#Of Holes on A Course

[abarker]

We have approval for an 18 hole course, but in order to fit all 18 holes, we have to cramp in a few holes that simply throw back and forth over wide open fields. They aren't crossing fairways, but with errant throws they will overlap a little bit. In these situations, you will always be able to see any other groups that may be throwing at the same time, so safety as in blind shots shouldn't be an issue.

Do you think it's better to:

A. Have 18 holes, for the sake of the roundness of 18 holes, and the appeal of an 18 hole course.
B. Have 15 holes, and eliminate the wide open holes.
C. Just have 12 quality holes, but have multiple teepads for each hole, providing a total of 24 unique drives.
D. Have 9 quality holes with multiple teepads to provide the round front 9 back 9, 18 hole feel.

If you were visiting the area and wanted to play a few of the best courses, would you be more likely to play courses based on dg course ratings, or the number of holes the course had? Would you rate a course lower because it has only 12 or 15 holes than a course with round 9 and 18?

Thanks for your input! Here is the 18 hole layout. The holes referred to that throw over the wide open field are #4, #5, #7

 

[DavidSauls]

C or D. (Well, probably A if I were visiting, and had the place to myself).

The map doesn't show distances of holes, or distances between baskets and other tees. Doesn't look like you could throw #4 if anyone's anywhere on#5, including putting. And many shots on #3 are going to end up on the 4/5 fairways.

For absolutely no good reason, a 15-hole course simply feels incomplete to me.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

No question about it................. D.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Two examples of option D:
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=552
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=3329

 

[sisyphus]

I'd vote D with the space you have available. They faced the same issue at Clear Creek, and did a pretty nice job creating variety with 9.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Don't look to shoe horn scenario A, B, C or D into the given area. Rather, spend some time walking the land in several directions and see what holes it yields. See how may really decent holes any of the layouts provides. On a small plot, you might find it makes sense to sacrifice one great hole to get two good ones. If you can effectively use 9 baskets and 18 tees to make the most of the land then that's what you do, but I don't recommend going in with that as a pre-determined idea based on a bunch of internet forum posts or poll results, and forcing things to "fit the plan."


Consider how much non DG traffic, the park gets, as well as the nature of that traffic and where it goes. Try to avoid it/coexist with it as best you can - we don't need another Polliwog.

 

[mattc]

I say - D.

 

[Kenny53691]

Don't look to shoe horn scenario A, B, C or D into the given area. Rather, spend some time walking the land in several directions and see what holes it yields. See how may really decent holes any of the layouts provides. On a small plot, you might find it makes sense to sacrifice one great hole to get two good ones. If you can effectively use 9 baskets and 18 tees to make the most of the land then that's what you do, but I don't recommend going in with that as a pre-determined idea based on a bunch of internet forum posts or poll results, and forcing things to "fit the plan."


Consider how much non DG traffic, the park gets, as well as the nature of that traffic and where it goes. Try to avoid it/coexist with it as best you can - we don't need another Polliwog.

I was thinking the same thing. I was given permission to walk a piece of land for a potential course, and I've been walking the land for almost a year now (not as much as I need to be walking it) and I only have a few holes that have stood out to me. I wanted to see the land in all four seasons to get a good feel of it before I started working on more holes.

 

[grodney]

PLEASE, re-think your course, and consider doing 18 fun and interesting holes that are 140ft to 200 ft.

*NOT* wide-open and boring pitch-and-putt. Interesting and fun. This won't be simple with some of the wide-open areas on your aerial, but I think it can be done.

Your reward will be a course that is enjoyed by an amazingly wide demographic, while still providing a fun place for you and your friends to take your putters and rocs, work on your short games, and run at aces.

To quote a Park&Rec professional from another thread: "All of us want to have the greatest most challenging course out there but sometimes it is just not viable within certain parks.".

 

[kenjiac]

If you have the money for 18 baskets but not enough room for 18 holes. Go 2 tees and 2 baskets on each hole less space required and 4 layout are yielded. Short Tee Short Pin, Short Tee Long Pin, Long Tee Short Pin, Long Tee Long Pin.

 

[BirdieMachine]

Open holes are not a negative. A mix of wooded and open is great. For sure go with 18 holes.

 

[bhadella]

I say - D.

I concur

 

[abarker]

C or D. (Well, probably A if I were visiting, and had the place to myself).

The map doesn't show distances of holes, or distances between baskets and other tees. Doesn't look like you could throw #4 if anyone's anywhere on#5, including putting. And many shots on #3 are going to end up on the 4/5 fairways.

For absolutely no good reason, a 15-hole course simply feels incomplete to me.

Hole #4 is about 310 Feet, Hole #5 about 225 to give you some perspective.

 

[namar]

I would definitely prefer 9 well-crafted holes over 18 holes that feel packed together. I don't mind the "back and forth across a field" aspect so much, but as mentioned above, proximity may become an issue. I envision a good number of RHBH tee shots from #3 landing on #4/#5 fairways.

I think 2 pads/2 pins per hole would work very well for the given land. It seems like it would yield a better layout with potentially more variety than could be managed with 18 completely separate holes.

 

[scarpfish]

I would definitely prefer 9 well-crafted holes over 18 holes that feel packed together.

^ This. Or 12 holes if you can fit them. That design on the map looks way too crammed.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

FWIW - I see no problem with a fairway that's wide open as long as it plays to a nicely tucked or guarded basket. The only feasible way to get a duece is to hit the window of the tee to set up a realistic putt. If your tee shot is too short or too long, you essentially have to take a stroke to get to through window for a long long look at the basket for what is likely a 4. This emphasizes placement and line shaping over distance.

The real trick is burrying the basket in far enough so that the the upshot after the really long or short drive isn't easily landed for a drop in par, but not far in that a duece is essentially impossible.

 

[Royal Hill]

I vote for a likely option D. Safe nine holes.

If I look at a map like the one that starts this thread, I immediately mentally remove all mandos. Then, I look at straightest flight path options, places where corners can be cut. Proximity to buildings, flight paths over roof lines, roads, "lightly used roads", etc.

I might perhaps walk these grounds and come to a conclusion that I could provide the owner with a "Safe nine that can handle full volume of players" but would run into "problems" if it were more holes and if it was successful. (attractive to intended audience) I could then ask if the owner wanted a "successful course".

There is a special kind of trouble that exists when a course can work...as long as its not successful. Owners do appreciate knowing ahead of time that they will have a critical crisis in success if it is popular.

 

[Royal Hill]

Addendum: It should be noted that full volume for the nine hole two tee layout is the same as the one tee nine hole.

This is noteworthy. This is a middleground where a lazy empty afternoon player still gets the option of 18, but the full house crazy event day still limits out to a safe playable track. (limited event field size to 36 or an understanding 45 players with fivesomes) Also noteworthy for the property owner is the the max number of cars a full volume event will bring. (may or may not be a limiting feature)

Plan for success!

 

[Grungedude42]

There is no law that forces courses to have multiples of nine holes.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

^ has no respect for tradition...