Is This The Worst Green In England?

[SandersLongdriv]

Today I took my son-in-law (a beginner) to Delapre Golf Centre Northampton. We played two of their beginners' Par 3 courses. On both courses we were wading through very long grassed boggy fairways. If that were not bad enough the greens were even worse. Here is a photograph of one of their worst greens. The others were generally at least 50% as bad. Could someone please advise me as to how to play greens of this standard? Should one say be chipping and running with a five iron?  Would you personally have requested that your green fees be refunded?

[Kapanda]

It is hard to believe that they could possibly care any less about their establishment.

[David in FL]

You don't play a course in that condition. Take your son-in-law and your money elsewhere! As for a refund, if I had played the entire course I would have left it at that. If, after playing a hole or two I had decided to quit because the course was virtually unplayable, I'd have certainly asked for my money back.

[Doodaddy]

That would be one of the better greens at the university course I used to play at. It jaded me to low standards. There is an upside though; if I see a green that I can't see dirt on, I feel like I won the lottery! Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 Torch 2 using Tapatalk

[Doodaddy]

[IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/4a524024-9d14-ac33.jpg[/IMG] Trying to post a picture of a green from that course, but I'm not sure if it will work from my phone or not.

[B-Con]

Who puts a pin in the middle of GUR?

[dsc123]

I played at Ponkapoag in Canton, MA this weekend.  Some of the greens were worse than those pictured.  On one, someone had written something illegible in the dirt.

[jamo]

I played at Ponkapoag in Canton, MA this weekend.  Some of the greens were worse than those pictured.  On one, someone had written something illegible in the dirt.

I don't even bother playing that course anytime after April or before October. They simply don't water, which is a shame because it's a Donald Ross course with a decent layout.

[Old1964]

I've never seen anything so terrible on any course I've played before. If the management didn't post a warning that their course was not ready to be played, took my money, and just let me walk out and discover it - I would be pi$$ed. Wasting my time by trying to get me to accept such a ridiculously low standard of course maintenance is an insult. I definitely would want my money back and want to speak to the course manager.

[BEAN]

I would just play the entire course and make it my last time. Unless they charged a really high green fee which I doubt.

[eich41]

Originally Posted by B-Con

Who puts a pin in the middle of GUR?

It looks to me that they put it in the only 5 feet of "green" that isn't GUR.

[socks and shoes]

I would have asked for a refund.

Originally Posted by jamo

I don't even bother playing that course anytime after April or before October. They simply don't water, which is a shame because it's a Donald Ross course with a decent layout.

I live right next to canton. I will make sure to avoid that course.

[SandersLongdriv]

Since I played there I have done some research and discovered that the three courses there are owned by the Jack Barker company. The internet is splattered with references to complaints and disputes concerning that company. On many of its courses it appears to have funded projects by selling rubbish dumping rights. The rubbish is then either used to either infill valleys on the course or re-model various holes. Apparently a great deal of money can be made by selling such rights, subject of course to planning permission being granted.  Further research reveals that a large number of staff have been laid off or left at Delapre, and some departures involved their very best personnel. So, overall a very sorry state of affairs.

In a perfect world all golf courses would be run by people who genuinely love our wonderful sport. But clearly this is not the case.

A few years ago I played another course not so far away - Panshanger which is owned by Welwyn Hatfield Council. An absolutely superb course and superbly maintained. I personally feel that if a public course can be maintained to top standards then it is not unreasonable to expect courses in private ownership to at least match such standards.

[Timothy Voyles]

If a course like that is actually open for play, they should forewarn it's players before they tee off #1. If it's under $15 (which is probably still too high imo) I would have just played it and called everything a 2 putt and enjoyed the time away and dreamt of how nice it could be.

TWU in Denton, TX was not near that bad but it was certainly not playable when I was last there. They let people play but told everyone before teeing off that most greens were nasty. We played each hole as two putts and went about our day. Can't say I'd ever really go back after that...

[trickymicky69]

The first they would be hearing from me would be a letter from my solictor when i sue them for infringement of trading descriptions

[zipazoid]

I've seen better looking temporary greens .

[Chas]

Not good.

Speaking of chipping .... if the cart lady was serving greasy chip butties* I might be OK with the place.

Was there a cart lady by any chance?  And what does a course like that come up with for food one wonders.

* traditional northern "delicacy"

[Paradox]

It would take me seeing one green like that before i went back and asked for my money.  Even the grass thats there doesn't look like you could putt on it.