Golf Forums - Who's playing on a dry course?

Winter golf in England can be so frustrating.
its only mid November and many courses in Essex are closed or on buggy & trolley bans.
My course Rivenhall was shut on Monday and has a buggy ban on.  Maldon my old club is shut.

Earlier in the year many Essex golfers were going up to Woodbridge or Thorpeness in Suffolk to get their golfing fix.
I was down to play at Hurtmore in Surrey on Friday, but have cancelled not wanting to travel and face disappointment.

I fear it could be a long break this year, praying for some drying winds!

Ho hum thank god for the range.

Your so right Brigitte, practise is what is needed certainly around my putting.
Thanks for info on courses in Surrey, I've played Bletchingley with the DGA.  Suffolk has courses with a sand base which is nearer for me.  So may need to contemplate that journey?
Essex is a wash out this time of year.

Still in the warm reading Peter Alliss book - The Lazy Golf Companion looks on the cards for me at the weekend

South Essex was in pretty good shape as of Monday. Muddy underfoot in places, but no trolley bans and only a couple of rubber tees on the pars 3's.

There aren't many chalk-based or sand-based courses in Essex, so at this time of year they tend to be a bit boggy. I agree with Brigitte - Bletchingly always seems to be dry underfoot. Certainly drains well so if you were planning a drive south of the river then this would probably be closer than other options and well worth the trip.

I think we still enjoy preferential rates at Bletchingly as well.

We certainly get a good welcome.

There are a couple of Sandy/Chalky course in Hertfordshire but that's a cross-country drive and I haven't seen them this year.

Thanks boys, I had a few rounds at the South Essex back in the mid 90's I then gave the game up!

I shall have to grim it out for the time being, can't afford to be a member and play other courses at the weekend really, but having said that if needs must!

I played at Chesfield Downs last week and it was nice and dry.... The Hertfordshire, however, was really boggy

Played Toot Hill GC yesterday with a TSG group. Unbelievably dry for the time of year. Didn't even need to change my socks after...

HI,  I  think you all have it wrong,  its not the county its the country just hop on a plane come to portugal , it was 22c clear blue sky yesterday,  1st december!!!!  cant beleave it,  the bad new is i am coming home soon   so its back to a muddy field in essex o what joy  

yes,  it sounds like you have been having fun,   but before you rejoin this club next year check out others  in your area to see if they fair any better than yours,   ask for the history of the number of days they were shut, also days with trolly ban etc , it is clear some courses are better than others, I am lucky here at vila sol  it is on sand,  it may have a storm   50mm of rain,  2 hours after you can play,  the next day you would not know it had rained!!!!!   50mm in england and it would be on the bbc  news,     flooding,    homes under water,  but not here it just goes down and gone,    but you are in luck the forecast is not to bad for the next 10 day so it should dry out a bit,  maybe just in time for when i get home  .

Yea I did check on a few courses when I left Maldon, earlier this year.  But don't want to travel for an hour to find a dryish course.  I love Toot hill, but its not cheap and over 45 minutes drive from me.  Even they have a buggy ban on.
Suffolk is my best bet but Woodbridge is 50 miles away.  When I joined Maldon in 2008 we lost very few days the first winter I played.  But 2012 & 13 were horrendous, did not play for 10 weeks last year thats why I left.
Rivenhall does have a small course mainly par threes that copes better with the water table.
Benton hall, Channels, Stockbrook, Three Rivers, The Warren all very wet.
Rain forecast for tomorrow then a few dry days warming up again, lets hope we get some drying winds!

Suffolk has courses that drain well. Ufford Park (Woodbridge), Rushmere (Ipswich) and Hintlesham (SW of Ipswich) are dry under foot in winter, although Hintlesham bunkers can take a long time to drain.

 just played chiltern forest....very good condotion. And considering the hills even the holes at the bottom were fine.....a few mats and some were awful but other than that...worth a drive.....buggies and trolleys fine....luckily because that course a calf burner