Adding Additional Tees/Pins

[ryanhutchings96]

I am currently in the process of raising funds for new baskets on a local course, and if we raise enough funds, I would love to add a second set of tees or baskets. It is a very wooded course and I think that most holes only have room for either one additional tee placement or one additional pin placement. Ideally, when I am done, there would be a "long" course and a "short" course. The only issue is that under my current plans, the long course would be pretty darn difficult, and the shorts would be pretty simple, so I want to make sure that the course can also be played as its current layout. In tournaments, for example, the highest divisions would play the long layout, most others would play the current layout, and the lower/junior divisions would play the short layout.

Would it be confusing to have a long and short layout, where the old layout, as a mixture of long and shorts, was then marked with another color? I don't know how well I have explained this. I want to give more variety to the course without ruining what is already there, and making the course too easy or too difficult for your average player.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

If I understand what you mean, it would only be confusing to locals, but just for a short while. They'd get used to the new setup after a few rounds, and know exactly which combo of tees/pins make up the "original" layout.

I think Tom Triplett near Savannah, GA has something like you're describing. Every hole has 3 tees playing to a single basket:
White = short tee
Blue = med tee
Gold = long tee

That's all the course actually has. But in addition to playing one of those three layouts, someone (whether it was the designer or a local club) took the time to "create" two additional options to fit skill levels in between playing all the same set of tees.

Red = a pre-defined combo of short and med tees.
Black = a pre-defined combo of med and long tees.

Theoretically provides a specific mix of holes tailored to 5 different skill levels. At least that's how the course was set up when I visited it back on 2013, and it didn't take me long to figure things out as a visitor.

Obviously, anyone can play any combo of tees they choose, but having those pre-defined color codes makes it easy for leagues and tourneys to have different divisions play a layout best suited for that division.

 

[ryanhutchings96]

I think that's exactly what I want to do. There will be two sets of tees, but within that, there will be a layout which combines a mixture of those two to fit players who are in between skill wise.

I am going to be getting plenty of new signage and adding it all to UDisc, so hopefully I will make it clear enough to everyone!

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I think that's exactly what I want to do. There will be two sets of tees, but within that, there will be a layout which combines a mixture of those two to fit players who are in between skill wise.

I am going to be getting plenty of new signage and adding it all to UDisc, so hopefully I will make it clear enough to everyone!

I don't know how long you've been playing, or how much experience you have with course design, but I definitely suggest you solicit a input from experienced players of various skill levels before choosing where to put additional tees, and don't make them permanent for a few months.

Once you pour concrete, if after a few months, people realize "Damn. This hole would really play better if we moved the tee 3ft to the left and 6ft back," it's not an easy fix, and chances are you just end up living with it.

Baskets, on the other hand, aren't all that difficult to relocate if necessary.

 

[ryanhutchings96]

I don't know how long you've been playing, or how much experience you have with course design, but I definitely suggest you solicit a input from experienced players of various skill levels before choosing where to put additional tees, and don't make them permanent for a few months.

Once you pour concrete, if after a few months, people realize "Damn. This hole would really play better if we moved the tee 3ft to the left and 6ft back," it's not an easy fix, and chances are you just end up living with it.

Baskets, on the other hand, aren't all that difficult to relocate if necessary.

Well my plan was to get ideas out there in our Facebook group and take suggestions on possible placements, including the ideas I have now. I then want to use those little marking flags to mark possible tee or basket placements so that people can play the different layouts without anything permanent being done.

Right now I just want to replace the 18 baskets with new baskets, so just considering extra tee positions right now doesn't cost us anything but could take the course a step further.

 

[txmxer]

The only thing I will add is that a single pin position is really hard on the environment. Erosion issues and root exposure come to mind.

I understand it can be difficult to identify alternate pin placements, but it's better for the course in the long run.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

The only thing I will add is that a single pin position is really hard on the environment. Erosion issues and root exposure come to mind.

I understand it can be difficult to identify alternate pin placements, but it's better for the course in the long run.

Completely agree with this. Ever since I first played a course with multiple rotating pin positions, I was a fan.

Say you have two placements that get rotated once a month. Each is only gets half the wear and tear that a single location would. If you can swing a 3rd location, then each location has a couple months to recover for every month it's being played to. Helps combat erosion and helps the course look better. The more traffic the course gets, the greater the environmental benefit.

2) Adds variety (which increases replayability for locals), more cost effectively than dual full time baskets.

 

[ryanhutchings96]

Completely agree with this. Ever since I first played a course with multiple rotating pin positions, I was a fan.

Say you have two placements that get rotated once a month. Each is only gets half the wear and tear that a single location would. If you can swing a 3rd location, then each location has a couple months to recover for every month it's being played to. Helps combat erosion and helps the course look better. The more traffic the course gets, the greater the environmental benefit.

2) Adds variety (which increases replayability for locals), more cost effectively than dual full time baskets.

Although I would love to do this, especially since this is a very well used state park, the vast majority of the holes just don't have room for a second pin position. Many of them are already located in pretty tight spots. Will definitely be something I bear in mind if I try to improve any other courses.