Only a couple of Sussex courses have beaten the bad weather that has battered Britain since October.

Incredibly, Hill Barn, the popular play-and-pay track at Worthing, did not put up the shutters and temporary greens were in operation for only a few days over the last three months.

As a money-spinner, the municipal course has no equal in the county, although takings were down when the rain was at its most torrential and snow and ice left a white but playable blanket.

Like the wartime Whitehall theatre, Brighton and Hove also lived up to the slogan "we never close". Sitting atop a chalk-based ridge, members and visitors alike were able to brave the elements and only endure temporary greens for a few hours. Phil Bonsall has been busier in his shop than most other pros in the county.

Secretary Doug Rodbard said: "Most of the snow blew away. If any course is going to be open it will be us and there has been an upturn in green fees from people who could not get on anywhere else."

East Brighton, another downland course with valleys, were closed for only a few days. There are no temporary greens or tees and it is club policy not to use mats.

Normal green fee takings were down 40 per cent during December at Haywards Heath. Over the last three months the loss figure, according to secretary Gosta Kullner, was 15 per cent. This was not bad compared to previous wet years.

But early into the New Year, when the weather deteriorated further, there was a notable absence of members at the bar and catering figures suffered accordingly.

Kullner said: "The weather is getting better, but it has been an horrendous time. Hopefully we can recover."

When clubs, both members and proprietory, come to review their budgets it will come as no surprise if there is a move to increase subscriptions to cover the losses of the last three months.

But that may not be the case at Lewes. Secretary Joan Raffety reported an increase in green fees at what is usually a quiet time of year.

Perched high on the chalk cliffs, Lewes is where quite a few frustrated golfers have made a bee-line for when their own clubs were saturated.

Raffety said: "We were closed a couple of days for ice and snow but have been very fortunate compared with some."

But when the snow fell it did not melt on the 18th for three days and so Lewes suffered the penalties of altitude.

Sound drainage at Sweetwoods Park held up well and the owners only closed on Christmas and New Year's Day.

Also on the Sussex-Kent border, The Nevill had a different story to tell. The course re-opened on Monday but, as a members' club, it does not rely over much on green fees.

Slinfold Park has been closed for 16 days since October and count themselves lucky. Rookwood, which comes under the same operating licence, had the 'no play' signs out for ten days.

Since October, Ham Manor has been closed 27 days, but conditions are playable now and losing just two days in the last fortnight suggests the worst is over. Bar takings, however, are down.

Hassocks is a busy play-and-pay, but being low-lying, business has been affected by an estimate of 25 per cent.

Not far away, the undulating nature of Pyecombe has meant the course being closed for four or five days at a time. The valley holes have been the problem.