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Impossible Pin Locations at Popular Tourist Courses

Space Bandito

Space Bandito

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Im having a bad putting day. I'm not blaming myself. In the last week ive come away with putts/rounds in the mid 20s consistently.

Today is different. The pins are crazy tough!

It's the start of a holiday weekend, and the course is packed. Why would they choose to put these tournament style pin locations here?

The pace of play, today, is atrocious, and I'm sure these pin placements have a lot to do with it.

I get this course was built as a challenge by ding dong Nicklaus, but he's not playing here right now. Instead it's a bunch of drunk 25 handicaps, who paid a small fortune to play this course.

No one should have to pay $250 to play a 5.5 hour round. I can only imagine what it will be like Sat and sun.


What are your thoughts on a course that does this?
 
Nicklaus Design, Carl Spackler pin placements. Sounds like fun, we are not supposed to be as good as Mr. Golden Bear.
 
My guess is that they are 'protecting' the normal pin placements due to the expected traffic. If it IS such a 'desirable' course, those 'drunk 25 handicappers' won't really complain about a 5.5 hour round since that's probably how long it takes at their local on a weekend.

And 5.5 hours on a $250 course? Try Pebble Beach. Easily a 5 plus hour round and that's probably up to $600 plus. And NOBODY seems to complain about the 'slow play'.
 
RayG said:
My guess is that they are 'protecting' the normal pin placements due to the expected traffic. If it IS such a 'desirable' course, those 'drunk 25 handicappers' won't really complain about a 5.5 hour round since that's probably how long it takes at their local on a weekend.

And 5.5 hours on a $250 course? Try Pebble Beach. Easily a 5 plus hour round and that's probably up to $600 plus. And NOBODY seems to complain about the 'slow play'.
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Fair point.
 
I'm noticing this more and more with courses. Placed on side slopes or near hazards. A couple weeks ago watched multiple groups over 3 putt a hole cut on a slope so unless it was perfect it rolled all the way down the hill. It just completely kills the pace of play. I don't understand why they would do this on busy weekends.
 
Trmpt98 said:
I'm noticing this more and more with courses. Placed on side slopes or near hazards. A couple weeks ago watched multiple groups over 3 putt a hole cut on a slope so unless it was perfect it rolled all the way down the hill. It just completely kills the pace of play. I don't understand why they would do this on busy weekends.
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This is my feeling. I was just talking to the marshal, and he was talking about how slow it is today, and I'm only the 7th guy out
 
Even the small local courses here do it, almost to the point you think they are greenskeeper revenge pins.

Pins on ridges, pins on slopes, tucked in the silliest of spots.

Its a weekend/holiday. Set the pins in easy spots so people can have fun playing. Easier sports, hopefully mean better pace of play as well.

Nothing better than paying for your round, having it take 5 hours, and 40 putts.
 
I don’t know how or who chooses pin placements on courses. I do know on some courses, relative locations are posted and can be referenced by a chart. But exact spots? Does some minimum wage guy just pick random spots or does management pick where it goes? Do they move them around to spread out wear and tear? The last course I played had all the pins placed in the most difficult locations they could find. If we knew who placed them, we’d have beaten him senseless with a sand wedge.
 
Not quite the same thing, but my home course did this last weekend. To be fair it was Yukon Championships. They left the pin placements like that for a few days and it was kind of humorous watching people struggle - myself included. I flat out laughed at least twice watching my ball miss the hole by a millimetre after a huge breaking putt, only to roll down the hill coming to rest 15' further away from the flag than I just was.

Pretty rough though when the Marshall agrees with you about it being slow and you're only the 7th guy out that day!
 
I'm convinced that most muni's pins are placed by Javier, who doesn't play golf and had a fight with his wife before coming to work.
 
Just_Brad said:
Even the small local courses here do it, almost to the point you think they are greenskeeper revenge pins.

Pins on ridges, pins on slopes, tucked in the silliest of spots.

Its a weekend/holiday. Set the pins in easy spots so people can have fun playing. Easier sports, hopefully mean better pace of play as well.

Nothing better than paying for your round, having it take 5 hours, and 40 putts.
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These felt very revenge-y
 
It's very rare that any course at any time will pin all of the most difficult placements on the same day. They don't ever do that for the pros. If it's 5 1/2 hours on a bad day, what is it on a good day? 4 1/2? Point raised earlier about Pebble, I have to admit my few times there were each about 6 hour rounds. I'm really not motivated to go back partially because of that.
 
Space Bandito said:
Im having a bad putting day. I'm not blaming myself. In the last week ive come away with putts/rounds in the mid 20s consistently.

Today is different. The pins are crazy tough!

It's the start of a holiday weekend, and the course is packed. Why would they choose to put these tournament style pin locations here?

The pace of play, today, is atrocious, and I'm sure these pin placements have a lot to do with it.

I get this course was built as a challenge by ding dong Nicklaus, but he's not playing here right now. Instead it's a bunch of drunk 25 handicaps, who paid a small fortune to play this course.

No one should have to pay $250 to play a 5.5 hour round. I can only imagine what it will be like Sat and sun.


What are your thoughts on a course that does this?
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So what are you mad at? The pins, the long round, the drunk players with a 25 handicap, or the price of the round? Geez...Maybe you should consider seeking some counseling or don't play golf on a holiday weekend or be the first out or maybe get drunk and enjoy the round.

You do realize pins are/should be rotated. So they were rotated to difficult spots. I very highly doubt, every single pin was in an impossible location. And even if that statistical anomaly did happen - oh well, that's the way it happened.
 
lockstockrye said:
So what are you mad at? The pins, the long round, the drunk players with a 25 handicap, or the price of the round? Geez...Maybe you should consider seeking some counseling or don't play golf on a holiday weekend or be the first out or maybe get drunk and enjoy the round.

You do realize pins are/should be rotated. So they were rotated to difficult spots. I very highly doubt, every single pin was in an impossible location. And even if that statistical anomaly did happen - oh well, that's the way it happened.
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You must be a hoot a parties.

Calm down there, chief.
 
GolfTravelDude said:
It's very rare that any course at any time will pin all of the most difficult placements on the same day. They don't ever do that for the pros. If it's 5 1/2 hours on a bad day, what is it on a good day? 4 1/2? Point raised earlier about Pebble, I have to admit my few times there were each about 6 hour rounds. I'm really not motivated to go back partially because of that.
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For me? 3:20 when it's busy. Under 2 hours when it's not.
 
Space Bandito said:
You must be a hoot a parties.

Calm down there, chief.
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I am totally calm - not sure why you would think I am not. I just downed a bottle of champagne while getting a pedicure! I am getting ready for a nice long weekend with plenty of golf and fishing.

I am sorry you are offended. My questions were not personal and simply valid questions!

BTW - I am a fkload of fun at parties - either my own or others!:ROFLMAO:
 
GolfTravelDude said:
It's very rare that any course at any time will pin all of the most difficult placements on the same day. They don't ever do that for the pros. If it's 5 1/2 hours on a bad day, what is it on a good day? 4 1/2? Point raised earlier about Pebble, I have to admit my few times there were each about 6 hour rounds. I'm really not motivated to go back partially because of that.
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The question I'm posing here is not so much about whether every pin placement was exceedingly difficult, but rather that nearly all were in positions that were considerably tougher than I've seen lately (think lots of little crowns, and tight undulating corners, and why a resort course would choose to do this on the busiest weekend of the year? :unsure:

I'm not crying unfair by any means, I got through the course just fine, but surely this choice affects pace of play in a negative way.
 
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