GolfClubAtlas.com > Golf Course Architecture

Design for people who hit the ball 100 yards off the tee

(1/22) > >>

Jason Topp:
I hit balls yesterday next to a woman who made good contact with the ball but her mightiest wallop could not have gone much past 100 yards.  There are many such people in the Palm Springs area and I imagine the game for her, even from the shortest tees, consists of repeatedly hitting the ball as far as she can. 


Beyond forward tees, is there an opportunity to design courses that provide more interesting challenges for such a player?  Are there courses that do so effectively?


I recall watching my father agonizing over whether to go for it and hit a hybrid over a pond to an elevated green 110 yards away or to bail out right and chip up to the green.  It was an interesting choice for him when it would not have been for a younger player.  I could envision a course that presents those sorts of choices all over the place without asking interesting questions of others.







DFarron:
You bring up a brilliant question. Just returned from 5 days in the desert playing at a club that has courses designed by the greatest players and architects in the game.
[size=78%]Every  time I leave there I wonder why anyone wants to belong/play there? Multiple forced carry’s, overwatered fairways and bunkers so deep you can literally hurt yourself getting out.[/size]


And I’m younger and in great shape !


Couple that with 5 hour rounds and I wonder what the attraction is to anyone.

Kalen Braley:
Interesting the Palm Springs area came up, because Stone Eagle may just be the best example of taking into account players who don't hit it very far.  Not only were the up tees actually up, but they weren't just a thoughtless patch of mown down rough with a couple of tee markers. They were tucked away at interesting angles, and certainly weren't like countless configurations where the tees are 370-up, 390-middle, and 410-back.

Mark Smolens:
Funny, I had a chance to play Southern Dunes shortly after Troon had taken over its management and opened it up to the public. Not only was there no restroom on the course, but the shortest tee box could not even charitably be described as a "forward' tee. My mother and my buddy's girlfriend (also a senior player) ended up teeing their balls from the beginning of the fairways.


Since then, they've added a restroom (I guess when it was a private, men's only club, pissing on cacti was the way to go), and forward tees. Pretty fun course.

Thomas Dai:
A different perspective. I’m in the rollback the equipment camp but I’d be in favour of a ball that would allow players in the position highlighted in the OP to actually hit the ball further.
Atb

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

Go to full version