Private vs. Public course design question

[rustystrings]

Hello all, I am designing a private course on my property of 3.5 wooded acres.

I'm torn between a properly spaced out 9-10 hole course or trying to squeeze in more holes. I have created a 19 Hole layout that is attached.

I know that safety is always a priority in design for public courses with fairways, tees, and greens being spaced out enough to prevent stray discs from being a safety concern. Would you make some exceptions to this for a private course that would likely never have more than one group playing at a time?

Advantages to this would be more holes, more shot shapes to practice, and generally more fun per square foot of the property.

Disadvantages are obviously safety if I were to have multiple groups playing. Also, it doesn't quite "feel" as much like a proper public park with holes packed in tightly.

In my 19 Hole design attached, I have some greens being shared by 2 holes, some fairways that cross over one another, and some tee boxes that are exposed to incoming discs from other holes. All of this is done to accommodate more holes and create a course with a balance of shot shapes and distances. The mature trees on my property do shape the holes and provide some protection from the surrounding holes.

I'm interested to get your thoughts on this. Would you make exceptions for a private course in my situation or stick with a smaller properly spaced layout?

Thanks

 

[BillFleming]

Sounds like Morley Disc Golf Course in San Diego. It's a public course with fairways that cross, and tee pads/fairways that are exposed to incoming discs.

For that later part, Hole 1 you throw towards #2's tee pad/fairway, but you don't cross over it. Hole 1 just curves left where it meets 2's fairway.

I'm not a fan of a single basket being used for two holes...how do you control who is throwing? What if a disc thrown from one hole hits a disc going in the basket from another hole? Be a big downer if someone's disc, played from one hole, is going in for an ace only to have a disc from the other hole knock it away. (yeah, slim chance....but still a chance).

So it can be done....with multiple groups, it slows play down and can cause liability issues.

 

[Cgkdisc]

If you are truly just making this course for you and a few friends playing in one or two groups, you can do what you want. If you are thinking about hosting play parties or events where 8 or more might be playing, then you might want to develop a 12 or even 18-hole Tiki style course with no fairway interference where putters and Frisbees are all that need to be thrown. Then, for your personal day-to-day play with golf discs, map out all kinds of longer length safari holes that crisscross your tiki layout for your private 18-hole layouts.

 

[BillFleming]

another thought....what is your ultimate plan for this course? Just a fun to play course that might be open to the public? If so, go for what you want, it's your course.

If you plan on maybe hosting a tournament at sometime...check with the PDGA on their rules for courses. Before a tournament can be sanctioned, the PDGA has to approve the course. You could check in advance if your layout would get approved.

 

[rustystrings]

Thanks for the input.

My ultimate plan is for it to just be a course for me and friends. No more than 2 groups of 4 most likely. Definitely not wanting to make it open to the public or host PDGA tournaments.

 

[rustystrings]

I guess the crux of my question is what is truly more fun to play? A properly spaced out 9 Hole course or a tightly squeezed 18 Hole?

It is somewhat important to me for it to feel like a proper course and not a hodgepodge of holes. I tried to minimize the overlapping fairways as much as I could, as that to me has the hodgepodge feel to it. It kinda ruins that unique distinction of one hole over another... as does the baskets being shared.

 

[Cgkdisc]

I guess the crux of my question is what is truly more fun to play? A properly spaced out 9 Hole course or a tightly squeezed 18 Hole?

9 baskets with two different tee positions per basket or even three different tees to 6 baskets to play as 18.

 

[InnocentCrook]

I guess the crux of my question is what is truly more fun to play? A properly spaced out 9 Hole course or a tightly squeezed 18 Hole?

Only you (and your buddies) can answer that.

With only a group or two playing, I wouldn't worry much about playing to the same basket twice, close baskets/tees, or overlapping/crossing fairways. Personally, I'd try to eek out as many unique holes as possible, regardless of how they may interfere with each other.

Ultimately, it's your playground, build it to your tastes.

 

[rustystrings]

Yeah, that's been my thinking with the 18 Hole layout. Build it how I want to maximize the unique shots and holes. Just wanted to get some other opinions on what you would do.

I do like the idea of 9 Holes with 2 tee pads. Going to tinker with that idea a bit.

Thanks guys!

 

[jeffmonty]

I guess the crux of my question is what is truly more fun to play? A properly spaced out 9 Hole course or a tightly squeezed 18 Hole?

It is somewhat important to me for it to feel like a proper course and not a hodgepodge of holes. I tried to minimize the overlapping fairways as much as I could, as that to me has the hodgepodge feel to it. It kinda ruins that unique distinction of one hole over another... as does the baskets being shared.

A friend has a hodgepodge home course on his 3 acres. He has 7 baskets and IIRC 15 marked tees. He's got crossing fairways and shared baskets, but he never has more than 2 groups of 4. Occasionally one group will have to hold while the other group throws, but it's really not a problem. Personally if I were you I would put as many quality holes in as I could, and not worry about the hole design safety requirements you would have to follow on a public course. It's your property, you can try things and change stuff all you want until you get it the way you want it.

Good luck, it's a good problem to have!

 

[Cgkdisc]

Yeah, that's been my thinking with the 18 Hole layout. Build it how I want to maximize the unique shots and holes. Just wanted to get some other opinions on what you would do.

I do like the idea of 9 Holes with 2 tee pads. Going to tinker with that idea a bit.

Thanks guys!

Take a look at the maps for Red Oak and Brockway in the Twin Cities where they have two different tees per hole and labeled to play from 1 thru 20 and 1 thru 18, respectively. They are much larger properties than yours so you'll likely need to do more creative safari routes to get the length range you might want. Another option that can work is to set up 9 baskets and design your layout to play the course forward for 9 holes then in the reverse direction for the next 9. That's how they do it on some 9-hole courses I've played in the Phoenix area.

 

[BillFleming]

One option, since you are limiting the number of players, is planning the course so you can 'reuse' teepads and baskets.

Front nine = Hole 1 tee pad to Hole 1 basket.
Back nine = Hole 10 becomes Hole 1 tee pad to hole 3 basket (for example).

You could do that since you wouldn't have lots of people playing and most likely you are playing as two close groups...so one would be on Hole 2 when the second group is on hole 1....so just plan it so that no basket/fairway would be used at the same time.

 

[pfpro]

I agree with the consensus - do what you want with it. I have a safari course I laid out on a church property next to my neighborhood. I reuse "holes" - as only I (and two other people) know the layout - so no concern about safety. One option is to have "Fusion" holes. See some examples below. Tough to tell the lines from the sat photo, but you might be able to play from the teepad at 1 to basket 8 and/or 6. Or, teepad 1 to basket 18. Again - depends on the lines available to you at ground level.....

See the Fusion holes on this map link for an example
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course_files/11864/8a72dc25.jpg

 

[txmxer]

All of the above—but for my tastes, make the best holes you can. Seems like 18 individual holes will equal a lot of compromise. I would rather play 9 great holes than 18 mediocre holes. And once you have that, you may find opportunities to do more like Chuck and others suggested with multiple tees or changing baskets on the back 9.

 

[Tim_the_Enchanter]

North Park aka Mineral Springs in Seattle is 18 holes on like 2.5 acres. It's the only course that's actually in city limits and is relatively close to UW. It can be absolute mayhem on a nice day, but if you can manage to play on a day that isn't crowded, it's actually got some pretty cool holes. I've always maintained that it would be a great course in someone's backyard but a bit too crazy for a city park. So that being said, yes, go wild in your own property and make the course all it can be.

 

[DiscFifty]

You'll regret 18 pitch and putt holes (regardless the technical level) in the future. Clear out a few trees and make a challenging 9 hole course. Your future self will thank you.

 

[joecoin]

I have a course on 19 acres and I am hard pressed to get 18 good holes in. I've changed the layout too many times trying to find the magic. I'm close now with 16 quality holes.

I can't imagine having 3.5 acres with more than 3 or 4 interesting holes.

 

[Tim_the_Enchanter]

You'll regret 18 pitch and putt holes (regardless the technical level) in the future. Clear out a few trees and make a challenging 9 hole course. Your future self will thank you.

That's really dependent on what the land has to offer though. The course I mentioned, while not having any long holes, has lots of trees and elevation and is definitely not pitch and putt. I would guess shooting par would be in the neighborhood of 950. If OP wanted to make longer/harder holes, there's no reason he couldn't integrate some sort of safari layout.

 

[txmxer]

I have a course on 19 acres and I am hard pressed to get 18 good holes in. I've changed the layout too many times trying to find the magic. I'm close now with 16 quality holes.

I can't imagine having 3.5 acres with more than 3 or 4 interesting holes.

I've got about 6 acres of former cattle ranch land that has a few tree groves but is mostly open. It does have elevation changes, but without trees that's not super exciting. It's great for field work though. I have a few baskets I use for practice. I try different shot types by choice, but it's not the same.

This thread did renew my interest in setting up a course of sorts. I'm looking at putting a few baskets in around a clump of trees in the middle and playing a star layout. I tried to imagine what playing a particular hole would be like. I think a few will be fun, but most were not to exciting.

I'm considering some artificial tunnels using PVC pipe and the like.

 

[DannyS]

I have an 18 hole course on 3.5 acres using 5 baskets. Most of the holes are in the 220' range, but I mixed in a few 150' holes and a couple 300' holes. The shorter holes have tight fairways in the woods and/or utilize elevation change. I also have a safari layout where I can actually throw some drivers. It started as a 9 hole layout, but over time you start to find lines you didn't notice in the beginning of the design phase and then everything changes. Be careful, it becomes somewhat addictive to continue to improve your home course to point where you rarely actually play. Have fun!