Bryan Baldwin to CHAIR OF GREENS
Your Suggestion / Comment
We have just played today 7th January and the course was playable but only just with some holes suffering because of the recent heavy rain. We have to accept that the course’s historic issues with drainage coupled with climate change means this will be the norm for a number of seasons and certainly until we are able to renew the course drainage where needed.
With this in mind could we now consider hole rotation throughout the winter season as a matter of course, designed to even the load across the course and mitigate the damage caused by played the more vulnerable holes in conditions which are borderline. In future winter seasons we could use a rotational system as a matter of course working out a series of routes designed to allow us to lay off some holes and allow then to repair.
I appreciate it would mean the creation of scorecards to cover the route, but this would be a small cost set against protecting and preserving the course as best as possible
HGC Response
MARTIN ANDREW
Good evening Bryan
Many thanks for your email and suggestion therein.
This is a subject I was actually discussing with Scott this morning and some other members in the clubhouse.
I believe there are significant merits in rotating holes played and being able to rest holes which may be suffering more than others during winter months. The fact that we have not yet done so is an oversight on the part of the Green Committee and myself. We will be discussing the matter in more detail at our next meeting on 18th January with a view to implementation.
I agree there would be a need for new scorecards to accommodate potential 9, 10, 12, 13, hole winter competitions but don’t believe this would be too burdensome or should prevent us from doing so.
I would welcome any proposals you may have in respect of alternative shortened course for the winter which can be considered alongside proposals made by the Green Committee.
Best regards
Martin Andrew