Hi all its not often i get fed up and on my soap box but my staff and i have found the last few weeks a little disappointing and I felt it was time to get a few points across to a minority of Members and Visitors that are spoiling things for everybody else

This very very unusual wet weather we have had since the end of September is making us all fed up, not just you guys as golfers, we are trying to work in it ! It’s very early to be this wet but contrary to belief it’s not something we can control, nor are the ground conditions we have, especially when over 75mm ( 3 inches) of rain have fallen in the last 6 days! Most of Essex is on clay and many courses have holes closed, no buggy’s or no Trolleys at all. We are all suffering from wet greens! Last year in Sep and Oct we only had 31.2mm of rain for the whole two months .To date we have had 146mm of rain since early September. I will let you work the differences out ! Please show some understanding and patience when the Course is so wet, the weather is not something we can do anything about! I fully get your frustrations, do you ‘get’ ours!?

Despite this my staff and I are doing our best to complete the Buggy and Trolley path on the back 9 holes as fast as we can. The Board backed us with the investment of nearly £50,000 to build the paths on 18 holes to protect our Course, sorry, YOUR Course from the perils of Wet Winter wear and enable ALL golfers to either use a trolley or a Buggy on a path and to able to play some Golf.

SOAP BOX NEXT COMMENT:– Why then, I ask, do a few people when asked to stay off certain areas if using a Trolley,( except with approved Winter Wheels), or a Buggy decide that these requests DO NOT APPLY TO THEM! I think its disrespectful to the Course, to my staff for all the hard-work we are doing and definitely disrespectful to fellow members and other Golfers! Please stop and think of not just yourself?

The last few summers have been very dry and the Course and Members were crying out for some proper Irrigation . Again the Board backed the Courses need and we installed an amazing Irrigation System which has proved its benefit the last 2 summers already. However, we are very aware we need to do some meaningful drainage. Over the last 6 years we have drained 7 greens, and built over 12 km of paths to keep things open, and next year we intend to try and start draining areas on the first 4 holes. Rome was not built in a day and neither solving some of Abridge’s Winter issues will be either. It takes time and Money ! Myself and my team are fully committed to keep improving things but sometimes the weather and other factors out of our control will stop us,

A little understanding of some things and decisions made go along way !! Throwing criticism and moans at people that are trying to do their best is easy ! Rules that applied last year or years before may not be the rules this year as things and circumstances have changed.

I have said this many times, all decisions we make re the Course are only ever done for ‘everybody’s’ benefit, not because we want to be awkward!

NEXT MOAN:- Ropes and signs are put out on the course to inform you and make you safe and to stop you walking through areas causing damage

THEY APPLY TO EVERYONE !!!!

My next rant is that in the last 4 weeks 3 of my staff have nearly been hit by a golf ball where golfers cant wait for us to get out the way and waive the golfer to play their shot. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE! a golfer would not hit a ball towards another golfer , so what is it are we different ? Are do you think we are not worthy and expendable !! Again i will let you mkae your mind up on that one !

Well , I think that’s my rant over! If I offend anyone and these moans do not apply to you please except my apologies but it is a little frustrating to hear issues around Trolleys and Buggys and wet Golf Courses when so much has been done the last few years and some of us are trying our very best.

The forecast is hopefully a little drier next week, let’s hope so for all of our sakes.

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE ALL BUGGY’S ARE ONLY ALLOWED ON THE FRONT 9 HOLES ONLY AND MUST STICK TO THE PATHS AT ALL TIMES.

TROLLEY’S MUST STICK TO THE PATHS AT ALL TIMES ON HOLES 1-5. THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE TROLLEYS WITH APPROVED WINTER WHEELS MAY TAKE THEM OFF THE PATHS BUT WE ASK YOU STICK TO THE ROUGHS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO PROTECT THE COURSE.

Please also be aware that owing to the wet a couple of temporary greens are in use and we are struggling to cut and iron certain greens. Please check with Pro shop for updates

Enjoy your Golf enjoy your Club……..it’s yours remember!