What if you could play golf in 1/2 hour...

[beretta5spd]

here's another idea to take into consideration. how about having a local pro shop organize a night for newbies? unlimited range balls for an hour, practice green open, then play a few holes towards sunset. if you can't find 3 holes that get you close to the pro shop, then organize a couple staff to drive carts back and forth.

have a golf pro schmoozing potential members at the range so they get some face time and genuine conversation.

if we want new people joining the sport... it has to be easy. which is what the OP is getting at

[TitlePured]

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[quote name='KYMAR' timestamp='1443882921' post='12404992']
All of these suggestions for specific courses with less than standard # of holes makes little sense to me. 6 hole "rounds" 12 hole courses, now 3 hole. Every single course with 9 holes can offer this if they wanted to.

The problem with this idea is that if the target players, the office worker looking to get in some golf while choking down his baconator, all come out between 11 and 1, forget 30 minutes. It might take that long to get to the tee after paying. In order to survive, the number of people needed to show up during the lunch rush would make the whole thing grind to a halt. And I think like most people here, I'd love to be able to do walk up, Pay my money and hit away. But theres no way that would ever happen during that peak time. And if it did, I'll enjoy it while it lasts because it won't be there long.

And honestly, the post work 515 guys will almost always try to sneak in 9 holes elsewhere.

l appreciate the creative thinking. I just think this, if successful for a time, is a novelty that would wear off quickly.
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Routing of existing 9+ hole courses rarely allows for 3 or 6 hole rounds. I have also yet to see a 9 or 18 hole facility offer a 3 or 6 hole rate. My concept is aimed at a new market... Not the current dwindling golf market. I'm not proposing changing the game as we know it... Just offering a more economical option.

I'm discussing a built from scratch 3 hole course with fast parking and check in... Not the existing drive in/ check in at a full size club. This would be centrally located and easily accessible. A to go lunch option could be available and even built into the price negating the need to make an extra stop.

How do current courses get the entire 5:15 crowd on the course at the same time? They can't, and with a 2+ hour 9 hole round it gets dark too early in the shoulder season. We still have great weather here in Central Washington this time of year but there isn't time to get in 9 holes after work.
[/quote]

How do current 9 hole courses get the 515 crowd out at the same time? IT doesn't, there are many of them. And frankly I don't care how fast food joint efficient you think you can make it, I, and I believe most, would rather go to the range and hit 15 drivers, 15 4 irons, 15 7 irons, and 15 wedges then go hit 1 of each and 2 of a few while waiting on every shot, checking my watch wondering if I'll be able to finish my 3 hole "round" before the boss notices my empty chair at 1:08.

Just my opinion. So by all means Go find your half million dollar 20 acre lot in close proximity to a bustling business district. Get yourself some good old boys with some earth moving equipment, plant a few flags in the ground and have at it. I'll be at the range.
[/quote]

Not sure where the "good old boys" comment is coming from. My point before about construction cost was that I do not need to hire a golf construction firm to build 3 holes at $1 million dollars.

Thanks for your time and opinion, this type of facility does not fit the person who would rather hit range balls.

[Greenie]

The conditions at the Frederick Golf Club isn't the greatest compared to a higher end facility but certainly playable. It is built on flat farm land so there isn't much character to the course. It may have started out as a beginner course but it has a following with people that like cheap affordable golf and golf that doesn't take all day. I find the pace of play there fairly fast and I have met a lot of decent players there. It's a fun course to get your swings in on. I like I can go there in the mid afternoon walk 27 holes and still be home at a decent time.

[TitlePured]

[quote name='beretta5spd' timestamp='1443891123' post='12405436']
here's another idea to take into consideration. how about having a local pro shop organize a night for newbies? unlimited range balls for an hour, practice green open, then play a few holes towards sunset. if you can't find 3 holes that get you close to the pro shop, then organize a couple staff to drive carts back and forth.

have a golf pro schmoozing potential members at the range so they get some face time and genuine conversation.

if we want new people joining the sport... it has to be easy. which is what the OP is getting at
[/quote]

That's a good grow the game concept which is similar to what we use to do at our facility. This is still using the current full size golf course that is 20 minutes from my home and work.

Many working adults feel that golf is something to pick up in retirement, because of the time commitment. I think modifying an existing golf course is asking for a clash of lifestyle. You can't be everything to everyone, which is why I propose this facility to reach non- traditional golfers and those traditional golfers with time constraints.

I would prefer to stop at a place like this 3 times during the workweek with little disruption to my and my families schedule while spending a few hours on the weekend playing the resort or championship course. My game is much more consistent when I play more often, even if it's only a dozen swings.

[deadsolid...shank]

I would stop at a three hole place. I do that quite a bit at our club, go to hit balls and instead go out and play a 3 1/2 hole loop.

But I certainly see where the $ guys are coming from. The logistics are really tough.

What about this on a minimalist budget concept? Artificial turf greens? Don't grass it all the way tee to green? I don't know, I'm a person who would rather play than practice (or at least do my practice while playing), but that might not attract any of the hard core guys that would be the core of the business.

[Jab3384]

I'd personally rather just hit a small bucket or work on my shortgame if I only have 1/2 hour. It usually takes me three holes to get warmed up, so the concept isn't appealing to me. I play 9 holes quite often and that's about the break point for me.

[David5021]

Honestly this would be an awesome place to take my son and wack some balls around for 40 minutes while enjoying a cold beer!

[mneumann]

I think it's a great idea and would definitely rather have this as an option than just the range.

I am your target market. 9-5 er with young family. I play my club tourneys once or twice a month but other than that my golf is the range on my lunch break (10 minutes each way from work and 40 mins to hit balls).

My suggestion if possible would be to scale it up. 9 holes, but 3 separate 3 hole loops (course a, b, and c). That solves your overcrowding issue at peak times, allows people to play even more variety (I would come 3 times a week, once each course) and I would assume the investment in additional land, maintenance, etc would be much lower the more you scale it. This also allows you take in more Max green fees per day. And for the crowd who says they want to play 9, well they pay 15 bucks and play all 3 loops

Have to find the land of course, maybe just 2 3 hole courses if that's all the land you can get.

Also, I think par 5s are unnecessary. If I was going to dream up something like this I would just want more varied length par 3s and 4s so I could hit more clubs/shots.

The serious golfers aren't going out there looking to put a score together, they are looking to practice, so par 5s don't add a lot of value but take up more land. Beginners hate par 5s, they aren't scoring holes, they are just more chances to screw up

[FindingFairways1992]

I think I would get too excited by the third hole and it would be hard to stop. It would be a great lunch break though!