15 inch “pizza-size” golf holes.

[Tape Reader]

15 inch “pizza-size” golf holes.

I thought I would poll my friends. Surprisingly, some of the better golfers were in favor of a trial.

Best golfer: “We like to hit the ball, not frustrate over a putt. Speed up the game. No need to pull the pin.”

Worst golfer: “I’m in.”

Opinions?

[horses4courses]

Where is this course???

I'm there.........

[dannyhill]

Whenever the greens were being overseeded or aerated we would play a 12 inch cup.
I can see it now after 36 holes the leader has fired 2 rounds of 56,57.

[Greyfox]

Several courses nationwide are trying it a couple of days a month with 8 inch holes.
1. to speed up play on the greens
2. to encourage more beginners to come out.

I don't like the idea.

[MutuelClerk]

Hate it. If you want to speed up play make every hazard a lateral hazard unless you're professional or in some type of tourney using USGA rules. Play tee boxes that you should be playing. Swallow your pride, we suck at golf it's why we work for a living. When you're looking for your ball bring at least one club with you. Try and play well, but always play fast.

Ready Golf!!!!

[NJ Stinks]

Take away the potential pleasure of sinking a long putt in small hole and you are hurting the game IMO.

We could speed up things in baseball too by going to a one pitch format. We don't do it because it would change the essence of the game - namely enjoying the classic battle between hitter and pitcher.

[rastajenk]

A skulled chip shot that should go over the green might find home in a large hole, and a bad shot would be rewarded. Every golfer has had some luck in that regard from time to time, but if it happens several times a round, the entire game changes. I vote " ".

[horses4courses]

My original post was only in jest.
I can't see this as helping anything, really.

A poor golfer will shave off, maybe, one putt per hole.
Still takes them a bunch of shots before they are putting.

It will only speed things up marginally, and it's not real golf.

[SchagFactorToWin]

There's a great book called 'The Search for the Perfect Swing'. I think it's from the late 60's-early 70's. Some Brit scientists analyzed different factors according to golfing abilities. They did the bigger hole experiment. If memory serves, it did wonders for shorter putts and helped higher handicap players on longer putts much more than pros. Seems obvious, I suppose, but nice to see stats and a controlled test.

Lots of other good stuff with recommendations for the best areas to work on to improve one's score based on handicap level. They had a picture of a "new style putter from a US company" that they felt would improve everyone's putting. The picture showed the first Ping putter.

[DJofSD]

Is the idea of having a large hole a good one? I think it is.

Would I ever play a round on a course using a larger hole? No.

The overarching reason for the idea is the game is losing participants. The industry is trying to find a way to keep people playing (and paying).

When my son and I took up the game in 2009, we started by playing at 3 different executive courses, all par 3's, 2 of which are just 9 holes and the other is 18. Of those 3 courses, I could see the 18 hole course and 1 of the 9 hole going to a larger cup on a permanent basis.

P.S. Here's an article about the problem: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...the-sport.html