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Fall Northeast Golf - a little disappointing!!

post #1 of 87
11/15/12 at 9:34am
Thread Starter 
Yesterday I played 18 holes on the primary course I played this year. My swing was off and although I did hit more than a few good shots, too many of my iron shots were mishits ( a nice chilly breezy day added to the day). But the biggest issue was the condition of the course which left me a little frustated for sure. Too many leaves covering the fairways made finding the ball much too hard and added to the lost ball count, a temporary green on the 3rd hole was unputtable, this green has been a problem since I started playing almost 2 years ago. the green is a par 3 tee shot over water to a green that is like a giant pitchers mound, nice pressure but the green takes a beating and is always in bad, really bad shape so i get that it needs work but would have liked to know this ahead of time. Geese have completely taken over the 12th hole, hit to the green (par 3 with a pond on the right) and you find yourself on the green surrounded by crap and unable to putt. Too many leaves and more lost balls on the back nine, decided to play 2 ball and try out layup shots instead of going for green fter a couple of holes so all was not lost but would not play this course again this year and have to think twice before playing next spring. So I guess I'll play an easy nine hole course in the same area or try another 18 hole course, only a couple of weeks left I guess in the northeast anyway. Anyone else find fall golf much too disappointing??
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post #2 of 87
11/15/12 at 10:01am
Yeah. I lose balls in plain sight in the fairway. Sometimes I get lucky when I'm coming back down the next hole and the sun catches my lost ball and I wonder how I missed seeing it to begin with.
I want a hunter orange, hot pink, teal and bright yellow polka dotted ball. That should fix it!!
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post #3 of 87
11/15/12 at 10:37am

You think that's bad try playing late fall golf in the Pacific NW.  I have hit balls in the fairway that plugged so deeply I never found them.  I have dug out balls from holes that were 2 balls deep - when I could find them, that is.  It's strange to hit a good drive and watch it land - expecting it to bounce - but then you never see it again.

 

You would think they would close the course when it's like this because you inevitably end up taking out huge chunks of muddy fairway when you hit - but they don't close - ever.

 

Now that I live in TX year round golf is pretty viable.  I use the Bridgestone E6 in Orange (best orange ball I could find) to help with the leaves that cover the fairways and rough. 

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post #4 of 87
11/15/12 at 11:34am
Temporary greens have their own set of rules for us. On the green, add two. Inside the flagstick, add one. It is just too frustrating trying to putt on MOST temp greens. Getting to a par three and striping it inside of 3 feet and then 4 putting on what is basically your backyard will just screw you up. And you know it's never a gimme for a birdie from your 'friends'. Getting out to play when conditions are marginal isn't a time for "real" scoring- should be to keep your hand in and kill some time before it gets dark at 4pm or whatever. At least until you can get to FL and play a couple of times over the winter like I do whenever the opportunity arises.

As for Whacker and his orange balls... Fall Foliage here in the NE makes that a money losing proposition... you will lose ALL of your balls in less than 3 holes. One of my most majestic drives ever was at Bethpage Black one fine October day... Teed up my new orange ball with the #5 (spent 15 minutes going through the lot checking for the high number box). Out it flew with a perfect "tour draw" from the elevated tee. It was like slow motion as it crested in its flight and began to settle just past the corner, dead center of the fairway.... We all watched in amazement and awe with some ooh's and ahh's from the peanut gallery that sits behind the tee... until the fekker completely disappeared as soon as it got to the tree line and it's BRIGHT ORANGE FOLIAGE. Never saw it again.
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post #5 of 87
11/15/12 at 11:54am

One of the bennies of playing at a private club is that the maintenance staff works pretty hard to keep the leaves to a minimum. The only balls that are hard to find are the ones way off line that you might not find anyway.

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post #6 of 87
11/15/12 at 1:12pm

It's tough here. My club has tractors with leaf blowers running several times a day to keep it clear but the ground is still just eating balls. I had a par 4 approach shot around 120 two days ago. Hit it pretty well, landed just a bit right of the pin on the green and slowly rolled off, I watched the whole ordeal. Get up there and look for my ball at the edge of the fringe to chip it on and try to save par and I couldn't find it. I searched end to end for probably 10 minutes (coldddd, course was deserted so I had all the time in the world) and found 2 balls not 8 feet from the green but almost invisible and never found my ball. Grass was short and well manicured but it's just eating balls right now. I'm playing the cheapest balls I can find because I'm losing probably 5-6 a round vice my usual 1. 

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post #7 of 87
11/15/12 at 1:12pm
Thread Starter 
Ray G you're right, I tried the orange ball thing on this round after never seeing the white ball again after it came within a few yards of hitting the ground the last time I was out. No leaves on the trees lower sun in the sky, whatever it is its just plain harder to see the ball especially while. Orange is not all its cracked up to be in the northeaast either IMHO, could keep an eye on it better when it came to hitting trhe ground but would still take a while to find it even just off the fairway in light rough and forgetaboutit if it was in the fairway surrounded by leaves.................... golfs version of "Wheres Waldo" me be thinking.........................................
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post #8 of 87
11/15/12 at 4:18pm

You're right - down here in TX the leaves - most of them anyway - don't turn orange.  Yellow balls don't work well here, though, because we do have lots of yellow leaves.  Pink or Blue might work - I wonder why they don't make more colored golf balls?

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post #9 of 87
11/15/12 at 6:32pm

I managed 18 today without losing a single ball shockingly. I was uber careful on every shot just to see if I could pull it off. 

 

Unfortunately, I also picked up a 49" SC Big Sur putter and adjusting to the speed of it coming off the face compared to my short SC Newport made me 3 putt a LOT which I normally rarely do so my round with no penalty strokes was tied with my last round with 8 penalty strokes :(.

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post #10 of 87
11/15/12 at 7:05pm

Sandy kind of ruined golf here in NY.  With the floods and downed trees my course still only has 15 holes playable.  They hope to get the other 3 cleared but given we've already had our first snow storm of the winter I'm expecting an earlier end to the season than last year.  

 

I plan to get in a few more rounds before the snow hits though.  I just picked up some Z Star Tour Yellows on clearance from Sports Authority in hopes they are easier to find than the white ones. 

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post #11 of 87
11/15/12 at 8:05pm

I live on Long Island, New York and as stated above Sandy did a number on us. Haven't been out to play yet but I see guys playing where I normally play so maybe this weekend. Finding balls in the fall up here is always a bitch no matter what color you use. I prefer new white balls over the colored one, the shine in the sun helps me find them. White stands out more in the color of the leaves but I have lost my fair share.

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post #12 of 87
11/15/12 at 8:47pm

Ha Ha, I know what you mean.  This time of the year in Mass. it's a bonus just to get out.  Most have packed it in or moved south.  Here we have a "leafy rule" - no penalty for a lost ball that was seen to drop in fairway or rough - just drop and play.  I played today 9 holes by myself.  When I arrived at the course at 11:00 am the parking lot was empty. I never saw that before, but I did enjoy a nice walk around the back 9, and played as much as 5 balls on a few holes. Temperature was around 41 degrees fahrenheit, and little to no wind. I just don't understand why everybody packed it in. 

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post #13 of 87
11/16/12 at 9:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by boston blackie View Post

Ha Ha, I know what you mean.  This time of the year in Mass. it's a bonus just to get out.  Most have packed it in or moved south.  Here we have a "leafy rule" - no penalty for a lost ball that was seen to drop in fairway or rough - just drop and play.  I played today 9 holes by myself.  When I arrived at the course at 11:00 am the parking lot was empty. I never saw that before, but I did enjoy a nice walk around the back 9, and played as much as 5 balls on a few holes. Temperature was around 41 degrees fahrenheit, and little to no wind. I just don't understand why everybody packed it in. 

Wow. Played nine holes late yesterday (Philly area) and the greens were the best they've been all year. Putts were true and lightning fast. Why can't they be like this all the time?

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post #14 of 87
11/16/12 at 10:22am

I played yesterday, 18 holes. The temp was about 43 degrees. It was like hitting rocks, and all the shots flew about 10 yards short. I went to fix a ball mark on the green and a 1/2 inch into the green it was frozen. I was surprised because it wasn't that cold. I could not tell if I was striking the ball poorly or if it was just cold weather.
 

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post #15 of 87
11/17/12 at 7:36am
Update: played again yesterday, much better. Clubbed up a club and started hitting greens. Putting was horrible because of punched and cross cut greens. Didn't have the rock feeling as much.
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post #16 of 87
11/20/12 at 10:27am

You guys up there should come down to the Jersey shore. The barrier islands got smashed but the mainland is fine. I play all year round as the winters here are usually very moderate. My course right now is in great shape - the fairways are velvet and the greens are fast and true, and they just cut down the fescue (yay!).

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post #17 of 87
11/20/12 at 12:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dak4n6 View Post

You guys up there should come down to the Jersey shore. The barrier islands got smashed but the mainland is fine. I play all year round as the winters here are usually very moderate. My course right now is in great shape - the fairways are velvet and the greens are fast and true, and they just cut down the fescue (yay!).

 

I might shoot down there after the holidays. I have family in Springfield. Got any good deals?

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post #18 of 87
11/20/12 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Valleygolfer View Post

 

I might shoot down there after the holidays. I have family in Springfield. Got any good deals?

 

Isn't that where Baltusrol is?

 

When I renew my membership I will get some free passes to my course (Seaview CC) and I would be happy to get you out gratis if I'm around (I'll be on travel a lot for the next few months).

 

Winter greens fees down here are around $40 prime time weekends and correspondingly lower weekdays and twilight. Some courses to check out: Balamore, Shore Gate, Twisted Dunes, Blue Heron Pines. I would include Brigantine, but that course probably got washed out to sea.

 

PM me if you're interested.

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