that again! I hope this answers some questions and clears a few things up.

Have a look at my blog: http://royalcinqueports.wordpress.com

James.

[Noel Freeman]

Hi guys, I am the Assistant Links Superintendent at RCP and i'm quite happy to clear a few things up for you all.

The greens are slow just now as we have been trying to 'beef them up' a touch in preparation for a selective herbicide which will get rid of pearlwort and parsley piert. We couldn't spray these weeds out last year because the amateur was too close so we have double the amount of weeds just now. The greens were stumping at 8' 10" on Friday 2nd May. not 5ft as perviously stated, although the tees may well have been! We intend to top dress this week and we are confident in getting speeds back up to the 10ft we all love!

As for the water! its been the bane of all our lives for the last 6 months! The effort some of the green staff have put in to keep the course playable has been unbelievable. This morning the course looked epic and we only have half a dozen or so bunkers out of play. The second half of 16 is a massive problem with water still lying. Its water table, simple as that, pump it away and she comes straight back! We keep chipping away though and massive progress has been made.

After hosting such a successful Amateur Championships we are all gutted the course won't be used this year however we are very much looking forward to providing a course in even better condition for next years Open Qualifying and for many more years to come.

Lets just hope last Winter was a one off… Don't think we could handle that again! I hope this answers some questions and clears a few things up.

Have a look at my blog: http://royalcinqueports.wordpress.com

James.

James- well done and thanks for clarifying things.  I guess my eyes need work for figuring out where things stimp, not that it matters.  You guys have a thankless task and given the course plays as well as it can given the weather is a testament to good work.

Thanks for the blog entry, didn't know it existed and that is uber cool..

[Mark Chaplin]

Bledge - welcome to GCA your insight will be extremely interesting, there are many Deal fans here. 

Tom - Sandwich suffered in parts, there was a massive lake between the 1st fairway, 17th green and 18th tee. Areas of 9 and 13 suffered and plenty of bunkers were full of water. I played a couple of weeks ago and it was recovering well. Both courses should play very well come Thursday.

[Sean_A]

pearlwort and parsley piert I thought those were names of villages near me

Ciao

[Niall C]

Really, I thought they were a couple of characters on the Magic Roundabout.

James

Thanks for the input and welcome to the DG. Look forward to getting more of your chat.

Niall

[Tony_Muldoon]

Noel what did you make of the sudden reappearance of a bunker left side of the 10th green?  I didn't get to play it last time round but I'm guessing it's bigger this time.

Lovely today and really its only the right hand side of the lower fairway on 16 that causes major inconvenience. Wonder what you'd have made of the state of Tenby a few weeks ago.  Wish I'd had a camera for the image of 16 with a huge lake only 2 months ago.




James welcome to the treehouse. Thanks to you and all the guys for the hard work this winter.  Overall the course continues to improve throughout and as Brian says you are ahed of all the competition.  We met at the Artisans dinner, is there any chance you might be allowed to share some of the photo's you showed of your previous life on here?

[James Bledge]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!

I would love to share any of my photos, is there anything in particular you can think of? I bought it may be interesting if I started a thread on my last course David Maclay Kidd / Paul Kimber's gWest. Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland.