TOURNEYPLAYER1
Eagle Member
Stoney Hill has a swinging basket, it hangs over a creek with ob fence behind the tree. if it were a stationary basket it would not be any easier. the hanging basket adds a nice touch.
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Elevated baskets. Like or dislike?
- Thread starter Stover
- Start date
I personally have come to like elevated baskets, whether with a pole or natural elevation of the course. Hole 9 at the Nest is the classic example of this style of hole. Even if you are 10' below the hole it is a risky putt. It forces you to either make a good putt or layup if you cannot. I am generally stubborn on the hole and run the putt even when I should not. Smarter players try to lay up if they are outside of 15' or so. It is always amusing to see players unfamiliar with the course throw it past the basket and then putt back at it with the slope behind it. This can lead to very high scores.
In summary, I like elevated baskets because of the risk/reward (scoring separation) they present. They are fair because everyone has to the play the exact same hole. A player's height is really not much of an issue unless we are talking about child-sized players. I have heard some complaints about how these types of baskets make a course inaccessible to children. Ideally, there will be other courses where new/younger players can play instead.
In summary, I like elevated baskets because of the risk/reward (scoring separation) they present. They are fair because everyone has to the play the exact same hole. A player's height is really not much of an issue unless we are talking about child-sized players. I have heard some complaints about how these types of baskets make a course inaccessible to children. Ideally, there will be other courses where new/younger players can play instead.
Frank Delicious
Banned
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- Mar 23, 2006
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- 16,244
I love hanging baskets but that might be b/c I play a course called Swingin' DBs quite a bit which has all swinging baskets.
I like'em. Especially on short holes to add some spice. Hornet's Nest's hole 9 is fine by me.
I'm ambivalent towards them. I think what Mark said has some traction with me. I don't mind them if they look decent, but the ones that look like shit(aka just an elevated pole, or some ghetto basket hanging from a tree) don't do it for me.
If you don't have the means to do it "right", then don't do it at all. They aren't SUCH an amazing thing that they can just stand on their own merit. Do it tastefully with terraced steps or something and it can add a really nice touch to a course.
If you don't have the means to do it "right", then don't do it at all. They aren't SUCH an amazing thing that they can just stand on their own merit. Do it tastefully with terraced steps or something and it can add a really nice touch to a course.
On most of the holes I've seen these "gimmicks," the added challenge of an elevated pin was a positive modification of a hole that otherwise would produce very little dispersion in scores. It takes more guts and skill to go for the putt, especially in the wind. There is an obvious element of added risk vs reward. The first pyramid style elevated pin I ever saw was at Morley Field in San Diego (hole 6?). I've seen some very crazy things at other courses later on (especially private courses), which made me realize how fun it could be to be creative with this kind of thing. At my home course, we have some elevated pins simply due to erosion of the ground around the sleeves. We've considered re-setting the pins, but sometimes it is more interesting to keep them as they are.
It doesn't mean they are always good for a hole. I think it really depends on the hole, you have to judge each case separately. I would never go so far as to say that they are always good or always bad.
This is one of the biggest problems, for sure. I had a tournament round fall apart after laying up to within 6' of the basket, tossing my putt dead center into the heart of the chains (not too soft, not too strong), hit gently against the center post with the chains enveloping the disc, and then somehow finding a way to fall out of the basket (no wind, DGA Mach III). Everybody in my group assumed it was in, and had already turned away, as did I to pick up my mini...until we heard it hit the ground. It was a shocking occurrence, and I can tell you for sure that it threw my game into the toilet ever after. This definitely needs to be fixed, and is a much worse problem for our sport than artificial OB or elevated pins.
It doesn't mean they are always good for a hole. I think it really depends on the hole, you have to judge each case separately. I would never go so far as to say that they are always good or always bad.
Mark Ellis said:
This is one of the biggest problems, for sure. I had a tournament round fall apart after laying up to within 6' of the basket, tossing my putt dead center into the heart of the chains (not too soft, not too strong), hit gently against the center post with the chains enveloping the disc, and then somehow finding a way to fall out of the basket (no wind, DGA Mach III). Everybody in my group assumed it was in, and had already turned away, as did I to pick up my mini...until we heard it hit the ground. It was a shocking occurrence, and I can tell you for sure that it threw my game into the toilet ever after. This definitely needs to be fixed, and is a much worse problem for our sport than artificial OB or elevated pins.
CreemCheese1
Newbie
The few that I've played, I've liked. I always hate them at the time, for it being harder. It's just so flat around here, anything for a bit of change is nice.
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