Par 3s Bottom of Flagstick Visibility

[HawkeyeMS]

Given that 90% or more of players couldn't hit the ball the right distance anyway, it makes no difference. The yardage to the middle of the green is written on the tee box (and there are plenty of other sources of information but we won't go into that ) so just hit the ball at that yardage. If you can't do that, then seeing the bottom of the flag ain't gonna help.

Changing the hole is a waste of money, and complaining about it is just shying away from peoples own lack of ability.

 

[Farmergeddon]

Best answer is red, yellow and white flags designating front middle and back positions then everybody has some idea..

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

What percentage of players benefit from knowing exactly where the pin is? Most players will be happy just to get it on the green.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Take a look at this par 3 at Chiltern Forest
http://chilternforest.co.uk/the-course/hole-by-hole-video/ Its Hole 8

Only 150 yards but about 90 feet up and its a crossover hole

Not Imurgs Fave

 

[Tashyboy]

Your members not got anything more worthwhile to discuss?
So you got a 2nd shot to a par 4 similar to the par 3? Are you going to complain about that as well?

Well seeing as you have mentioned it, I er, no al shut up.

 

[One Planer]

How is the hole measured (To the front of green or middle)?

Either way pick a club that gets you to the middle (allowing to carry the bunker) and trust your putter.

 

[Imurg]

Take a look at this par 3 at Chiltern Forest
http://chilternforest.co.uk/the-course/hole-by-hole-video/ Its Hole 8

Only 150 yards but about 90 feet up and its a crossover hole

Not Imurgs Fave

That's because it's stupid......still, played it twice - a 4 and a 3.....still stupid..

 

[Foxholer]

What a bunch of wooses!

Set the lip whichever way provides the best balance of challenge/punishment for failure!

Far more important things to worry about than that!

 

[IanM]

I agree that none of the OPs issues were not in themselves reasons to make material changes to a hole, or someone would take a bulldozer to ever links course on the planet!!

But, Crow's point about visual appeal hits home with me..

The 8th at Newport is over 200 yards up a gentlish slope, it's a tough hole and good golf hole, but visually, there's not much to make it memorable. The 2nd and 14th on same course are much shorter but much nicer to look at. The former is the one that folk will remember , not the 8th.

Changes are expensive. You need a good reason for doing it!

 

[super hans]

our two courses have flagsticks with bright yellow plastic adjustable balls attached to the pole.

when the greenstaff change the hole placement every few days, the plastic ball on the pole is moved, so that the higher up it is means the hole is at the back of the green, and the lower down means it is at the front of the green. in the middle means the middle.

now i realise this isnt exactly scientific, but it gives a reasonable idea for us amateurs that either dont use DMD's, or cant control their distances

 

[ger147]

Laser the pin, job done.

 

[freddielong]

As has been said seeing the bottom of the the flag is neither normal or essential, if I think about the courses on the Isle of man in my head you can see the bottom of the flag on less than half from the tee.

If you know the number you don't have to see it.

 

[Capella]

We have a shot like that as well (par 3 up to a raised green where you cannot see the bottom of the flagstick) and a few others where it is very hard to judge where on the green the flag is positioned because slopes on the green make it very tricky. It does not bother me all that much, I am normally happy to get anywhere on the green and take it from there. But for the more accurate players we have a color code system in place. Every green is divided into four areas (yellow, red, green and blue) which can be read from a pin sheet. When the greenkeepers place the holes, they place them all in the red areas for the day (or all in blue etc.). Then the color of the day is signaled at the first tee with a little colored marker. So if you pay attention to that, you can always at least know what section of the green the flag is on for that day.

 

[bobmac]

How big is the green front to back?

 

[mwm118]

My only hole-in-one has come from a par 3 where you cant see the bottom of the pin, it was also in a match so i wasn't really able to celebrate when i found out it had gone in the hole. Thus I think all par 3's where you cant see the hole should be banned in case people get into the same situation

Anyway I do like the clubs that give you a sheet of pin positions with distances from a point at the front of the green, best way to do it but I can understand why most clubs don't

 

[USER1999]

Take a look at this par 3 at Chiltern Forest
http://chilternforest.co.uk/the-course/hole-by-hole-video/ Its Hole 8

Only 150 yards but about 90 feet up and its a crossover hole

Not Imurgs Fave

Worse off the ladies tee. They face what looks like a tall wall just in front of the markers.

 

[williamalex1]

We have a 168yd (centre of green) par 3 that is pretty much dead flat with a front cross bunker. The front rim (green side rim) of the bunker is not very high, but high enough to mean that we cannot see the bottom couple of feet of the flagstick- no matter where it is positioned. This makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to accurately visually judge where the flagstick is positioned.

There is some debate in the club around whether this is 'fair'/desirable - or whether it would be preferable to lower the rim of the bunker so we can see the bottom of the flagstick. We could also raise the tee a bit (at much greater cost) with the same effect.

Any thoughts?

You should try the 9th at Moffat GC, 110 yard par 3 , blind shot up over a cliff face . I was told years ago that a guy had single putted it for a 28 :rofl: .

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

😄😆 want to borrow my Bushnell laser SILH??

I can usually visually judge the distance to that flag within a couple of yards as we have different coloured flags for front, middle and back. But thanks for the offer

BTW - I think it's nonsense also.

That said Machrie on Islay is being very significantly remodelled - and one thing they are doing is removing many blind approach shots of the sort that were typical back in the day - see for example Cruden Bay.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

SiLH, the issue wouldn't have been raised by someone who is against the use of DMD's by any chance?

Absolute nonsense and I can't imagine any club would entertain such a "debate" longer than politely dismissing it asap.

No - the guys I was speaking with use such gizmos.

One said that for him it wasn't so much distance - it being able see how close his ball finished to the hole. Eh? For me one of the great thrills of golf is thinking you might be close, but not knowing until you get to, or close to, the green.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

How big is the green front to back?

Our greens are small - hit the middle of any green and you won't have a long birdie putt. As it happens the green of the hole in question is one of our longer ones and quite narrow - it's about 30yds long and 14yds wide - and has 12yds of dead ground between the cross bunker and the front edge of the green