General Course conditions and effects on length

What is the general thoughts on how much shorter tour courses play due to dry/firm conditions? I cannot remember that last time I had a drive go more than 20 yards after landing (been years). It seems like every course I play (some pretty good ones) completely soak the course. Then you watch a Tour event and they will have situations where the ball runs out 50+ yards. I would contend that the normal 6800 yard track is the equivalent of 7200+ on tour.

thoughts?

Certainly, a soft course plays longer. Soft and lush green is what the members and the pay-to-play public want because that's what they think a golf course should be like because they see it on TV.

But for a tour course to play firm, it gets dried out in the weeks before the tournament. Prior to that it is being greened up and playing slow and soft as all your other typical American courses.

I wrote a letter to my club about the wet conditions a couple of weeks ago. It was ridiculous. Balls 'rolling" about a yard, mud on every shot you hit. The straw was the ball that plugged on the green on a par 3... hadn't rained more than 1/2" in like a month.

Now, not sure if it was my letter or some other reason, but the course suddenly firmed up over the next couple of weeks. The course played shoter, the way, I'm sure, that it's designed to play. Suddenly rolling 15-25 yards, which mean 2-3 clubs less. Our first hole is 430 downhill. and I routinely had 190-200 into the green. Firm the fairway up (and I'm talking to "normal" levels, not dry and fast), a I'm occasionally getting it to the 150 marker if I catch the downslope just right. The greens are suddenly way smoother because they don't hold the footprints.

My personal belief is that course conditions should be allowed to change over the season. In March/April/May it should be softer than usual because of the winter thaw, June/July/August it should start to turn a little brown (gasp!!) and firm up nicely, then in Sept/Oct/Nov, you have changing conditions practically daily because of the weather.

To me, this makes for a better golf course. You end up hitting to different spots on the course during the year, which seems to me would take stress off of other areas.

[quote name='larrybud' timestamp='1284742053' post='2701729']
I wrote a letter to my club about the wet conditions a couple of weeks ago. It was ridiculous. Balls 'rolling" about a yard, mud on every shot you hit. The straw was the ball that plugged on the green on a par 3... hadn't rained more than 1/2" in like a month.

Now, not sure if it was my letter or some other reason, but the course suddenly firmed up over the next couple of weeks. The course played shoter, the way, I'm sure, that it's designed to play. Suddenly rolling 15-25 yards, which mean 2-3 clubs less. Our first hole is 430 downhill. and I routinely had 190-200 into the green. Firm the fairway up (and I'm talking to "normal" levels, not dry and fast), a I'm occasionally getting it to the 150 marker if I catch the downslope just right. The greens are suddenly way smoother because they don't hold the footprints.

My personal belief is that course conditions should be allowed to change over the season. In March/April/May it should be softer than usual because of the winter thaw, June/July/August it should start to turn a little brown (gasp!!) and firm up nicely, then in Sept/Oct/Nov, you have changing conditions practically daily because of the weather.

To me, this makes for a better golf course. You end up hitting to different spots on the course during the year, which seems to me would take stress off of other areas.
[/quote]


I agree. Some of my favorite rounds were played on firm courses with a brown tint, because they required different shots and actual strategy. When the course condition reflects the climate and seasons, you get a different course every time. Unfortunately, too many courses today are only concerned about the color green. And if the course is green, then usually the cash register is too.

It looks like the trend is towards having the courses be more left to the climate, seasons and natural weather patterns and less reliant on the 5 hours of sprinkler hiss every day. I hope the trend continues.

I think the idea is the same as running an engine a little rich as opposed to lean. Its better to have a little cusion with the coarse condition. Dryer coarses dont rebound very well from overplayed conditions. But if your balls plug on approach shots I would say thats a bit much IMO.

[quote name='larrybud' timestamp='1284742053' post='2701729']
I wrote a letter to my club about the wet conditions a couple of weeks ago. It was ridiculous. Balls 'rolling" about a yard, mud on every shot you hit. The straw was the ball that plugged on the green on a par 3... hadn't rained more than 1/2" in like a month.

Now, not sure if it was my letter or some other reason, but the course suddenly firmed up over the next couple of weeks. The course played shoter, the way, I'm sure, that it's designed to play. Suddenly rolling 15-25 yards, which mean 2-3 clubs less. Our first hole is 430 downhill. and I routinely had 190-200 into the green. Firm the fairway up (and I'm talking to "normal" levels, not dry and fast), a I'm occasionally getting it to the 150 marker if I catch the downslope just right. The greens are suddenly way smoother because they don't hold the footprints.

My personal belief is that course conditions should be allowed to change over the season. In March/April/May it should be softer than usual because of the winter thaw, June/July/August it should start to turn a little brown (gasp!!) and firm up nicely, then in Sept/Oct/Nov, you have changing conditions practically daily because of the weather.

To me, this makes for a better golf course. You end up hitting to different spots on the course during the year, which seems to me would take stress off of other areas.
[/quote]
It's like that here in the NW at most courses for the majority of the year. It makes for a much longer (and obviously) more difficult than it was rated to play.

Some of the most fun courses I've ever played practically turn off the water a good portion of the year. The play firm and fast and still manage to stay green, just not artificially so.