society golf

The lake has been empty for several months, and maybe the photo was at the end of the summer, but nothing has changed (except fairways went brown). Will post another picture if it will convince all that it is still empty!

Anyone who wants to contact IRM with their thoughts can do so via the golf shop manager cmartin@irmgolfexperience.com who will forward your comments.

Barry

Thank you Barry - have sent an email

i believe it would be good to send constructive emails on mass to this chap for them to pass on.

I think that sending constructive e-mails is a good idea, but as we we have found in the past with Polaris World, Milleniun etc, it very rarley comes to anything.  What I will say next maybe slightly controversial.  So much good work is done by the Society team, but  I personally believe that the resident Golf Society members could do more by way of complaining about the current state of the course.  I see comments made by seriously good golfers & society members who still believe it is "the best in Murcia" & relativley happy with the condition of the lakes.  I find that suprising to be honest.   Maybe the layout is still the best, but the condtion & asthetics has defintley taken a major backward step over the last 12 months. Even the greens, that were magnificent, are showing hollow-tine marks I believe.  Lets not kid ourselves, other local course such as El Vale (an IRM course) La Finca, Los Colinas, La Manga are all in much better condtion right now.  The cost of water argument is understandable, particulalry when you remember our course is owned by a bank, but what about the lakes at La Torre & El Vale....they are still fairly full & owned by the same bank  Why do we accept that argument?  Of course we all try to "play away from them", but that does not detract from the fact that in places, most notably the 4th, 5th & 13th its an eysore. Can anybody honestly say the picture posted by Barry of the 5th is acceptable..?   Can't understand that the Society is not making more noise about.  It seems as if complacency has set in, or we are just happy to preserve a status quo

Everyone understands the "Brown grass in Winter issue" which is unique for Condado.  Hopefully in time the fairways will be overseeded with standard grass, so we can enjoy green fairways all year - but until the course is sold, this type of improvement is not going to happen.    In the 5 years I have been on Condado, the saving grace inspite of the other other trouble we had going on, was the wonderfully laid-out & condtioned course we had.   Without that we have nothing.  It's the resorts only real asset of 5* quality.......and it seems to be slipping away fast, without even a whimper.

It wont really get fixed until the whole lot is sold.  I am praying for the day for the Arabs, Russians (when they choose to evacuate Cyprus), Chinese.....anybody who has some real loot (even if it's dodgy) buys Condado & fulfills its potential.  Only my view of course, but thats what it is needed - before it is too late

This message was last edited by Skell on 28/03/2013.

Skell talks sense even as a non-golfer we can see that. If the golf course starts getting a poor name for itself then the resort will die, full stop. So IMHO we need to be putting more pressure on IRM and the banks to address the situation. My suggestion would be to post a general post but not headed by a 'golf' message as we only happened to stumble accross this interesting & very worrying thread by chance. So if the masses, we believe 2500+, owners put pressure on IRM then surely they have to do something?

Do people wnat to own a property on a 'has been' golf course or a 'top' golf course??

SD

Oh dear oh dear!!

I was over in February and I can confirm that our once majestic looking Nicklaus designed championship course is a pretty poor image of its former self. The lake holes at the back of the course look absolutely awful and it's a disgrace.

Nick I believe you're there now, have been to El Valle/Mar Menor or any of the other courses on the trail mate? If so have they have got the levels of water required to make the courses aesthetically pleasing and why is our so called jewel in the crown being left to rot?

It's not on!!!!  We have a right the same as owners on any other PW resorts to have a course we can be proud of.  We know not everybody bought at Condado for the golf but a hell of a lot us did.

Not wanting to do us in any more but there's a lot golfing websites around that specailize in golf course reviews and maybe a little "threat" of Bad mouthing IRM owned courses might do the trick. All we want is what we bought in to at least in a golfing sence. As Nick has said if we aint got the course in the condition we need it in the resort will suffer in long term in a very bad way. We all know resorts that could of been great thriving places but have gone to seed and have poor condition golf courses in the heart of them.

Cheers

Jay 

I posted a link to contact IRM via the golf shop manager, Cristobal. Just to inform you that he no longer works there.

Barry

Results from the Graham White Pairs Strokeplay compettion are now at www.cdagolf.com

Barry

 Sad advertising for our golf-course.......      http://www.murciatoday.com/condado-golfers-unhappy-about-empty-lakes-and-bald-patches_15805-a.html

A different take on things.

http://condadodealhamaservices.com/blog/

Need it sorting out. If there's anyone we got to lobby let us know.

Jay

 that site needs to start reporting things good and bad. 

Vested interest to adhere to 'rose tinted' !!!

Hi Jay,

I am on CdA right now & have played the course every day for the past week.  It is a concern.   It is certainley in the worst condition I have ever seen it, but has not got beyond the point of being able to be fully recoverd, to put it into perspective - Your point about lobbying is very vaild in my view, before it does come too late.  The cut in Green-keepers (19>10) is undoubtedley having an impact, but the most noticable change is the lack of water being applied to the course.  Its bone dry.  The putting green is desperatley in need of water - as are all fairways. It's playing like a UK links course right now in August.  I heard they have not being doing any watering due the really strong windy period. Don't understand that one - I thought that would mean more water should be added not less...?  That windy period has now stopped, but the watering of the course is very minimal at best.  I dont care what anybody says about the lakes being 'ok'....they are not.  4 & 5 are completley empty & look an eyesore, 9/18 & 10, 13 are very low - not full as reported in that ridiculous blog posted by Jill on her website.....who clearly knows nowt about Golf or golf courses.   The greens are still in excellent condition though Jay, so in my view its nothing that can't be put right with a serious controlled watering program.    

FYI......La Torre's lakes are full, as are El Valle......so I don't buy into this nonesense about the cost of evaporation.  In summer maybe, but not for the last 6 months!!    Haicenda de Almo lakes are all full too.  The course is busy so I do agree that IRM are maye doing a good job on marketing........but they certainley not doing a good job of maintaining.  The temperatures day & night are now up & the really windy period has now passed.  All pressure on IRM should now be applied, before more extensive & long term damage is done - which will require much greater cost to be recoverd

Final round today - Texas Scramble.  Hope to catch-up with you soon mate

Cheers

Skell

Out 2 weeks ago and must agree with previous comments re state of course.

I  spoke to 2 society groups after their rounds and while both almost unanimously said what a fabulous course it is they  were also dissapointed by the state of some of the fairways and in particular the lack of water in the lakes.

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but as a Nicklaus Signature course I was under the impression that it was inspected annually by Nicklaus design.

If this is still the case maybe that is a area to be lobbying

 Right ...I have the address of the Director of golf if anyone would like to send an email. 

At the bottom of this post is the flippant reply he gave recently together with email and mobile

I think we need to start bombaring them to force action and to highlight the true condition of the course. To simply say they intend to leave the lakes empty and to do nothing says they dont care about how the course looks. They cant use the cost of water as an excuse -  other lakes on other courses are full and they know what it costs to keep them filled and this should form part of the agreement to manage the course. I question if their contarct is only short hence why they don't seem to care but that again is wrong and there should have been a clause to ensure the standards are maintained. If its a long term contract then they should have a plan to resolve the matter which may be to fill and lanscape -  I know a lot of people may not like this but a fully lanscaped hole is far better than what we have a present. In addition to the lake issue we need assurances on the overall maintenance to include watering of the fairways etc etc.

Regards

Dear …,

With regards to the talk we had yesterday regarding lakes on the Alhama Signature course:

The lakes in the holes 4, 5 and 13 are going to remain empty because these lakes are not used for the irrigation to the golf course, only are for aesthetics and the cost only in evaporation is more than 30.000 € per year.

The lakes that there are in the holes 18 and 10 are used to irrigate the golf course, and reservoir, whereby they must continue full.

I understand that everyone would like to have the lakes full, but the water price in Murcia is very expensive and only for the aesthetics. If in the future we have a better price, we will change our policy about this issues.

Kindest Regards,

If they are not going to fill them then surely they have to landscape them.

BRF, they don't have to do anything - they just do what they bloody want.

This smacks of IRM trying to force a reduction in price from the water supplier by way of 'just stop taking supplies until they buckle and renegotiate the price'. Unfortunately, this is again at the expense of our resort. Having witnessed the 'Spanish way' of burying heads in the sand over the last few years, I am fearfull that before long the course will resemble the condition of the wrecked football pitches.

What a way to protect your 'crown jewels'. We must be the laughing stock of the wider golfing community.

I would be really, really interested to hear what the NIcklaus golf trail management had to say on this.

Sent my two pennies worth in an email.  We need numbers and just maybe we might get through.