WALKING over Riverside Park last Sunday we came across the fenced-off cricket square, and were overcome with admiration for the skill of the groundsmen who could produce such a fine smooth texture.

As a casual but keen pitch-andputter, I was almost drooling at the thought of what it would be like to putt on such a surface.

Later, on the other side of the park, we walked over the pitchand-putt course and, oh dear, the greens were almost indistinguishable from the fairways, and their condition was really awful, with weeds, holes and bare patches everywhere.

A group of us started playing there regularly some ten years ago, and at that time it was in an almost immaculate condition, a real credit to Southampton.

For several years our scores improved but from about five years ago they got worse, year by year. The reason: neglect.

The greens have been allowed to deteriorate so much now, long grass growing round the holes, unwanted holes dug in the greens, bare patches due to close mowing, even molehills on a couple of greens! We have had to invent local rules allowing us to move a ball when faced with such obstacles.

It is really disappointing to see how such a splendid facility has deteriorated so badly. We used to look forward eagerly to the start of each season, but with the opening date presumably soon upon us, the outlook for 2015 is pretty bleak.

DAVID JACOBS, Bitterne, Southampton.