Spring Conditions

[GoingLow]

Played Greensmere it was soaked, greens like sponges..... 5 1/2 hour round as well.....brutal....

[mjf]

Anybody played the Marshes yet? I'm playing tomorrow and would like to know what to expect...

[Cruban]

Stonebridge conditions anyone?

[SUNRAY]

Front 9 is fairly soggy back 9 fairly dry except for 13. Greens are in pretty good shape and were cut before we teed off Friday morning. They were lightning fast and I must have 3 wacked the first few holes.

All in all first round of the season and had a terrible front 9 but a decent back 9.

Thanks for the info. I'll be going out tomorrow! I can handle 9 terrible holes for 9 decent - this time of year. Thanks again.

I'll post Sunday conditions soon afterwards.

Cheers.

[Kiwi]

Hammond...
Don't see Hammond on the Spring Openings list. Any info / updates? Weather guy said that Ottawa has already had DOUBLE it's normal rainfall for the month, and more coming. Suspect weather and drainage issues are hurting their operation.

[sebber]

I drive by Hammond every day, they just took off the tarps and the course looks very very rough, winter kill spots everywhere, water still puddled in fairways etc, It will likely be like 2 years ago where the course was in horrible shape til about mid june.

[hoolio]

Got out to Cedarhill this afternoon. There were 3 or 4 soggy holes, but the rest of the course was pretty good. Greens were running pretty quick too. Overall, I was impressed with the condition for this time of year. It was my first round though, so I can't say how it stacks up against other courses.

[imozzie]

Mont Cascade

Got a round in at Mont Cascade this afternoon. A little wet in spots but very playable. Most greens have faired extremely well with some minor winter kill on a couple. But most shaping up very well - punched and a little slow but such is to be expected at this time in the year. They have one temp on the 17 par 3 with tarp covering the actual green still. This is probably the most shaded green on the course and, with some snow still in the woods, recognition that they care. And the main thing - they told us about it before we paid.

The only negative comment I would make - and it's not their fault - it would be that both the roads into the course (from Cantley or Wakefield) are an absolute disaster. I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee. If I drove anything other than an SUV, I'd probably think twice about going back until the roads were fixed.

At $25 green fees for a sunny, Sunday afternoon of golf....a great day was had by all!!!

[Ruskie]

Played Equinelle today. The course wintered very well with no signs of winter kill. Greens were very slow, but smooth. Fairways were very soft, like walking on thick carpet, somewhat wet but very playable. Most bunkers were wet but groomed, balls tended to bury in them. They were charging $58.

All in all, not bad at all. I'd give it a couple of weeks to dry out and have the greens cut and it should be in early summer shape (unless we get all those promised buckets of rain next week).

[Fallys0820]

Played Emerald Links today - West/East. A few dead spots on the greens, but the course looks very green (compared to the Meadows on Friday). However, that "very green" comes from the long grass Greens were a little inconsistent, but the putts rolled really well (for me). I'm not sure what will happen to the greens this spring/summer, but the course is in pretty good shape for this time of year.

Scott
aka Fally

[mjf]

Played at the Marshes yesterday. The course is in pretty good shape considering the time of year and the amount of rain we've had. The fairways were a little spongy... and furry. It was cart-path only. The greens were a little slower and bumpier than usual but overall quite nice. A couple of the greens had small tarps over some sections (#4 and #10).

It was $70 + tax.

[bobblehead]

Stonebridge conditions anyone?

Played Stonebridge today...course is in great shape for this time of year. Greens are a bit slow but rolling true. Fairways are mostly dry and still punched from last season.

[John]

Played Renfrew this morning and the course is in good shape for this time of year, nice and dry. Greens need to be cut and are very slow and sandy.

[adam]

Played Stonebridge today...course is in great shape for this time of year. Greens are a bit slow but rolling true. Fairways are mostly dry and still punched from last season.

I played there as well too, couple wet spots but overall in decent shape.
I've got to know what they use to top dress though as it was like gravel in some spots.
Really marked up the club faces on a couple shots.

[AvidGolfer59]

Played Renfrew Golf Club twice this weekend. Once on Good Friday and one on Sunday. Course was in amazing shape. It must drain really well. Greens were also really good. Great value for 2 golfers and a cart for $69.00!!!

[BullDog]

With 50-80mm of rain to come between now and the weekend, I'm wondering - will ANY course be playable on Saturday or Sunday? This much rain in the summer takes a little while to soak in... but has the ground thawed out enough/dried up enough to absorb all this precipitation and not create fairway lakes at 80% of the area's courses?

[sebber]

Played Outaouais today, a few wet spots but overall it was in very good condition!

[nokids]

With 50-80mm of rain to come between now and the weekend, I'm wondering - will ANY course be playable on Saturday or Sunday? This much rain in the summer takes a little while to soak in... but has the ground thawed out enough/dried up enough to absorb all this precipitation and not create fairway lakes at 80% of the area's courses?

I bet Smugglers will be good, but it's not Ottawa.

[Ruskie]

Well, NCGT starts this weekend at Cloverdale. I guess we'll see how well it drains...

[goochy]

Well, NCGT starts this weekend at Cloverdale. I guess we'll see how well it drains...

It was pretty wet on Friday with only the front nine open...bring your Billy Boots Alex mate

[leftylucas]

I guess I will bring 2 pairs of shoes for sure or my rubber boots with spikes

[tmacgolf]

I played there as well too, couple wet spots but overall in decent shape.
I've got to know what they use to top dress though as it was like gravel in some spots.
Really marked up the club faces on a couple shots.

Played it twice this weekend and agree with the previous posters that it wintered very well. The greens should be great again this year. As for the gravel, I don't think it was spread on the course on purpose, I believe the course was built on a more "gravelly" base and it usually works its way to the top over the winter. Number 8 is particularly bad this year, with the top tier fairway having large rocks all over it. Once the grass thickens a bit and is cut a few more times, the gravel should not be an issue anymore. I agree though, it seems worse this year than others.

[maximus]

Played at the Marshes yesterday. The course is in pretty good shape considering the time of year and the amount of rain we've had. The fairways were a little spongy... and furry. It was cart-path only. The greens were a little slower and bumpier than usual but overall quite nice. A couple of the greens had small tarps over some sections (#4 and #10).

It was $70 + tax.

+1

They could have very safely done 90 degrees with the carts on Sunday, but I can appreciate that they want to be careful early in the season. I was glad I had my carry bag with me to pop in and out of the cart on occasion.

[Grouchy]

Played at the Gatineau on Friday. It was very much an "under construction" feel to it. Lots of sod covering up bare patches and unfinished features. Many of the greens were still seriously holed up from the aeration at the end of last year. The only real redeeming thing is that I guess they have good drainage, not all that wet considering. I would give it a couple months before going back but they gave me a free round that I've got to use within a month. So I guess I'll give it another go in May sometime.


Surprisingly, Pineview snuck open it's executive course on the weekend and I played it Sunday. Quite good conditions really. The ground was a little spongy so we had a number of plugged balls but overall pretty good.

[CoolDog1029]

Has anyone playing Canadian? Any updates would be appreciated!

[Ruskie]

Has anyone playing Canadian? Any updates would be appreciated!

Played it on Sunday. Wet, as expected, but playable. Greens were about average for this time of year.

[bobblehead]

Played Kingsway park today...front 9 was soaked and greens punched. Some traps full of water. Back 9 was less wet. But at least it was sunny

[John]

Played CedarHill today. Soaking Wet on pretty much every hole, greens were bumpy but still fast.

[Eldred]

Also, the 2 nines have been switched. Hole #1 was the original 10 and vice versa.
The new 18 is now closer to the parking lot. Which is convenien, you put your gears away and then head to the lounge for refreshments.

Played Kingsway park today...front 9 was soaked and greens punched. Some traps full of water. Back 9 was less wet. But at least it was sunny

[triple-bogey]

Also, the 2 nines have been switched. Hole #1 was the original 10 and vice versa.
The new 18 is now closer to the parking lot. Which is convenien, you put your gears away and then head to the lounge for refreshments.

It was already that way last year, I think.