A and B layout indicator

[some call me...tim?]

Why do courses prefer alt pins over alt tees? and vice versa?

The ideal situation has both. Some courses even have two baskets permanently installed on each hole, along with two sets of pads, technically packing in 4 layouts onto one piece of land.

Alt pads are great, but alt pins can be a cheaper way of upgrading a course (assuming you'd want concrete tees), and may be a better solution if you've got space constraints. They help to keep a course from getting too stale, too. One of the courses here has a regular rotation of all short placements, 9 short/9 long, vice versa, and all long. They also work well for erosion control.

 

[Parks]

Why do courses prefer alt pins over alt tees? and vice versa?

The ideal situation has both and is well marked.

FTFY.

It sucks going to a course with a million different combinations (<---spell check doesn't like this, wtf?) and poor marking, so no one can play the same course.

Alt pads seem more about changing the difficulty (red, white, blue, gold tees) while alt pins seem to be more about changing which type of shot or line you have to throw. Not to say that there isn't a lot of overlap where pads simply change the shot and pins change the difficulty.

 

[Lithicon]

Most of the courses I play around here just has multiple tee's, some have alternate pins. One has both.
One course has the pins marked with tabs on the post, labled a, b, c, d. And, a washer sitting on that tab to indicate the pin placement. Easily changed, by kids, and hard to judge sometimes.
I rarely play this course anymore.

My main course just doesn't move the baskets. But, are pretty easy to see where they are anyway.
Second main course just has alt Tee's, and 2-3 tee's per hole.

The best course as far as pin/tee's is probably the worst course design and probably my least favorite course to play other than the first course I mentioned.
But, there is a huge sign out as you're going to hole one, that shows the entire course.
All baskets are marked A and B. and two tee's for every hole. Red(am), and white(pro).
That "months" pin placements have a little sign down at the bottom with a letter, A, or B.
Simply says, "This month. A" Then, you can always play from alt Tee's to change up the course.
While a bit more expensive, this is ultimately the best way I think to designate, that way you ALWAYS know where they are, and it can't be changed by park goers.

But, it's always one way or the other, can't change individual holes, and some people might not like this. I think it would be best to have two sets of markers on the sign. Front nine, and back nine with A and B markers for each. That way the front could be in A, and back be in A. Or Front in A, and back in B. Vice versa. And, after the initial sign is up, just making room for the second placement isn't that big of an issue.