EdMcF

Reserved a tee off time for three golfers. Turned up at the course at the appointed time. Pro shop guy, who was friendly enough, informed us that we had to pay a deposit so that we could have three little AstroTurf mats to take round. These were to be used on the fairway AND from the rough.

We took that information on the chin and headed to the first tee. This was a temporary tee box with a tee mat. All three uf us teed off and subsequently walked down the first fairway towards our balls. The ground underfoot was really wet and muddy. We made it about 100 yds down the fairway before we heard the ground keeping staff shouting us from the first tee area. They caught up with us to inform us there was a trolley ban in place and that we'd have to go back with our trolleys and then carry the bags for the duration of the round.

I'm afraid that was the last straw for us. With the temporary tees, AstroTurf mats, no trolleys and who knows what going on with the greens, we'd basically paid good money to fly our balls over their airspace because at virtually no point was a ball to be in contact with any of their grass.

We returned to the clubhouse, when the groundsman gave the guy from the pro shop a gentle telling off for not enforcing the trolley ban (pro shop guy claimed he didn't know there was one). I called tee off times and requested a refund, which was duly organised. I also asked them to call the course because they are offering times on tee off times when, in actual fact, they should just be closed. Yes, there's been a fair bit of rain recently, etc, etc but, don't waste people's time like that. It was pretty annoying and I hope that, in future, they have the good sense to look at their course conditions and make suitable arrangements with any business associates who book times for them.

After a couple of calls from the car park, we manage to book a tee off time at Bowring Park. It's thought to be the oldest municipal course in England and, I think, would be quite good to play when things firm up on the ground. As it was, we had a perfectly satisfactory round, considering the conditions.

Golf clubs.........know your course and plan accordingly for the conditions. By having tee times showing as available when the course was in no condition to be played, not to mention the amount of restrictions that were in place, you are basically wasting peoples' time and money. As a result of my experience at West Derby, you'd have to go some to persuade me to return there, even in the middle of summer. So unnecessarily annoying.