Memorial Park

[scott_Donald]

It was very busy today(1000 to 1200) when I was at the range then putting on the chipping green.

I am playing at 1250 on Friday and looking forward to it.

Off the tee the course is very easy and the greens were very hard literally when I played in March.

I was actually thinking to myself this morning that the clubhouse is starting to take shape but they have a lot of work to do.

[snagy2000]

Not sure if it changed by the time you were there, but they wouldn't let anything above an iron this morning and the wind was blowing in...All that money for a fancy new double decker iron range...SMH!...Even the grass range they are trying to put together for the Pros down the 10th fairway looks really bad and will need a miracle over the next 4 1/2 months...

[RXGolf86]

The range is probably going to be irons only until the tennis courts are moved. They use to let the left side of the range hit driver based on wind, but apparently somebody air mailed one and hit a lady on the courts. Ruined it for everyone.

[scott_Donald]

I have been there 8 times since it opened! its my daily routine!

yes I was chatting to one of guys who works there and he said they offered the tennis courts stuff to move but they wanted more so currently stalemate!

I hit '2' irons today with the wind off the right and in to and was just hitting the fence, those balls don't fly!

[scott_Donald]

Well I played Friday afternoon, the round was completed in 4 hours exactly. Playing this course again after a few months, my opinions have changed a bit -

I can see the design of the course much better and what it was all about with the green complexes etc.

Love the firm greens and the fact you can put through the fringes without the grain screwing everything up.

I didn't play well tee to green but my chipping and putting saved me.

The course is much more developed now with all the surrounding areas since March and it looks so much better.

I still think the two holes round the water(16/17) feel so out of place to the rest of the course.

I assume two of the Par 5s will be fours for the pros - 1 and 14, was shocked how short both were from the back tees.

I certainly enjoyed the round much more than I did before.

Played with as a 3 with a random single and he was such a nice guy, love it when you luck out like that!

 

I think I will head there on Wednesday as a single and try and play in the afternoon.

[ND2005]

Played today for my first time post-covid. Thoughts:

 

-Pace of play was great. We waited on maybe 4-5 shots all day, group behind us was about a full hole back. The spaced out times making a big difference.

-Love the layout and the green complexes.

-fairways need to grow in a LOT before the tournament.

-The greens are hard. Like as in rocks, not as in difficult. Maybe this is just because they are young. But I was having 60 degree wedge shots roll out 8-10 feet, and on the downhill par 3 on the front my ball skipped like a rock and rolled out 20+ feet off the back. Not sure how they can address this before the tournament.

-they’ve started adding some nice pine needles/mulch etc to some of the rough and tree areas. Needs a lot more of this to cosmetically clean it up.

-in summary - it is a great fun parkland track and for 40 bucks you can’t beat the value. Greens need to grow in some more.

-Pros are going to eat it for lunch unless the team has some tricks up their sleeves. The course is defenseless to long bombers and has relatively little penalty off the tees even if you miss the fairway badly. I would not be surprised by a winning score in the 20 under range.

[scott_Donald]

To me the hard greens are awesome, finally not a stupid soft course where you just fire at the pins or when chipping just open it up and one bounce spin with a lob wedge. They are not as hard as links greens so they certainly take a ball and can spin.

the putt'able fringes are great.

To me the greens are the best thing about the course.

[ND2005]

ive played a lot of links courses in Scotland and Ireland. These are different. There’s hard/firm that comes with age and the environment, and then there’s rocks. These are rocks.

A well struck golf shot shouldn’t “skip”, IMO.

[snagy2000]

Takes about 2 years for greens to soften up...Gonna have to put up with them for another year at least...

[mbbrewer]

I wouldn't be shocked if they over seeded with Rye this year. It covers all the blemishes and replicates conditions similar to Augusta the week before the Masters.

[CougarRed]

Played it a couple of times now. Much better than I remember it in my youth (I played it a bunch in HS pre-1995 renovation, but hardly any since).

After shooting 85 with 4 doubles, I've decided I'm not good enough (and the greens aren't soft enough) for me to attack tucked pins. Next time, gonna play for the middle on those holes.

[ND2005]

Yup I found that if you're on the putting surface it's a fairly easy 2 putt. Pick and choose moments to attack pin and don't do it with anything other than a short club in your hand.

[CougarRed]

Welp, the old girl is holding up well...

 

Only 27 players under par through three rounds of perfect conditions.

 

Only 10 rounds under 67 and none better than 65.

 

Only the U.S. Open had a higher first-round scoring average in this young season (+2.6 per round). Olympia Fields, site of the BMW Championship, was the only other course this calendar year that offered a tougher start (+2.8).

 

And this was in spite of the fact that Memorial Park played 300 yards shorter than its scorecard yardage in Round 1.

Edited November 8, 2020 by CougarRed

[nitram]

7 minutes ago, CougarRed said:

Welp, the old girl is holding up well...

 

Only 27 players under par through three rounds of perfect conditions.

 

Only 10 rounds under 67 and none better than 65.

 

Edited November 8, 2020 by nitram
My 74 from the tips earlier this year doesn't seem so bad now...

[snagy2000]

Anyone have insight into the new Memorial Park rates going into effect later this month?

[ND2005]

22 hours ago, snagy2000 said:

Anyone have insight into the new Memorial Park rates going into effect later this month?

What I hear was resident rates will stay the same, and will have earlier tee time access.
 

 Non-resident rates will be something like 110 or 125.

 

Can’t find that in writing anywhere though, I just went back through my emails from the Course and they just say “more info coming soon”

[snagy2000]

I played today, tee boxes are in horrible shape. Lots of sand and little grass. On 6, the tee boxes are just a sand box. Greens are all beat up from ball marks and the lack of fixing them or properly fixing them. I've never understood why people can't just bend over and fix a ball mark. Fairways & bunkers were in good shape. If they're going to charge a $100+ for non-residence rates, I'm not sure the place is worth it. 

Edited January 17, 2021 by snagy2000

[ND2005]

1 hour ago, snagy2000 said:

I played today, tee boxes are in horrible shape. Lots of sand and little grass. On 6, the tee boxes are just a sand box. Greens are all beat up from ball marks and the lack of fixing them or properly fixing them. I've never understood why people can't just bend over and fix a ball mark. Fairways & bunkers were in good shape. If they're going to charge a $100+ for non-residence rates, I'm not sure the place is worth it. 

I didn’t play it for about 6 weeks after the tournament, and the difference in conditions was shocking. 
 
Really makes me worry about their ability to maintain things long term.

[Lefty_89]

I've been out there every weekend for the past couple of months. IMO, course isn't anywhere near as bad of shape as you're making it sound...remember that it's January and we've been having some cold nights. A couple of teeboxes are sandy, yes, but it's not like them or the greens have been full-on aerated.

 

Ball marks will always be a constant, with how much play MP gets (and often the caliber of player). I try and fix 5-10 marks on each green during my round. They are still rolling fast and true.

 

If you're speaking for out-of-towners, weighing $100 for MP or $80/whatever to go play Wildcat (for example) - MP by a landslide.

Edited January 18, 2021 by Lefty_89

[snagy2000]

2 hours ago, Lefty_89 said:

I've been out there every weekend for the past couple of months. IMO, course isn't anywhere near as bad of shape as you're making it sound...remember that it's January and we've been having some cold nights. A couple of teeboxes are sandy, yes, but it's not like them or the greens have been full-on aerated.

 

Ball marks will always be a constant, with how much play MP gets (and often the caliber of player). I try and fix 5-10 marks on each green during my round. They are still rolling fast and true.

 

If you're speaking for out-of-towners, weighing $100 for MP or $80/whatever to go play Wildcat (for example) - MP by a landslide.

They actually have punched holes in some of the tee boxes. Coupled with the abnormal amount of sand on the boxes for this time of year and its a sign of issues. Hopefully they'll get it corrected in growing season. 

[scott_Donald]

So how is everyone being effected by the resident rates?

 

Its id.me to prove you are a resident and seems lots of ways to do it. 

 

I play there every Wednesday by myself(having said that couldn't get a time for tomorrow yet but forecast isn't great) and every second Friday with friends. One friend is from Sugarland and he is screwed now as he will be a non resident and to quote hm he is not paying that when he has paid 30 for the last year or so. We are playing Gus this Friday instead(yes I know it doesn't start tilll March 1).

 

I am still practicing 3 or 4 times a week at the range and still busy even with double the bays - you have to time it well. 

 

Course has been hit or miss since the start of December but its winter so you cant complain about playing what would be summer golf in Scotland.

[snagy2000]

1 hour ago, scott_Donald said:

So how is everyone being effected by the resident rates?

 

Its id.me to prove you are a resident and seems lots of ways to do it. 

 

I play there every Wednesday by myself(having said that couldn't get a time for tomorrow yet but forecast isn't great) and every second Friday with friends. One friend is from Sugarland and he is screwed now as he will be a non resident and to quote hm he is not paying that when he has paid 30 for the last year or so. We are playing Gus this Friday instead(yes I know it doesn't start tilll March 1).

 

I am still practicing 3 or 4 times a week at the range and still busy even with double the bays - you have to time it well. 

 

Course has been hit or miss since the start of December but its winter so you cant complain about playing what would be summer golf in Scotland.

What are the rates for non-residents? I haven't seen anything clearly spelled out in an email so it must be some super secret information. 

[scott_Donald]

38 minutes ago, snagy2000 said:

What are the rates for non-residents? I haven't seen anything clearly spelled out in an email so it must be some super secret information. 

 what I was told - 110 weekday and 120 weekend.

[snagy2000]

1 hour ago, scott_Donald said:

 what I was told - 110 weekday and 120 weekend.

Thx. Pretty laughable IMO. 

[ND2005]

23 hours ago, snagy2000 said:

Thx. Pretty laughable IMO. 

I mean dollar for dollar I would play memorial park over Wildcat, Blackhorse North or South, or GCOH. All of which are very close to that number. 
 
I’m just hoping this opens up the tee sheets a bit 

 

Edit: typo

Edited February 10, 2021 by ND2005

[snagy2000]

16 minutes ago, ND2005 said:

I mean dollar for dollar I would play memorial park over Wildcat, Blackhawk North or South, or GCOH. All of which are very close to that number. 
 
I’m just hoping this opens up the tee sheets a bit 

Non-residents are not the problem. The tee sheets will stay packed. Right now it's all about who's motivated to make a tee time and knowing when to make a tee time is key to getting the tee time at Memorial. 

[Lefty_89]

13 hours ago, ND2005 said:

I mean dollar for dollar I would play memorial park over Wildcat, Blackhawk North or South, or GCOH. All of which are very close to that number. 
 
I’m just hoping this opens up the tee sheets a bit 

This. Without question.

 

The secret to getting on, at least in my experiences as a single, is checking online 24-30 hours before I am wanting to play. That is when there are the most cancellations.

 

And I would say that "non-residents" definitely contribute to packed tee sheets. I've played out there for probably 5 weekends straight and only a couple of times did I play with someone actually from "Houston metro". This past weekend two in my group were from Colorado. Personally I would widen the requirements of being a "resident" to include all Houston suburbs, but that's just me.

 

It's pretty simple though...book two weeks out and you'll be fine. You have up until 24hrs to cancel for a refund.

 

I keep seeing people complain about the course conditions right now, which is hilarious to me.

Edited February 10, 2021 by Lefty_89

[ND2005]

My friend just found out that West U is excluded from the resident rate and is now vowing to never play the course again in protest 

 

🤣🤣🤣

[snagy2000]

46 minutes ago, ND2005 said:

My friend just found out that West U is excluded from the resident rate and is now vowing to never play the course again in protest 

 

🤣🤣🤣

Don't blame him, $120 weekday and $140 weekend is stupid for a course kept in muni condition except for a 2 month period around the tournament. At its best, it might be $75 course.  Damn shame they let the same amateur city employees run the course after remodel. I would never recommend this course to any out of towner at the new rates.

[scott_Donald]

11 minutes ago, snagy2000 said:

Don't blame him, $120 weekday and $140 weekend is stupid for a course kept in muni condition except for a 2 month period around the tournament. At its best, it might be $75 course.  Damn shame they let the same amateur city employees run the course after remodel. I would never recommend this course to any out of towner at the new rates.

 

I live in the Heights and struggling to prove I live here.

 

I cant work and don't have a US driving licence - trying to use my UK passport and US Social security but still waiting to hear back from id.me - so frustrating!

Edited March 8, 2021 by scott_Donald