Enough with the alternate pins!!

[riltim]

I know it's not always feasible due to costs but my preference order would be:
* Two permanent basket locations with two tee pads
* Two permanent basket locations with one tee pad
* One permanent basket location with one tee pad
* Multiple floating basket locations with one tee pad

I enjoy the consistency of knowing a hole is going to play the same every time. My area has a ton of courses within a 45 minute drive of my house so I can get my fill of variety by just playing a different course. I can see how multiple floating basket locations can make things interesting if you didn't have a lot of courses available locally.

 

[thrembo]

I'll see your River City, and raise you a Morley #13....

Looks like a tie to me.

 

[Pevio]

Tons of pins on this one, too. Anyway, I'm a fan of pin variance, although some holes go over the top.

 

[DannyS]

The other problem with pins that change so dramatically is the possible disappointment when traveling to a course. Imagine you drive 2 hours to play a course and you arrive to find the signature hole in pin A which is a deuce or die 260' par 3 instead of in pin D which doglegs to the right after the A-pin and goes another 220+ feet along a creek and is an awesome par 4. You would be very bummed about not being able to play the most famous hole on the course in all its glory because of the pin placement. In this scenario, I would rather have multiple pins be closer to each other and all play as a dogleg par 4. Seneca Creek #13 - I'm looking at you. I understand a 2nd permanent basket would solve the problem, but as we all know that is not always possible. Basically - I'm not a fan of a hole where the par changes due to pin locations. I'm totally okay with alternate tees that may change the par of the hole.
I love the fact that every time I make the drive to Paw Paw, all the baskets are always in the same position so I can compare my rounds from year to year (they do have a couple of baskets that move, but they only do that during tournaments).

 

[notapro]

Yeah, I agree that there are pros and cons to multiple, multiple pin positions.

Grey Fox in Silver Lake, in all shorts is a 3.5 course to me, in all longs, is a 4.5. I hate not knowing what the layout is going to be before I make the hour long drive. If they took out all the short pin positions, I'd be thrilled!

BUT, if I lived 5 minutes from the course, I'd be pissed off if there was only one pin position, and the course never changed, if only for the variety.

Maybe the correct number of pin positions at a given course should be inversely proportional to the number of quality courses nearby. Like Jackson Park!

 

[RyanRehberg535]

This might be the record for most pin placements on a hole.

If I recall correctly, I believe Morley Field in San Diego has a couple holes with something like 10 alternate pin placements

 

[mojorooks]

If I recall correctly, I believe Morley Field in San Diego has a couple holes with something like 10 alternate pin placements

What the heck, just add like 20 more. There could be a pin for every possible shot thrown. Even I could get an ace :thmbup:

Uhh.. yeah, thats the one I was aiming for...

 

[thrembo]

If I recall correctly, I believe Morley Field in San Diego has a couple holes with something like 10 alternate pin placements

See post #22 above.

 

[HyooMac]

See post #22 above.

There's a fightin' chance Morley has at least one hole with pin positions up to the letter "J." I just didn't take a picture the day I played and my memory - much like my putting - is failing...

 

[blazerico]

This might be the record for most pin placements on a hole.

Doesn't hole 14 go up to K or J and has two tees?

 

[BillFleming]

Looks like a tie to me.

Oh no! I'm playing there tomorrow for the first time. Hopefully there will be someone with me who knows the course or it could be a very interesting round.

 

[BuzzzChief]

Yeah, I agree that there are pros and cons to multiple, multiple pin positions.

Grey Fox in Silver Lake, in all shorts is a 3.5 course to me, in all longs, is a 4.5. I hate not knowing what the layout is going to be before I make the hour long drive. If they took out all the short pin positions, I'd be thrilled!

BUT, if I lived 5 minutes from the course, I'd be pissed off if there was only one pin position, and the course never changed, if only for the variety.

Maybe the correct number of pin positions at a given course should be inversely proportional to the number of quality courses nearby. Like Jackson Park!

Funny, when I read this thread the first course I thought of was Grey Fox, specifically holes #1 and #2. The whole character of the course is completely different right out of the gate, if the pins are in short or long position.

 

[MiketheGoalie]

The issue appears to be more signage related than anything. A design that incorporates multiple floating pins HAS to consider signage that conveys this feature. And not just par and distance, but what position the basket is currently in. THAT'S the flaw to the concept, not the actual pins themselves.

 

[thrembo]

Doesn't hole 14 go up to K or J and has two tees?

Not according to our own course page.

 

[glassila]

I agree, a course should only have 1 basket location for each hole!...and furthermore I'm sick and tired of all the ice cream flavors!
Give me vanilla or give me death!

 

[BogeyNoMore]

This might be the record for most pin placements on a hole.

When I played River City (many moons ago), the signs showed a dizzying # of pin placements, but I don't think all of them actually had collars in the ground. Maybe they've added them since?

I wish a few of my local courses did rotating pins.

 

[thrembo]

 

[Shadrach3]

Looks like a tie to me.

There's no picture of the sign on DGCR, but I played Seven Oaks in Nashville last week and #14 there has 8 placements (A-H).

 

[Kegelexercise]

I just do not for the life of me understand the OP's gripe.

Not only because IMO, I can't see alternate pin locations being anything but a positive, but also, what's even the point of having a second pin location 20' away from the first? Isn't the point of having changing pin locations to create several distinct hole possibilities that require different strategies to play them?

The whole thing reads like someone who went to a course expecting to play a bunch of easy short pins, got a bunch of longs, and is upset his score suffered, TBH. Now to be fair, I agree - the #1 priority in course design should be to create 18 good holes of golf first, then worry about add-ons later, and I also share the frustration that others have expressed about needing to walk way down a fairway to scope out a basket location when the signage does not indicate where it is, but if you're having trouble hacking it on the long pins somewhere, step up ya game.

 

[Cgkdisc]

The expression "Going to H in a handbasket" comes to mind.