Sadistic pin placement

[rgs]

On our 16th Hole (index 3) we encountered what my two playing partners agreed was the most sadistic pin placement we have seen on our course, it was perfectly legal but possibly unfair.
The pin was about 8 feet from the front of the green, the green slopes back to front. I was 10 feet above the pin putting for par and could not see how i could keep the ball on the green. I was right i putted off the green-my return putt when 2 inches above the hole and rolled back an inch.

 

[brendy]

Our greens had every single pin hidden behind bunkers and swails today, I was hitting green after green in regulation and 2,3 and once even 4 putted, which just isnt me. Talk about difficult!

 

[rgs]

Brendy maybe the change in the clocks upset the greenkeepers who missed out on an hours kip last night.

 

[brendy]

Id stop short of horrendous as the greens were still soft and stopping ok, if they use these placements any later in the year they will be sadistic!

 

[rgs]

Our greens are quick even at this time of year-so pin placement was sadistic.

 

[Greenkeeper]

If it’s legal then it’s OK! It’s the same for everyone on the course and therefore it’s fair!

From a greenkeeping perspective, sometimes we have to use the more challenging/ less used placements during the latter end of the winter to protect the more highly used summer/ normal play areas.
I suggest you should enjoy the challenge and try not to upset the greenkeeper as he may do the same during the summer!!

 

[brendy]

Greenkeeper, dont be taking us as being negative, I love a challenging flag. I also love going on about it too!

 

[thecraw]

If it’s legal then it’s OK! It’s the same for everyone on the course and therefore it’s fair!

From a greenkeeping perspective, sometimes we have to use the more challenging/ less used placements during the latter end of the winter to protect the more highly used summer/ normal play areas.
I suggest you should enjoy the challenge and try not to upset the greenkeeper as he may do the same during the summer!!

Just because its the same for everybody does not automatically mean its fair. If the pin is in a position that makes it impossible to hold the green when putting from above the hole then its totally unfair. No ifs and buts!

 

[muttleee]

...the green slopes back to front. I was 10 feet above the pin putting for par and could not see how i could keep the ball on the green. I was right i putted off the green-my return putt when 2 inches above the hole and rolled back an inch.

How steep is that slope?!

 

[GB72]

Had a similar problem with an evil pin position on a par 3 yesterday. Landed 2 tee shots about 2ft past the flag and watched both of the them roll back down the slope at the front of the green into a lake.

 

[Greenkeeper]

If it’s legal then it’s OK! It’s the same for everyone on the course and therefore it’s fair!

From a greenkeeping perspective, sometimes we have to use the more challenging/ less used placements during the latter end of the winter to protect the more highly used summer/ normal play areas.
I suggest you should enjoy the challenge and try not to upset the greenkeeper as he may do the same during the summer!!

Just because its the same for everybody does not automatically mean its fair. If the pin is in a position that makes it impossible to hold the green when putting from above the hole then its totally unfair. No ifs and buts!

But in golf there will always be ifs and buts in course set-up, that why we enjoy the whys and wherefores of our great game.

I stand by my statement that if it’s legal, it’s fair! The recommendation is thus: Around the hole (60–90 cm) should be as level as possible. If the design of the green dictates that the hole be positioned on a slope, then some design issues may need addressing as this may not be legal. But if the whole green is designed that way then the hole should be cut vertically, not with the slope.

So for example, if you had a hole positioned on 60cm on flat ground at the bottom of a slope, it may be impossible to stop from the top of the slope but fine from the bottom thus being perfectly legal and fair. However if the hole placement was on the slope and this made it imposable to putt from the bottom, side or anywhere then this may be an illegal position.

We do enjoy the challenge and we all enjoy talking in the clubhouse about the pin positioning etc etc, but at this time of year let’s just relax and enjoy, try and get our swing back and look forward to the summer and the more serious stuff. Let’s face it we are not playing for the town clock at the moment, we are playing for fun….ish

Simplest R&A rule in golf ‘play the ball as it lies and the course as you find it’

 

[rgs]

Just looked at How Did I Do and the course analysis--
Hole 16 Index 3 was played 58 times yesterday
0 birdies 8 pars 21 bogeys 28 others Played as the Hardest hole on the ocurse.

Greenkeeper i accept your opinion but still feel placement was unfair.

 

[Nico]

Just remember Golf is not meant to be FAIR!!!!

As long as it is the same for us all then it is ok.

 

[madandra]

 

[Nico]

Top drawer!

 

[Greenkeeper]

That’s very funny, put a smile on my face on this wet Tuesday morning.

Hi rgs
I see the hole played consistently, thus being fair. Difficult yes but the SI doesn’t necessarily have to be the hardest hole on the course every day. SI 3 would suggest that it’s difficult anyway and the scores suggest mirror that.

 

[rgs]

Great cartoon--

Greenkeeper i agree hole is difficult at the best of times and i agree the scores suggest it was fair for all.

Hopefully in the middle of the summer the pin is not there.

 

[Tommo21]

I wasn’t going to do this but to hell with it. Last April the weather was quite dry here in south east Scotland, then we had a really wet spell for a few weeks at my local course, it’s a municipal at Dunbar, on the ninth hole the right hand bunker was flooded totally. In other words if your ball went in there you had no where to drop except outside the bunker under penalty.

So where does the green keeper cut the hole for the Sunday medal………..Yes troops, right in the corner next to the flooded bunker.

Still a member there, but one of the reasons I joined another club.