Too tall?

[ferretdance03]

There is a pin position similar to this at an "extinct" course around Charlotte NC.

What?

 

[mattw]

Is it open on the backside of the pin for access. Based on your pic angle it looks like a constant maintanance battle with erosion control. It looks like it is already washing out a little.

 

[Smigles1]

Such a high basket must be madnes. For average or recreational players, they will probably just skip the hole because you can spend hours there trying to put. For better players it is still a question, you probably dont atack any puts, you just lay it up.

I think such baskets make the course LESS interesting.

 

[Itchy1]

There's a small course near me where ALL of the baskets are up on little dirt bike style ramps and to make it worse the wind is terrible around here (gusting at 27MPH yesterday) so you throw nose up to get up into the basket, it catches the wind and flies 30 feet away in the opposite direction. I quit playing that course.

 

[Jesse B 707]

hmmmmmmm, if it was set regular height off that dirt it would be OK but having it up on the mound and also set super high is stupid

 

[rusch_bag]

Is Ed Too Tall Jones too tall?

 

[AciDBatH666]

Is it open on the backside of the pin for access. Based on your pic angle it looks like a constant maintanance battle with erosion control. It looks like it is already washing out a little.

Yeah the back side of it is completely opened up with some steps cut out of it. I think they've laid out some bricks for the stepping. At first I thought they were going to put the dirt level with the top of the rail road ties. But when we were working on it they said they wanted the bottom of the basket to be 12 feet from the ground. I think it's too much. That steepness of dirt is way too much. We mentioned some erosion drawing the dirt away on the back side but I think that they think it'll be fine.
That steepness just doesn't seem like it'll hold.

It probably will make casual players just skip the hole, and I can't say that I blame them.

 

[Widdershins]

Elevated baskets are cool as heck. So are baskets on the edge of water or next to OB or next to a severe drop-offs. The key is that a challenge rewards good shots and penalizes bad shots. If a challenge is poorly designed it can reward luck too much: like a fairway which has no discernible routes, just poke and hope.

There is nothing unfair about tough basket locations. It increases the risk/reward of the hole. It teaches the ability to play under pressure and will make players better as they learn to embrace the challenge.

There is nothing unfair about playing in bad weather or playing on tight fairways or with tight OB lines. There is nothing unfair about "Stroke and Distance" penalties for going OB, either.

Not everyone seeks difficult challenges. Not every course offers difficult challenges. Those players who seek the biggest challenges will be best prepared for them.


The fact that a challenge is "artificial" doesn't make that challenge any less valid. So if a basket is higher off the ground because a longer pole is used (or a longer pole on top of a pedestal) there is nothing wrong with that. Our older and richer brother in sport ( Ball Golf) will spend millions remaking the land to create unique challenges. We can't afford to do that. So instead of building a hill or a cliff or a pond or a pop bunker our designers use artificial devices to accomplish the same goals. We save the money and do less damage to the environment.

The fact that casual players may not appreciate the risk or might choose to skip the hole doesn't bother me at all. Casual players can (and do) make up their own rules and customs. They can adapt easily.

 

[Eric O]

Good points Mark. I agree for the most part, and I don't mind the built up green one bit. The pole extension is another story though. I guess you could say it's bad feng shui.

 

[thatdirtykid]

Good points Mark. I agree for the most part, and I don't mind the built up green one bit. The pole extension is another story though. I guess you could say it's bad feng shui.

This is my opinion as well. I am all for the challenge, but its pretty fugly.

 

[Pwingles]

I like holes and baskets like this, there are a few places around here where there are baskets on a heavy duty wire from a tree branch. Not high above the ground but if the wind is going the basket does move and it adds another element of difficulty and fun IMO

 

[Reives.J]

I like holes and baskets like this, there are a few places around here where there are baskets on a heavy duty wire from a tree branch. Not high above the ground but if the wind is going the basket does move and it adds another element of difficulty and fun IMO

Hanging baskets are also fun, especially if someone hits a long approach and gets the basket swaying a little bit for everyone else in the group.

 

[Fritz]

Definitely too tall. Elevated baskets are cool, to an extent, and shouldn't punish you if you miss. If you miss the putt on that one, you are screwed. That looks like a fort designed to keep you out, and allow the lucky to succeed.
That looks like one of those holes, unless you are at the base (even that is questionable) you must lay up under the basket to guarantee you'll make it.

I'm a fan of elevated basket placements to an extent, but only if they are well designed.
We did another elevated basket at a little 9 hole course here in town, and we did 3 tiers approximately 14-16" tall each sloping into a pyramid shape, with about 24" of flat ground in each tier for later decoration, and landing room.

 

[what'shisname]

I like holes and baskets like this, there are a few places around here where there are baskets on a heavy duty wire from a tree branch. Not high above the ground but if the wind is going the basket does move and it adds another element of difficulty and fun IMO

Hanging baskets are also fun, especially if someone hits a long approach and gets the basket swaying a little bit for everyone else in the group.

This hole at the course I played in Maui had a cool hanging basket. Super fun course in general.

 

[Pwingles]

that looks really cool and like a fun course, wish i could go to hawaii

 

[Thumber]

To me it looks like a ton of work went into building a gimmick. I personally don't like baskets like this. i have no issue with baskets up on hills, but this is just dumb (again IMO). I have played a course where this was done and after one year the players voted to get rid of the gimmick and install a proper basket because the scoring spreads showed the hole was unduly punitive. I watched people 5 and 6 putt from 15 feet out because you never throw at a basket like that.

It would be like building a fence with a small gate around the hole in ball golf.

With a club willing to build like that, the course should be amazing without having to resort to this sort of circus golf

 

[Fritz]

Hanging Baskets are sweet. We have one on a course in New Castle, CO next to the Colorado River that is a hanging basket and designed very good.

 

[thatdirtykid]

Definitely too tall. Elevated baskets are cool, to an extent, and shouldn't punish you if you miss. If you miss the putt on that one, you are screwed. That looks like a fort designed to keep you out, and allow the lucky to succeed.
That looks like one of those holes, unless you are at the base (even that is questionable) you must lay up under the basket to guarantee you'll make it.

I don't know if I agree with you on that. I think thats the reason to elevate a basket, not to make the putt more difficult, as much as making the putt a higher risk. Running a 40' on an elevated basket should be a high risk shot, and punish fly bys more than a standard green. (I still think its a little too tall. Build the dirt up more and it would be better)

 

[Parks]

I think both hanging and long pole baskets look and play... silly. Not a huge fan on serious courses.

If its a course designed with all weird targets and different obstacles, then I could see it being fun.

 

[rwmurrow]

Here in okc there is a hole with a basket built up on a small hill. It is only about 5 feet up putting the chains at 7 or 8 feet up, with rr ties as steps up to it. it is fun putting on it. We have a lot of wind here so if it is windy I probly don't go for a medium to long putt. I lay up. Very high risk, the wind could throw it farther away than your last putt. It's called learning to play smart golf.