Golf Thread

I keep popping in and out of this thread to see what's going on in the world of golf.

I am from the maintenance side of golf which is in huge decline. Head greenkeepers walking away , or being made redundant and replaced by their deputies on deputies wages.
The maintenance budgets being slashed, and maintenance teams being reduced by half on some courses.

The maintenance side of golf has huge problems, lack of young greenkeepers coming in and older experience ones looking to get out.

Reading your post it doesnt seem to be impacting on your enjoyment or standard of course yet.

I guess that's a few years down the line ! Most courses will be ok for about 2 years without the right maintenance, experience staff or the correct numbers of staff. Than it just falls of a cliff and takes decades to get back.

Enjoy your golf but makes sure your course isnt cutting corners on maintenance, experience staff etc :)
The game seems to be thriving. Difficult getting a Saturday tee time, course seems to be busy all the time, waiting lists for good courses. The game is definitely on the up.
Didn't realise there was issues with the greenkeepers through the industry.
 
The game seems to be thriving. Difficult getting a Saturday tee time, course seems to be busy all the time, waiting lists for good courses. The game is definitely on the up.
Didn't realise there was issues with the greenkeepers through the industry.

Yes does seem abit odd, playing golf is really on the up. Yet clubs are cutting back on maintenance of the course and of staff. Theres a growing movement within the courses around here to sack off head greenkeepers, promote the deputy, than pay some ex professional golfer £700 a visit to tell the greenkeepers what to do lol. YCMIU

I know a few ex head greenkeepers and people within the trade. The people o know within the trade are basically just waiting for retirement or redundancy, sadly.
It use to be a wonderful profession, greenkeeping, but it has serious problems.
I loved it for 20 years but my last 2 years were a nightmare, couldn't wait to get out luckily I got made redundant so got a years wage ;)

Still enjoy your golf ;)
 
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Yes does seem abit odd, playing golf is really on the up. Yet clubs are cutting back on maintenance of the course and of staff. Theres a growing movement within the courses around here to sack off head greenkeepers, promote the deputy, than pay some ex professional golfer £700 a visit to tell the greenkeepers what to do lol. YCMIU

I know a few ex head greenkeepers and people within the trade. The people o know within the trade are basically just waiting for retirement or redundancy, sadly.
It use to be a wonderful profession, greenkeeping, but it has serious problems.

Still enjoy your golf ;)
If that's the case it will come back to bite them later on.
The courses that are top quality will always get the membership and visitors while clubs that don't offer decent facilities will wither on the vine.
 
Well today was a day I shall remember for the rest of my days. My very first hole in one. 17th hole, 125 yards over water. 51 degree gap wedge and it went straight the hole, pitched 5 feet short, released and rolled straight into the centre of the cup. Shame about the 16 preceding holes.

EC42C52F-12E3-4257-BF2C-5115F68A3A2C.jpeg

I’m off to get pissed now (and yes that green is in an awful state but we’ve had two weeks of sandstorms and 45 degree heat so they took a battering).
 
Well today was a day I shall remember for the rest of my days. My very first hole in one. 17th hole, 125 yards over water. 51 degree gap wedge and it went straight the hole, pitched 5 feet short, released and rolled straight into the centre of the cup. Shame about the 16 preceding holes.

View attachment 19189

I’m off to get pissed now (and yes that green is in an awful state but we’ve had two weeks of sandstorms and 45 degree heat so they took a battering).


Congratulations Sam. Nobody can ever take it away from you.
 
Well today was a day I shall remember for the rest of my days. My very first hole in one. 17th hole, 125 yards over water. 51 degree gap wedge and it went straight the hole, pitched 5 feet short, released and rolled straight into the centre of the cup. Shame about the 16 preceding holes.



I’m off to get pissed now (and yes that green is in an awful state but we’ve had two weeks of sandstorms and 45 degree heat so they took a battering).

Just catching up on the thread congratulations.
Jealous moi? I've never had an eagle let alone a hole in one.
 
Just catching up on the thread congratulations.
Jealous moi? I've never had an eagle let alone a hole in one.
Cheers bud. It was in the weekly newsletter and I’ve had a handful of clients text me and say I spend too much time on the course.
 
Well today was a day I shall remember for the rest of my days. My very first hole in one. 17th hole, 125 yards over water. 51 degree gap wedge and it went straight the hole, pitched 5 feet short, released and rolled straight into the centre of the cup. Shame about the 16 preceding holes.

View attachment 19189

I’m off to get pissed now (and yes that green is in an awful state but we’ve had two weeks of sandstorms and 45 degree heat so they took a battering).
Superb, nearest I’ve been is a putter handle away … Did you get the drinks in ?
 
Well done on the hole in 1.I have been playing for 40 yrs closest i have come is about 1 inch.One of my golfing pals has had 8 however if he was on a plane that crashed he would survive always been a lucky sod.The vagries of golf though i have holed from the middle of the fairway twice this year a 5 iron from 170 yds and a 5 wood from 200 yds not sure if luck or skill probably the former.
 
Well done on the hole in 1.I have been playing for 40 yrs closest i have come is about 1 inch.One of my golfing pals has had 8 however if he was on a plane that crashed he would survive always been a lucky sod.The vagries of golf though i have holed from the middle of the fairway twice this year a 5 iron from 170 yds and a 5 wood from 200 yds not sure if luck or skill probably the former.
Me, too.
I'm still a "hole in one virgin" despite playing off single figures for 25 years, and between 5 and 7 for the majority of that. I won't be beating myself up about it, though.
 
Well done on the hole in 1.I have been playing for 40 yrs closest i have come is about 1 inch.One of my golfing pals has had 8 however if he was on a plane that crashed he would survive always been a lucky sod.The vagries of golf though i have holed from the middle of the fairway twice this year a 5 iron from 170 yds and a 5 wood from 200 yds not sure if luck or skill probably the former.
That’s impressive. I managed my first long distance hole out two rounds before the ace. PW from 142 yards and spent five minutes looking for the bloody ball as it’s an uphill shot into a blind green with trees behind. Helpfully my mate thought to check the hole.
 
I`ve had 3 Hole in one`s, 1 on the 2nd at Hesketh in a comp. 1 on the 4th at Birchwood in a club comp, 1 on the 6th at Stand in a friendly game. The lowest I played off was 5.7. I got to that 3 times but between 6 and 7 was the handicap I was off the longest.

My son who`s been off +1 has only had 1 hole in one and that was at Gullane. It was the worst shot I`ve ever seen him play but it went in the hole.

It`s just luck to a large extent.
 
Never had one in the UK where I play most of my golf. (I guess I cannot count one on the 4th at Wythenshawe Park pitch and putt in 1962)
Had 2 on 110 yd hole over water Par 3 courses in Florida-still the odds are against it.
Just played 2 great courses- Bolton (Lostock) superb & today at Ashton and Lea nr Preston again in great shape. Recommend both of them.
 
Never had one in the UK where I play most of my golf. (I guess I cannot count one on the 4th at Wythenshawe Park pitch and putt in 1962)
Had 2 on 110 yd hole over water Par 3 courses in Florida-still the odds are against it.
Just played 2 great courses- Bolton (Lostock) superb & today at Ashton and Lea nr Preston again in great shape. Recommend both of them.
I played Ashton and Lea last Wednesday and Thursday (brother in law is a member) greens in fantastic condition
 
I have never really played golf even having worked as a greenkeeper/head greenkeeper for around 30 years. So have played a few holes after work in a week
I use to play about 5 or 6 holes a week just to check the greens and bunkers etc.
I think I have had 3 or 4 holes in one.

I was always told i should take up golf but always found it boring. Cycling was my main hobby.

One year we were getting lots of complaints about the bunker sand. So I saw the head of greens on the course one day. He started talking about the poor sand lol. So I asked to borrow his sand wedge and we dropped a few balls into a green side bunker.
The pin was about 30 yards away, my first shot I left about 12 inches short. My second shot went straight in.
I turned to the head of greens and just said nothing wrong with the bunker sand more a case of the members cant play a bunker shot ;)
 

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