N vs S recon at the abbey

dont get your hopes up too much

a few of us went for a round at the abbey yesterday (sunday 21st) and the course isnt in a very good condition

admittedly we have had a bit of rain lately but the course is very boggy in places with balls plugging very easily, the greens were in a terrible state and need a lot of work to get them upto a decent standard for the event

nice finishing hole that has got a big risk and reward factor

not a very testing course

the hotel looks fine with some good facilities, albeit a small bar overlooking the 18th that will struggle to cope with 80 people in it

personally i think it is just an average course

More rain is forecast, cant see things improving by April!

It is a real shame if this course doesn't get better by the time the NvS game is held there.

One of the good things about playing these events is that you play on the 'Better' courses, and you know it's good.

Obviously you have to consider the cost at one of these premium clubs compared with one that isn't as good, but I'm sure most people, given enough time would be prepared to pay for a good venue, and maybe even to play on a weekend.

I hope the weather stays good and the course improves for this game.

Russ

Don't write the course off just yet, it was infinitely better than when we played it last time.  Personally I had no problems with plugged balls, OK there were a few that didn't roll far but no worse than anywhere else at this time of year.  The only time I saw a seriously plugged ball was when Stu Laws crashed a fairway wood into a tree from close range (so some of you know how fast that was going!) and it went straight downwards into a drainage ditch about a balls diameter.  The greens were bumpy, but they look like they are trying to get a bit of growth into them and with a roll and cut should be OK (apart of course from the members pitchmarks).  Some of the tee boxes were muddy, but we mostly played off the (proper) winter ones, not from the yellow markers so that should be fine if we don't get too much rain in the next few weeks.

That's the negative part.  On the positive side it's a cracking matchplay course especially for a mixture of handicappers like us.  It's not long (6405 yds) so, unlike Belton or Wokefield, it does not disproportionally favour big hitters.  On some holes a 270 yard drive either runs out of fairway or leaves a pitch to the green, that then puts the emphasis on accuracy, something I hope that JP would approve of.  Stray off the fairway and you're in trees, and they are a nightmare.  I'm not a big hitter but even I managed to hit the first two par 5's in regulation.  Good players will need to birdie holes to win them and I doubt anyone will win a par 4 hole with a 6!

The hotel is definitely not a soulless corporate shed, the bar prices are realistic (£3 a pint rather than £5) and the food that I've had was good (unlike Wokefield and Belton).  The bar area overlooks both the 9th and 18th and I'm sure that Darren was arranging something to do with a marquee.

So write it off before we play if you want, but as my old Dad used to say you can only p*ss with the c**k you were born with.

Unfortunately Russ it ain't as simple as just picking a venue there are a lot of boxes to tick, and the weather is always a major factor at any outdoor event one tries to organise. I will try and get some feedback from the venue on what work they intend doing on getting the greens ready.Having played there last year in April they were fine. good chance as most clubs are doing at the moment they will be getting there greens ready.

Nice one Tim, Glass half full !  lets give it a chance.

I tend to agree with Tim, plus I know what Dave meant when he said it was a slicer's course!

Yes, it was wet and, if we have a couple of weeks of rain leading up to the event, it may well be tricky but we've not had that yet.� I thought the course was fine, not spectacular by any means, but I've played plenty worse.� There are some lovely par 3 holes and, with most of the greens being very well defended, accuracy of approach shots was paramount.�

I think I'm right in saying the back 9 is about 600 yards longer than the front and it certainly felt it.� i would imagine this to be very tough if the wind blew.� I really enjoyed the first nine, holes 10 and 11 are nice, but then it went downhill a bit for me.� Holes 12-16 are straight and long (especially with the wet fairways) and a bit up and down.� 17 is a nice hole, pretty wide open and 18 is a great finishing hole with a ditch about 210 off the tee and the green, about 275 with water on the right and a bunker protecting the front left.� The patio area will be a perfect vantage�point given decent weather.�

As Tim said, let's not write it off just yet.� As many of us who've organised events know it's very rare that you please everyone.

On Sunday it was nice to see Bob Haynes getting some practise in by sitting himself in a chair above the 18th green shouting advice to everyone and anyone who was playing the 18th.� A very bemused Japanese couple playing the 18th really didn't know what to make of it all!

I always enjoy playing the Abbey - no matter how bad I play (nobody saw my scorecard on sunday!). The course is looking a little tired in places (the greens in particular) but it is a good test in that as Tim says people of all handicaps can play well there but equally have trouble if straying offline as there is plenty of water, trees, ditches and out of bounds.

If the wind gets up the par 3's will be a tough test for anyone.

There is quite a bit of distance between tees and this can help cut down the waiting a bit when busy.

The range was good value at £2.50 for 70 srixon range balls - but the putting green was out of action due to relaying.

I did have trouble with plugging - but that was mostly in the rough - I didn't test out the fairways too much

i agree with the comments about the greens not the best i ve played on but not the worst either.

i enjoyed the layout of the course and the back 9 plays a lot longer than the front (alot longer)think there are only a couple of par 4 s under 400 yds.

my main gripe was the grass on the fairways or should i say lack of.

it was cut way to short the ball was virtually sat on the soil and no room to get under it,talking to a few of the lads after the game and we all said the same.

hotel looked fine and the prices were alot better than last year

Well it'll probably be the end of summer before you finish Stuart, so it's bound to be dry at some time.

PS - Wayne.  He had two verions depending on the company he was in, I actually used the cleaner version, his favourite was f**k.

And he's not dead yet either, I just don't seem him very often.

Wayne my initial comments are purely my conception of the course as i played it

it wasnt meant to be in any way detrimental to anyone involved in organising the event as i know that a lot of time and effort is put into doing so.

as stated this is just MY PERSONAL opinion on the course and everybody has thier own perceptions on what a good course is

all i have done is stated the condition of the course and facilities as i see it, just like a course review!!! i am sure that you have reviewed courses before and not always been favourable to them and others you will have been

and of course the N vs S will always be a very highly anticipated event no matter where it is held

I wouldn't worry about a courses condition now. They can and do change dramatically during March and April as the weather warms up.

TheLyth

I may try & get a game at the Abbey the week before if anyone's interested? That way I'll know what to expect on the 2 days.

I think as far as the condition of the course goes you've just gotta roll with the punches. 

As promised I have asked the questions and we have had a reply from the head green keeper at Abbey (Craig), They will be holitining and top dressing the greens next week. They then have  2 weeks before we arrive. They will then be rolled and cut and I have had assurance that the course will be in fine fettle for our competition. Also he would like to say that the course at present is in defence mode this is due to the appalling winter we have had and the amount of traffic the course has seen,(as are most Inc my home club).You have to understand that this venue is a Hotel/corporate setup where they don't really have the luxury of closing to protect the course as much as our own members clubs.

Other points raised:

The Bar won't hold 80 people :

I don't believe that but it doesn’t need to. There are two bars at the hotel inc two large patio areas. The presentation will be held in the function room and not in the bar.

18th & 9th Greens:

These can both be viewed from the patio area above the 18th (unless the trees have had a growth spurt since Feb) and the 9th also has a great viewing close to the green about 60 yrds away (that's a 4iron Govan )

Not the best course I played:

As I stated in my pitch to hold the NvS at Abbey the course isn’t going to make the top 100 but it's not all about the course. The shopping list was:-Balcony to view the final holes.A course suitable for Matchplay,Two tee start , Enough accommodation for stop over, Central location and Value for money.Not that easy but I think we have managed to tick all the boxes. Look forward to meeting some new faces an acquainting with old ones.

Saunton Sands one of the finest links golf courses to be found anywhere fact,is it on the the open roster No, reason it don't tick all the boxes.

I lobbiied the venue , If it rains Darren R chose the date 

Tim,the comment about a Marque that was a reference to a different venue that was suggested.

 

 Nuff said David, people should appreciate the effort that has gone into this but I think Darren's comments may not have ben taken at face value.

  Re the condition: all courses are suffering due to the winter. I played at MoorAllerton last Sun and the greens were looking as bad as I've seen them but as the Lyth says a couple of weeks is a long time so we shouldn't write it off just yet.

 And leven if it's not tip top, ets not forget what this is all about. To me it's a gathering of like minded people, let off the leash, with no one to answer to for two days...no sorry that's something else, ah yes reinforcing southern inferiority.

 I'm just off to buy a red top.

David

there is already a sort of hard marquee/pagoda type thingy just off the 18th - that was what I was referring to. 

 Wayne, since Algarve? more like 1987.

You are right Tim I believe that is there covereing the BBq area?   We were talking of having a  big Marque at Staverton Golf Club but it became a none starter ,see you Friday at Woodbury??

Thanks Patrick, and I'm sure you are right and people are appricative of every ones efforts to provide a good tourny and good hospitalitiy.

My post is not focused on any individual just clearing up some issues/points raised in the whole thread I myself was also intrested on when the greens were to be worked on. To be honest as I played there for two days last April I suspected that they would be ok by then.

David

Obviously won't see you Friday on a golf course, I'm working!  Ahem, wink. 

My biggest concern though is do they have buggies and if so, will I be able touse one, I have problems with mobility and if I can't use a buggy will struggle to manage 1 lot of 18 let alone 2 in 2 dy.

I receive high rate DLA Mobility and some courses accept this as medical exemption.

 Any help would be much appreciated and the missus is looking forward to the SPA facilities

 

Ta 

 

Why don't you ring them and ask Ben?

I have tried to email them several times to get a written confirmation that I could use a buggy on grounds of medical exemption but so far I have received nothing. 

Am going to try ringing them next week to try and get some definitive answers.

Hopefuly a good run of dry days should really help most courses.

As somebody who organises both a summer and a winter league I can fully appreciate the amount of work that goes into these kind of events.

I don't have the problem of overnight stays, balcony overlooking the 18th green and a bar big enough to hold eighty drunks, sorry seventy eight drunks and two tee-totallers!!! 

Half the courses I contact to hold my events won't accept us on a weekend, and some of these golf courses I wouldn't class as even passable courses!

Maybe it would be worth finding a course with a central location and just using that for this event.

As long as there is a travelodge/premier inn nearby the cost of stopping over shouldn't be high.

At the moment it's not my problem so good luck to those people who organise these things.

Russ

Don't believe him he reckons he had hypocondriasis once and went sking with Eddie the Eagle

 Just to stray off the point, I was looking at directions as I'm coming down on the train so was looking for directions from Redditch train station. Google states it is 300 yds from the station but this is wrong (the map states abbey  g &c but it is in fact Redditch municipal. Abbey is some 2 miles north of the station also marked as abbey g & c on Hither Green lane. I'm sure the Sat Nav usera will be ok though.

what are your train times pat when do you arrive in redditch

Well I have phoned The Abbey and was told that all 16 buggies have been booked by Golf Shake, I it possible for me to have one for both dys as walking for 2 days worth of 18 holes would almost certainly result in me not being able to move for at least 2 days, damn my broken body.

 

A starting to look forward to the event with friends from previous events.

 

Ta

Ben, I'm led to believe that one is reserved for you.

 Thanks for the offer Martin but I'll jump in a taxi...it's only a couple of miles.

Ben yes I have booked all 16.  Will not know until nearer the time if buggies will be allowed as they don't allow on the course until April.

I have been given 90% assurance that yourself and JP will be fine given medical requirements.

Regards,Darren

Correct, Wayne, too victory.

It will take you that long to play the 18 holes on Friday so you might as well stay there !!

I saw you play in the Algarve so I have no fears on any front on you either winning any points or holing a putt never mind the winning one !!!

I think you will find Mr North Captain that the said pair were victorious in their match last year !   

I do know that Dave as I too have also looked at last years results. But this win as you know Dave in matchplay means didly squat !!

Sorry, where's my manners - Mr South captain.

Thank you Martin, a Win breeds confidence revenge can be so damaging

Me too got any spare Med's no one was more suprised than me with his splendid performance last year, especially as I played with him on the Sunday

Well there's 1 pairing the North Captain can be assured of. He just needs to find another 2 suckers players who are prepared to play a 6 hour round

Be very careful for what you wish for John

Does that mean I'm after revenge Dave for last years defeat by default. Erm sorry meant to say rules infringement. Be careful what YOU may wish for !!!!

I've already had my wish, the hook is in!! 

At least that's got a faster swing than Stu, Chris.

Perhaps it is the date that needs altering.

Perhaps it is the date that needs altering.

Wayne.

 i also appreciate your comments as well as everyone else's

 

i understand that my comments could have and certainly in some instances have been taken out of context

 this was certainly not my intention when posting, i was just trying to give a heads up on the course conditions at that time.

i know that quite a few including myself look at the N Vs S as a premier event in the golfing calender and to be fair i think we have been spoilt with the last couple of years with the venues, last years in particular as i thought wokefield was an outstanding course.

i have spoke to a few people who think the abbey is a nice course but on the flip side i have spoken to the same amount who like me are not impressed with the abbey

 @ Darren R, i understand that organising such a prestigious event takes alot of time and effort and in no way was my comments in any way trying to offend

@ Wayne, i will try to be more neutral/diplomatic when reviewing courses in the future.

@ Dave Marshall, im glad james isnt playing this year, it gives wayne a chance of trying to score a point for the north

@ Dave Ley BRING IT ON!!!!!

@ EVERYONE ELSE my only advice is Relax and enjoy the ride cos its gonna be one hell of a ride

 

p.s just one more piece of advice...........BRING YOUR SUNGLASSES

 

Nice one Darren, you actually sound like you're the current holder's of the NvS Trophy

In the meantime here's some homework for you:-

http://www.randa.org/flash/rules/PDF/WEB_ROG_spreads.pdf

You know what dave.....its a book i have read a lot since last year

 

even more so since i last played at the abbey with all those trees

i will say as well i went in a few bunkers at the abbey in the warm up as well

 

but with all this shitty weather there shouldnt be many leaves!!!!!!