short courses

There are many types of golfer ranging from the up their own backside members of a private club requiring a million pound house and an appointment as a JP to the caravan dwellers that find their golfing mecca in the municipal track next to the oil refinery in dagenham. But most of them have one thing in common. An inability to consistently hit the green from 50 yards and hole the putt.

It seems to be a common theme that players are more and more focused on how long their course is in some deranged effort to measure each others dicks when talking about their home track. But how many of these shrivelled up (in the case of the JPs) misogynists have actually spent time on a short course? I doubt that many even know where their closest pitch and putt actually is. In fact I know of a place in Chelmsford which has two courses and a pitch and putt... and I have never seen the pitch and putt being used! Despite the fact that the members get it as a bonus!

Further to this the pitch and putt course can often be found in locations that a full course cannot possibly be located making the game more accessible. I think this is a good way to get the inner city hooligans involved in discovering the benefits of golf... or possibly introducing them to a new form of weaponry. Either way there are advantages as you can see a hoodie with a 3 iron coming from a considerable distance away.

So. Short courses. Do you use them?

Pitch and putt is massively popular in Eire, just about every town has a course. Great way of improving your short game too.

Maybe we should stop looking down our noses and play a few more rounds on them. It would certainly benefit our short games!

Not quite pitch and putt but I play 9 hole par three courses (holes 80-125yds) far more than full length courses. It's a lot quicker to play so is better for post-work golf and more enjoyable in poor weather because you get your golf fix without getting too drenched/wind swept. They're great for matchplay because anyone can hit a short par three on their day and as LJ points out, they are so quiet that you can hit a few balls off every tee when practising.

Something that I always do is impose a rule that you are not allowed to putt until on the putting surface. This means that you get a few fringe chips (not bladed wedges or putted woods!) of very short distance so although they are a less realistic shot that you get in a full round, they require amazing touch to get up and down.

I learned to play a on a par 3.. 60 to 130 yards holes with pretty tony greens ... i've always had a decent short game as a result... they are great fun unfortunately these isn't a decent one near me so don't play them very often.

We have a 19 th hole at my club though that you can play to from about 60-80 yards from an arc of about 140 degrees so there is lots of pitch a putt practice to be had there.

I grew up playing pitch & putt on the annual family holiday to Eastbourne; several good little tracks around that locale. Great fun and if you thinned one you also had the added delight of shouting 'fore' as the coffin dodgers on the adjoining bowls green dived for cover In good ole Nam we have a fine pitch & putt in Pittville Park. As an added bonus there are lots of lovely young laydees sat around the periphery not wearing very much - no you don't see that sort of attire at Woburn I'll warrant

Short Courses! Are those the ones that come with Pigme sized caddies?

Maverick wrote:Short Courses! Are those the ones that come with Pigme sized caddies?

It's started..........................

I play one in Yorkshire from time to time, but its more like a par 3 9-hole course with yardages ranging from 95 to 260. Flat and easy but has breezes and postage stamp greens that don't hold. Tough little git but great for hitting some irons.

I think all clubs should have at least one comp where all 18-holes are made into par 3's for the day

I'm quite spoilt where I am.

There is a par 3 course at Hobbs cross which has 9 holes with lots of water and bunkering. Another at High Beech with 18 holes (although a little less interesting). There is a third at North Weald which has 18 holes with little finger sized greens. And a few more within easy reach. Not to mention the very short courses at Epping, Loughton and Woodford. Which although longer than par 3 length are still very short and require accurate wedge play rather than anything else.

All good for the wedge game.

Interesting. At one of my courses - yes the short one! we have just opened a 5 hole pitch and putt. The County squads seem to spend an awful lot of their training sessions playing it!!

puligny wrote:Interesting. At one of my courses - yes the short one! we have just opened a 5 hole pitch and putt. The County squads seem to spend an awful lot of their training sessions playing it!!

Tells a story doesn't it.

Love short courses, there is one in the middle of town I often play.


http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=&aq=&sll=55.939863,-3.201077&sspn=0.003107,0.010568&gl=uk&ie=UTF8&ll=55.939803,-3.200401&spn=0.003107,0.010568&t=h&z=17



On a nice day this is the most played course in town.

My 2nd course has a wee 6 hole academy course/practice area with holes ranging from 60. - 100 yards (it's fairly open so you can skip over it and go for longer pins too. Pre-medal (infact most of the time) it's usually empty. Using my bushnell I tend to use it pre round to gauge how far my wedges/shorter irons are going into/against the wind in the days conditions.

great fun mac. only played it once with a few non-golfing mates on a hot day last summer. could hardly move there were so many folk playing. quite a challenge if i remember rightly. lots of wee bumps and hollows to catch you out.

McLaren
That's in Edinburgh and didn't exist when I lived there. When did they build it?

My home course is 5,600-odd yards. If you can score well there, you'll score well on most other courses. It's very tight

I sometimes think about leaving (it's the 42nd closest course to me), but then I remind myself that I'll likely be a better golfer if I lower my handicap here than if I went elsewhere.

Eyetoldyouso wrote:McLaren
That's in Edinburgh and didn't exist when I lived there. When did they build it?

As far as I know a long time. When did you live in Edinburgh?

It seems the bruntsfield links has been around longer than I imagined.

http://www.worldhickorygolfer.com/page24.html

Doc wrote:I play one in Yorkshire from time to time, but its more like a par 3 9-hole course with yardages ranging from 95 to 260. Flat and easy but has breezes and postage stamp greens that don't hold. Tough little git but great for hitting some irons.

I think all clubs should have at least one comp where all 18-holes are made into par 3's for the day

i think that is a great idea . especially for the winter. iwill be suggesting this at the next committee meeting !

cheers doc

I lived in Edinburgh between 1969 and 1976 and I'm pretty sure that this facility wasn't in use during that time given that I used to walk that way to school/university.

Would not surprise me if the council had let it go at some point. Given the history of the site and the fact the course has always been there in my time I just assumed it had always been there. I wonder when they revived it?

Is everyone aware that there are a separate set of rules and handicapping calculations for the short game?

And that there is a governing body as well as a GB national team for pitch and putt golf

I knew there was a world pitch & putt championship, because the course just down the road from my office held it not so long ago (West Park in Chelmsford).

LJ, which is the course you mention in the OP in Chelmsford?

McLaren wrote:Would not surprise me if the council had let it go at some point. Given the history of the site and the fact the course has always been there in my time I just assumed it had always been there. I wonder when they revived it?

Mac how does it work ?

SmithersJones wrote:I knew there was a world pitch & putt championship, because the course just down the road from my office held it not so long ago (West Park in Chelmsford).

LJ, which is the course you mention in the OP in Chelmsford?

Channels. Although they won't be enjoying two courses much longer.

They have a short track that is next to the tee on the 14th hole (best recollection there)

Doc

You just rock up with some clubs and balls. join the starting queue and of you go. There are 36 holes.

Ah, I do remember something there now you mention it. If the development goes ahead that area will become part of the new course/holes, as I understand it.

They're losing so much as a result of the development.

real shame.

Many a true word is said in jest LJ.

I count myself very much amongst the multitude of regular golfers who would seriously benefit from playing more on a short course!

No excuses, there is one just up the road from me that is quiet and cheap. Even if I only used it for pitching practice, I really should get up there once a week.

Note to self.......... it's only 5 minutes away, use it!!

Ah but there is usually a thread underneath the sarcasm. There are just lots of people who fail to see it at times.

That said i've not hit a short course recently. Tomorrow i think