Odd Course Routing Decisions

[Bryndom]

That's holes 3, 4, and 5 on our course. Hole 3 is a par 4, not a long one, but has a lot of risk v reward with very thick rough. Players can spend quite some time trying to find their balls, which can lead to a bit of a back up.

Hole 4 is a long par 3 with a tight fairway and water on one side and houses on the other. We get a big backup here with people hitting multiple balls once one goes in the water and trying hero shots out of the rough instead of playing sensible.

Hole 5 is a super short Par 4 and everyone thinks they can drive the green (most end up in the bunkers when they try), but that means each grp waits for the one in front of them to completely clear out.

It's not unknown for this stretch of 3 holes to take well over an hour. This is where I break open the snacks and find good parking spots in the shade

 

[DataDude]

Yes, there is a local course called Hidden Creek that has a beautiful 180 yard par 3 that is probably the best hole on the course. It used to be hole 18 and the members complained. Instead of ignoring the complaints or making it hole 9 instead of 18 (would have been fine) they made hole 10 hole 18 and that par 3 is now hole 17. This is really weird because you finish this hole right next to the clubhouse and parking lot and then play a hole that goes back away from the clubhouse to finish. In a cart this is no big deal, but the clubhouse is on a hill and when walking up to the top of the hill where the par 3 green is and then playing 18 and walking back down the hill only to turn around and walk all the way back up the hill again to get back to your car, it really sucks.

 

[blueonblack]

The clubhouse is set far back from the road coming in. #1 is across the road. Sometimes play starts on #10, but its a brute of a par 4.
Traversing back and forth is exhausting at times. Even to go hit balls starting from the parking lot. Long walk.
I've probably walked an extra 10% just for this course.

One of the longest, most brutal walking courses in our area is the 1st Tee Course for the kids.

 

[Parrot]

At my course, #6 is a par 5 that is 500 from the tips 450 and from the next tee. Most folks play it from the second tee so there is almost always back ups on the tee and the fairway. #7 is a par 5 that plays anywhere from 565 to 500, depending on which tee boxes are used. it's not odd at all to have two groups in the fairway and one on the green and one on the tee.

Same thing on the back. 14 is a par 5 that plays under 500 and downhill from the second tees. It has a dogleg at about 290. A 270 yard drive gives you a look at the green. So, folks wait. Or folks have junked it up off the tee and having to lay up. More waiting. There is a pond short and right of the elevated green. Anything short is wet so that further slows things down. 15 is another par 5. 500-510 from the second tees uphill. The FW starts to rise at about 240. It plays uphills probably 50-60 feet from there with a grass cross bunker and several bunkers and mounds short of the green. Only the longest go for it in 2. So massive waits. The longest par 3 on the course 190-200 from the second tee is next and it is cart path only. More waits. It's not unusual to play the first 4 holes of the back in 40-45 minutes and the last 5 take an hour and a half.

Single carts have helped it some but it can still be brutal.

 

[SirShives]

It's really not super odd but I remember a course I played on an out of town trip back in the 90's. Fairly basic public course but with a few interesting stretches of holes.

Somewhere on the front nine, I think it was maybe the 6th and 7th holes, there were two Par 5's back to back that were absolute twins. Within a few yards of the same length, both of them dead straight, parallel fairways and not even even big trees in between. Just a couple 500-yard holes with a fairway bunker or two apiece and a stretch of long grass separating them. The only variety was the first one played (slightly) downhill and the second uphill.

I guess they just had that chunk of boring land they wanted to eat up with two holes. But you basically teed off on the first one about 50 yards to one side of the green for the other one. Played down the hill, then moved 50 yards from that green to the next tee and played back up the same hill. to right beside where you started 25 minutes earlier. B-O-R-I-N-G.

Ctrl-C >>> Ctrl-V

 

[Cmontgomery]

Curious if you have played a course that just has an odd routing decision?

As an example. A course I have been playing quite a bit recently has a three hole stretch that literally kills pace of play.

It goes #12, which is a par 5 and not too difficult. But is tough putting surface being fast and usually grim pin placement.
Then 13 is a par 3 with a water carry and death on the right and behind the green.
Then 14 which is a blind drive of a par 4, but short at 350 yards.

It is common to see multiple groups waiting on 13 to play the par 3, only to then wait again because of the extremely tight and blind drive on 14.
Instead an easy pin placement and subtle adjustment on the 12th, would free up time for golfers to play 13 and get to 14, before losing the momentum the par 5 12th gives.

Gotta be Gaylord... have you tried out anywhere else in town yet?