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Course/Club shutdowns for maintenance/updates.

baylrballa

baylrballa

2024 WWGC Food and Drink Champion
Albatross 2024 Club
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My club is looking at a 6-8 month shut down in the next year or two for some pretty extensive repairs/changes/new greens.

Anyone gone through this with their home course?
Any issues with how your course did it, and do you feel like it was worth it overall?
 
It's never happened where I freguently play. They might put in a temporary green, or tee box sometimes, but thats about it.

The other course I play at has 3, nine hole courses. Any long term repairs there, they just down that 9 hole section.
 
Our last club closed for 6 months for maintenance and they redid all the greens and tee boxes and put in a new putting green in the front by the three nines first tees. It came out fantastic. We were surprised with three nines, that they didn't keep one open for members, but the way it was staggered we were able to play except for about 90 days.

Upon opening, the greens were sooooo firm, it made the course a bit tough to get used to, but the end result was fantastic.

5 years ago Hammock Beach lost the Ocean Course for close to 18 months after storm and they took the minor damage and ended up redoing the entire course. While the greens once again took about 6-9 months to get great again, the end result was so worth it.

At both of those facilities they really worked hard to take care of members such as hosting different functions socially to make up for the lack of golf available.
 
Many years ago I belonged to a course that re-did some of their greens twice, once just a couple then a more extensive renovation program. They set up temporary greens but also arranged for us to be able to play at a number of country clubs in the area for just a cart fee, which we were charged at our home course anyway. Typically cart fees at the time were $18 at our course and we paid $25 at the courses that granted reciprocals. It worked out OK as we got to play course we would not have otherwise and restoring the greens at our course to their original designs was impressive!
 
My home course is also getting ready to re-do all the greens next year. I was told they’d have temporary greens set up for play, and am working on a reciprocal agreement with another local club.
 
We had a year of downtime to redo all the bunkers and a few greens. It ends up worth it in the long run but it’s a pain during. If you get reciprocal rights, that eases the pain but it also creates other issues.
 
My club has two courses. This spring, after the cold snap, they shut down one course to redo the greens. It’s set to re-open in mid-August.

Congestion hit the other course, and it has taken a beating. It’s greens were in bad shape to begin with, and three of them are so bad that they had to cut temporary greens. I’ve heard that they have taken a membership hit as a result. Don’t know if that‘s true. But congestion is down, but that could also be due to the summer heat in Houston.

They plan on redoing the greens on the second course next year. That‘s a long time to be running at half capacity. I think it might have been better to close down 9 holes at a time. The inconvenience would last longer, but would not be as drastic.
 
This is when you learn the value of having a head pro who is well-liked and well-connected in the local golf community. A good pro will be able to set up favorable reciprocal rights.

When the local hoity-toity country club here went under renovation the members could play almost anywhere in town including a Top 100 course nearby.
 
In some cases it's been worth it & in some cases you ask yourself WTH they spent all that time doing? Offering reciprocals at other local courses makes it palatable, but not a fun time competing with another club's membership for tee times.
 
I don't belong to a club but I do know @j_sizzle9 is going through this right now and might have some thoughts.
 
While it wasn't my home course, it was right across the street from my home course. They shut down for 3 full years to do a 4 million dollar complete rebuild of the front 9 and some work on the back 9 as well as putting in bent grass on all 18 of the greens. It really affected my home course because all those players came across the street to my home course. Both courses were open to the public as they are owned by the county. Was it worth it? It sure was. They did a great job, except for one thing. I have heard that when they scaped and killed off the greens to put in bent grass, they only killed them with one application instead of 2 or 3. Now the poa annua is starting to show up in spots of the greens. It's not terrible, but if you play in the late afternoon, they do get a bit bumpy.
 
Drumdog said:
While it wasn't my home course, it was right across the street from my home course. They shut down for 3 full years to do a 4 million dollar complete rebuild of the front 9 and some work on the back 9 as well as putting in bent grass on all 18 of the greens. It really affected my home course because all those players came across the street to my home course. Both courses were open to the public as they are owned by the county. Was it worth it? It sure was. They did a great job, except for one thing. I have heard that when they scaped and killed off the greens to put in bent grass, they only killed them with one application instead of 2 or 3. Now the poa annua is starting to show up in spots of the greens. It's not terrible, but if you play in the late afternoon, they do get a bit bumpy.
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3 years. :oops:
 
The price you pay for being in elite company ;) Ha!
 
My old course closed for a year and a half for a complete redesign. When it opened back up it was completely private, and they wanted a $2500 initiation and $300 a month. I don't play there anymore.
 
baylrballa said:
My club is looking at a 6-8 month shut down in the next year or two for some pretty extensive repairs/changes/new greens.

Anyone gone through this with their home course?
Any issues with how your course did it, and do you feel like it was worth it overall?
Click to expand...
I know Wildflower up in Temple and Cimarron Hills here in Georgetown closed for a few months about 3-4 years ago to redo their greens and we gave them a deal to play for cart fee only. I think Wildflower still offers us that deal but I don't think Cimarron ever did. Maybe they would if we close down but I know Wildflower would.
 
When my course installed new greens a few years back, rather than close, they remained open with temporary greens and silly large holes. For most of the time the work was being done/greens growing in, I was laid up with a back injury. Yet when I was ready but the course was not, I avoided playing it with the temp greens and instead bounced around other places.

It was definitely worth it. The previous bent grass greens and fringe just became decimated during the peak of summer. Plus they also suffered from winter burn. The new mini-verde greens are firmer but way healthier. Even when dormant in the winter, they putt very fast but really well. What my joint needs is the bunkers to be overhauled. I’d be 100% in favor of a closer if need be to get that done right. It’s a really good course, great layout, but the traps absolutely hold it back to a significant degree.
 
Wow that kinda stinks. I'm sure it will be worth it in the end but 6-8 of no golf at your club kinda blows. I'd assume they'd try to work out some sort of a reciprocal deal with another club nearby, even if you've got to pay a few bucks each time at least you'll still have another place to play.
 
We got an email last week with "Greens" as a topic of discussion. A few of them need to be blown up and re-done completely. I'd gladly play on temporary greens for 6 months if that is the case.
 
jdtox said:
I don't belong to a club but I do know @j_sizzle9 is going through this right now and might have some thoughts.
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I amin the middle of this right now and it’s tough. We are going through a complete Reno/Restoration. Been closed since 1/1 and estimating to be finished late October.

they are doing a great job keeping moving considering the amountof rain we have had down here in Southern Louisiana.
 
My local is in need of some greens work and are looking at options. They want to redo the greens on all 9 holes, and potentially some tee boxes. Last I heard, they were considering doing this one hole at a time and using temp greens.
 
Closing first week January 2023, not opening until november. 😭

not sure what happened to doing it in stages like they initially said.
 
baylrballa said:
My club is looking at a 6-8 month shut down in the next year or two for some pretty extensive repairs/changes/new greens.

Anyone gone through this with their home course?
Any issues with how your course did it, and do you feel like it was worth it overall?
Click to expand...
Currently going through that with one of the courses I play regularly. Will have to let you know how it goes when they re-open come November (hopefully)
 
Over the next 2 years, my home course is replacing all sprinkler heads. 9 holes next year and 9 holes the following year. We will stay open throughout, but there will be ground under repair in a lot of places. Necessary inconvenience. I’ll get by.
 
BriMac said:
Over the next 2 years, my home course is replacing all sprinkler heads. 9 holes next year and 9 holes the following year. We will stay open throughout, but there will be ground under repair in a lot of places. Necessary inconvenience. I’ll get by.
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just invite @xThor over. bet he can get them all replaced in a few weeks. :p
 
baylrballa said:
Closing first week January 2023, not opening until november. 😭

not sure what happened to doing it in stages like they initially said.
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That's rough. Hopefully they can get some good reciprocal deals to get you on other courses. Supposedly we had a people out from Toro to look at our irrigation system to see if they can go to a two wire system to bypass our old Pneumatic tubes that control it or if we will need to get a whole new system. The first would be around $700-$750K and would only close a couple holes down at a time for a few days. The later would be much more expensive and shut the course down for quite a while like yours.
 
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