±«Óătv

i'm sorry but, as i said to a friend a couple of months ago, playing in ireland towards the end of september has 'weather problem' written all over it.

I can understand not wanting to play in adverse conditions.However the spectators have paid a lot of money for a chance to see their heroes.I think a compromise would be to play nine holes ,or something like that.After all they have caddies and nice new water proofs etc.This is just typical Irish weather the club golfer plays in all the time!

Why all the fuss about the weather...it was obvious from the outset that this type of thing could be expected, supposedly giving the Europeans an advantage, after all they don't have wind in the USA do they?!
I suppose there'll be complaints if they can't make all the par 5's in two; get used to it, don't expect a birdiefest, many holes will be won with pars or even, shock, horror, bogeys!
With a bit of luck Tiger and his cubs will get a sulk going leaving the way clear for [another] European victory. Perhaps he'll sing 'Congratulations', or maybe not!

Jay - look at Rydercup.com. It is the official site of the 36th Ryder Cup Matches. Surely if they call it that, so should you?

agree with the main posting. As a low handicap player, playing in the North West on the coast. The wind can make a mess of your swing especially tall players.Your confidence gets dented, best stay inside and play snooker until Friday.

Can everyone spare a thought for the greenkeepers who are working in the most horrendous conditions trying to ensure the course is playable as soon as possible? The picture (no 5) on the Sports site shows just what they have to put up with - and they are paid what amounts to a pittance. Remember, if they did not prepare the course, the players woud not have somewhere to earn their vast sums of money!
My husband is a greenkeeper in England and often, during wet weather, brings home up to three changes of clothes for me to try and dry before he goes back the next day. They are skilled men (and women), operating thousands of pounds worth of machinery in often hostile conditions and the majority of players (especially amateur ones) treat them with what I can only describe as contempt and complete disregard as the "hired help" or, even worse "convicts" (a reference to the people who used to do the job back in history!).
Keep it up, lads and lasses - some of us value your efforts and your worth (and thankfully you got the agreement of a decent pay rise in time for the Cup, even if you had to threaten strike action).

Hmm, aren't these guys professionals. I don't get to choose weather (notice the pun. heehee) to work or not if it's raining and windy. Incidently, it's just as bad up here in Aberdeen and I'm still playing my club mixed final tonight.

The only golf I ever pay much attention to is the Ryder Cup, maybe because it's a national thing rather than individuals. However, this does mean I'm rather behind on the technical terms! When they say that a pair wins by 3&4, what does that actually mean? I've figured that the larger the numbers the more one-sided it was, but that's about it. And when do players win by a number of holes instead? Apologies if I've missed a FAQs page somewhere, but this has been bugging me for some time!

"ONLY IN IRELAND..."

you've never seen ticket touts in England then have you?

"Only in Ireland", What's that about. They said the same thing about passports matching ticket numbers and I went to two world cup games this summer with tickets bought at the gate and that was supposed to be German efficiency.

I am playing in the club Stableford on Saturday. Providing the greens don't flood we will play. If it blows a banshee - we will play. IF it pours with rain, we will play. So you have to use a squirty 3 iron to move the ball into the wind and it doesn't go 3 million yards. But 3 X 3 irons hit straight for 150 yards puts you near most par 5s. How much are these people paid. Get out and play and show us how to tame the weather, or shut up and go home. Nancy-boys we can do without. Spectators, you should enter entirely at your own risk, if you fall and break something, your fault. If something blows down on you - your fault. No litigation allowed. I know many of you are Yanks and sue at the drop of a hat - well, not here please. This is foul-weather golf, not indoor tiddly-winks.

It's good to see the Europeans went out for 9 holes if only to give the fans something to view.
Especially after waiting so long in the traffic and the Park+Rides.
Sarah Lane, you are so right in commending the green keeping staff. By all accounts, the course is immaculate and they deserve huge credit.
The forecast here in ireland is for the weather to improve gradually from now to Sunday. I suspect the match will be completed on Sunday.

just a note about the huge prices paid for practice days... I heard that the cost of practice day tickets are €35 = £24stg.
Not that bad really is it?

Tail end??? (of hurricane Gordon) This isn't arriving until tomorrow night. fingers crossed.

What a bunch of wimps! OK, we accept that public safety has to be guaranteed and that there are objects in the spectator areas which are vulnerable to wind, but they are not in the playing areas! It has become all too prevalent that pro golf is stopped for a a bit of wind and rain. Golf is a sport played irrespective of weather (subject to it not presenting risk to life and limb, of course) - 30-40 mph winds are strong, sure, but not dangerous! Get out and play, and let's not see any play postponed, they should play whatever the weather.

Andy - you are as bad as the professionals. The course and the weather are the same for everyone playing, deal with it!

All the talk of delays due to weather also reminds us that this is a commercial venture - delays due to weather are mainly down to the fact that people don't come and spend money on a foul weather day!

Admittedly the weather out in Ireland is pretty bad but its clearly nothing to do with Hurricane Gordon which is currently sitting down by the Azores. Forecasts show that it may well be influencing Ireland by Friday, but the current wind and rain is just a normal Atlantic depression, which is pretty much what you'd expect in Ireland in September.

I wonder was this weather prescribed by Ian Woosnam et al. Having looked at ±«Óătv five day Forecast for dublin, it appears the bad weather will abate by Friday. All this serves to do is prevent USA from acquainting tnemselves with the course.
Europe have played this course in tournaments ten times over the past years (40 rounds of competitive play).
I think this weather is definitely helping the Europeans.

Also, obviously the British & Irish players will be far more accustomed to playing in such conditions.

Why do the pros only want to play when they can continually make strings of birdies? It makes for just as interesting, if not more interesting golf to see them scratching it out trying to make bogeys. Just because they cant take dead aim from 200 yards with a 6 iron doesnt mean play should stop. Much better to see them trying to nurse it round as best they can, cos they'll still impress.

I am so tired of hearing about the weather! The Europeans can play in it the Americans cannot etc. etc. Well, for the uninformed...Americans do play in foul weather - high winds and rain and sometimes snow! The reason play would be delayed is due to electrical storms that are so prevelant in the States. Not too bright to be out on a golf course with a lightning rod in your hand. NOW it is settled!

Alasdair Jones

With all due respect, the Rydercup.com website is wrong!!

Sorry!

With all the Europeans (particularly the Irish) slapping themselves on the back about their "hard" weather, one would think they knew nothing of the US.

We do get rain (very heavy rain too). We do get hurricanes (the full brunt of them too, not just the tail end of them). We do get heavy winds (the kind that knock down utility poles and such).

So could the Euros here please stop acting as if they are the only ones to get the miserable stuff?

Thanks.

Come on America!

Mystic Murf - Ireland, I mean Europe to win it on Monday afternoon..

Watched the Preview show on Sky last night, it seems as if the American team needn't bother turning up, the European guys already have the Cup and what with the weather and the fans on their side the match is over before it starts.

I just hope Woosie and his team aren't believing all this hype.

14.5 to 13.5 will do fine guys just go out there and do it, even if it takes until Monday!!!

Come on, Kathleen! In the US play is stopped by a bit of rain, or if a few leaves are blown off the trees, unlike in Europe! Only unsafe conditions should stop play.

US pros play on plastic homogenised courses and don't know what real golf is about.