Par 2 layout

[Mando]

I'm starting to work on a par 2 course and would like to hear your thoughts on hole design. It will be a 9 hole addition to an existing full-length 18 hole course. The only other par 2 that I know of is at the Grange, but I haven't played it.

[biscoe]

the one at the grange has holes varying from about 50 feet to about 130 with pretty well defined fairways for most- only a few are not wooded and those have some sort of manmade obstacle to add challenge. the only change i would make to it would be to add 1-2 even shorter holes to make a couple of them "must makes" off of the tee.

[Mando]

the one at the grange has holes varying from about 50 feet to about 130 with pretty well defined fairways for most- only a few are not wooded and those have some sort of manmade obstacle to add challenge. the only change i would make to it would be to add 1-2 even shorter holes to make a couple of them "must makes" off of the tee.
Good thought, since an ace is really just a birdie in the scheme of things.
The two holes that are in place are in the 100'-125' range.

[MrFixIt]

We have a par 2 hole (#17) at Herman Micheal Park in Watkinsville, GA.
It is slightly less than 130' long. There are OB's to the left and right.
Most people just play it as par 3. It plays a lot tougher than it looks...

[Mando]

I'm leaning toward having 2 short, easy holes as Biscoe suggested,
4 middle of the road and 2 challenging holes.
I'm also toying with the idea of making the baskets smaller than the normal size.

[ovar]

how would you make smaller baskets? Are you going to be manufacturing them yourself?

[Mando]

how would you make smaller baskets? Are you going to be manufacturing them yourself?
Yea, we make them out of (tree) nursery baskets and could just drop down to a smaller size.

[Mando]

What about fairway width for a 50'-100' wooded hole ?

[Cgkdisc]

Might as well just make them marked posts to keep the cost down. The holes are so short that seeing/hearing a "hit" should be pretty easy. The "official" post I've seen is 6" diameter with 4.5 ft above ground. The top 18" is painted one color (maybe blue) then the next 18" below it is another color (maybe red or white). The best players have to hit the top color to hole out. The lower level players get to hit either color to hole out, sort of a handicapping system.

[billnchristy]

We have a par 2 hole (#17) at Herman Micheal Park in Watkinsville, GA.
It is slightly less than 130' long. There are OB's to the left and right.
Most people just play it as par 3. It plays a lot tougher than it looks...


A lot of holes at the Herm play tougher than they look!

[craigd]

A lot of holes at the Herm play tougher than they look!

Yes they do...

[biscoe]

Might as well just make them marked posts to keep the cost down. The holes are so short that seeing/hearing a "hit" should be pretty easy. The "official" post I've seen is 6" diameter with 4.5 ft above ground. The top 18" is painted one color (maybe blue) then the next 18" below it is another color (maybe red or white). The best players have to hit the top color to hole out. The lower level players get to hit either color to hole out, sort of a handicapping system.

the tiki course at the grange probably gets as much play as the 2 full-size courses combined. i would wager that if the targets were posts it would get almost no play at all. the fact that people prefer baskets over other sorts of targets is inarguable.

[billnchristy]

Yeah I have driven by object courses...just no interest.

I wouldnt make the baskets smaller either, I would just ensure it would be a DAMN good shot to get an ace on them...after your first throw the smaller basket would just be a turnoff...unless we are talking like an inch then no biggie.

[Mando]

Might as well just make them marked posts to keep the cost down. The holes are so short that seeing/hearing a "hit" should be pretty easy. The "official" post I've seen is 6" diameter with 4.5 ft above ground. The top 18" is painted one color (maybe blue) then the next 18" below it is another color (maybe red or white). The best players have to hit the top color to hole out. The lower level players get to hit either color to hole out, sort of a handicapping system.
That's a good idea. I was actually thinking about using two of these smaller diameter nursery baskets and attaching them together without chains.
They would look like sort of like a bird cage and would hang. A hit would be easy to guage because they would swing on impact, for $5.00-$7.00 apiece. The deluxe model would have chimes inside the cage. On the other hand the ones I make with chains are only $22 each...

[Omega SuperSloth]

200 -250ft would be good

[mashnut]

200 -250ft would be good

That's pretty long for a legitimate par two, especially if all the holes are that length.

[biscoe]

he's talking about fairway width...

[humchris85]

Yeah I have driven by object courses...just no interest.



Then you've missed out on alot of fun courses.:p

[biscoe]

...all of which would be better with baskets.

don't get me wrong though... object courses are fantastic for allowing you to play dg in places where you never would be able to otherwise.

[Cgkdisc]

If I had the option, I would prefer posts to baskets everywhere to eliminate cut thrus and bouncebacks. You never miss an accurate putt on a post. I can live with possibly missing the one blind ace or approach per year due to not seeing the post compared with not having the dozens of cuts and bounce outs per year.

[biscoe]

if you have dozens of cut throughs and bounce outs per year you must play a heck of a lot more dg than i do (which is probably true at this point) AND have a putting style conducive to cut throughs or bounce outs.

[Jimb]

And other targets... tone poles, posts, etc. just don't have the feeling of closure like chains do. Once it's in the basket, it's in. And the chains... you have to love the chains.

Object courses remind me of throwing up a brick in basket ball and having it count regardless of whether it went through the hoop or just hit the rim... Or hitting the flag stick in bolf and having it count without holing out. Or having a slap shot in hockey hit the pipe and couting, even if it's not in the net. OK, I'll stop now.

[Mando]

Six holes are already playable in a very small amount of space...may have to go for 18. Starting to consider lighting it up.

[tnjed]

A lot of holes at the Herm play tougher than they look! i really hate this course, i know im not the only one, maybe 4 quality holes on the whole thing, and even they arent that fun

[tstack10]

Six holes are already playable in a very small amount of space...may have to go for 18. Starting to consider lighting it up.

am I totally behind the times because I have never heard bolf before and find it quite an excellent use of worsmithery...i love golf and bolf I guess I'd have to say

[360chickenwingroller]

[QUinterest.OTE=billnchristy;154681]

I wouldnt make the baskets smaller either, I would just ensure it would be a DAMN good shot to get an ace on them...after your first throw the smaller basket would just be a turnoff...unless we are talking like an inch then no biggie.[/QUOTE]

For a par two course the small baskets are a great idea. It gives the course character, and will improve your putting.

[jhgonzo]

The course we just installed this summer at our local elementary school (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=3482) plays as a Par 2 nine-holer, and although we don't have the official distances on the holes yet, every hole is way less than 200' (I think Hole #9, the longest, is right around 150' or so). Of course, the kids at the school get to play them as Par 3s! We had the opportunity to include some tricky low-ceiling shots and a bit of finesse, so the kids aren't just learning on a wide open boring-ass course.

If you're designing and installing a Par 2 course, my only recommendation would be to lay it out so that more experienced players can play a gorilla/safari round easily...at Cleveland Elementary we did just that, so you can play 9 holes as par 2s, then go through twice more playing safari/gorilla (odd tees to even baskets, then even tees to odd baskets) as par 3s for a full 18...

[cefire]

the fact that people prefer baskets over other sorts of targets is inarguable.


Careful, you're talking to Chuck here...




EDIT: I now see that he did in fact make an argument to this...to remove all baskets. LMAO :D

[optidiscic]

I have always wanted to see or design a 9 hole ace run course...all holes 75-225 but with severe penalty for going for it.
1-Use of ultra fast green
2-streams, pond, lurking nearby
3-dense woods directly behind basket
4-Basket perched high on a mound or elevated
5-A severe downhill with the basket just halfway down the steep hill
6-Trouble early....tree gap
7-trouble midway...doorway
8-trouble late..menacing protecting tree
9-wide open 200 footer nothing but you and the basket...the mental obstacle

In reality it could be a par 2 course but with so much punishment for ace runs your score can blow up. Thats how I would do it and I would never use smaller baskets...just silliness!

[815RocSolid]

i dont get the point of par 2's....

[PanicKJ]

I want to see a par 72 course. I think that is what disc golf is missing. Of course if they would let me I would play disc golf on all my local golf courses, same par, just have to hit the flagstick to hole out.

[Lewis]

A par 2 course would need to have lots of fairway obstacles to be much fun. You also might want to find a way to encourage people to use superclass discs on it. Not sure how that marketing would work, but this could really be a way to get less athletic people interested in disc golf.

[cefire]

I want to see a par 72 course. I think that is what disc golf is missing. Of course if they would let me I would play disc golf on all my local golf courses, same par, just have to hit the flagstick to hole out.

Iron Hill is very nearly a par 72. I'd say somewhere around 70 and I think Tyler long to long is somewhere in that range for 18 holes as well...

[biscoe]

Careful, you're talking to Chuck here...



i ain't afraid of no chuck...:D

[optidiscic]

I love the high par 65+ courses also....but the risk/reward ace run course would be a lot of fun as well.

[magictenor1]

I don't have much interest in par 2. I like to feel like there are some birdie holes on courses I play. Par 2 you have to Ace for a bird.