Who would try a 15 in. cup?

[butch33611]

There's a course near me that has what they call a "big cup tournament". Its an 18 hole scramble format with 17 inch holes and yes it is a blast. They do this once in the spring and once in fall. Its a laid back fun event and I enjoy it very much. I wouldn't want to see this as a permanent thing but I do have a great time doing it.

[Itsjustagame]

I don't see any point to this concept.
For the most part it doesn't really appeal to people who already play golf.
The non-golfers who might be attracted are going to play twice a year.
I don't see it generating more club sales, more green fees or more golfers.

[sharkiesj]

Played at the TM sponsored testing spot at Pauma Valley CC with 15 inch cups about a month ago. It was really a fun day! Really a blast. Not as easy as you'd think. The one thing that stood out was pace of play. Done in little over 3 hours. Awesome. Those complaining about not being challenging enough do have a point but you're missing the big picture.

This isn't about you. It's about growing the game. That's all Mark King wants. Of course he wants to move merchandise but its more about growing the game. The game takes way way way too long. The other thing we had to do was put sand in the cups. The cups are so big that balls would just pop right back out if sand wasn't put in them to keep the balls in..

[Ranchobob]

Absolutely zero interest in playing non-golf on Mark King's terms.

The pace of play thing is interesting, but I'm inclined to think that it wouldn't hold up to the test of time. Slow players are slow players regardless and it's not because of their putting so much as it is hitting three--or five--off the tee, hunting for lost balls, and not having any competency in the skill of ready golf. I'm constantly shocked at how slow some people can be.

I certainly don't buy into the need to "grow the game." It's been around a very long time and will be around for a very long time. The fact that some courses will go under because too many were built and depended on the waning Tiger effect is really not something I've got a problem with.

[HipCheck]

[quote name='DavePelz4' timestamp='1397746784' post='9111539']
Sergio and Justin Rose played 9 holes on Monday post Masters at a TM event kicking off the program. Sergio shot -6 but JR only -3.

It would be interesting to try it but that just seems like your odds of making a putt from any distance would increase factorially. If it gets more people to play the game, great...if it improves pace...great...not sure I'm going to feel better about the score I shot though.
[/quote]

I played with Rose on Monday. An amazing day (I don't think I've hit the ball that well from tee to green in my life. I'll take a "Great shot, dude!" from Justin any day). It's not as easy as you think. I almost holed one from 115 yards, but that was only 1 shot.

[quote name='JimNewton' timestamp='1397752461' post='9112365']
I'd still lip out.
[/quote]

I lipped out 2 of them!

[quote name='CoryN' timestamp='1397753640' post='9112509']
I've played in a few 8in cup tournaments, and it's not as easy as it may seem.

The size of the hole causes you to be very aggressive and most of the time makes you have 10 footers coming back. Also, if you hit the lip the ball rolls much past the hole as it has a lot more time to build up speed on the lip, compared to a 3 in cup.
[/quote]

You definitely change your strategy. You are very aggressive around and on the green. You mind sees break though and it's not as easy to adjust to going straight at the hole with speed as you think. Still within 7 feet, you should make a come backer.

From 100 and in, I hit a couple of 'chasers' to try to get the ball rolling on the green earlier and roll out towards the hole. Unfortunately neither went in.

[xan_user]

No needed for different hole locations... Could just paint a 15" circle around the cup.


It sure would be a different game if St. Andrews had 6" down spouts.

[aliikane]

No. The challenge of the game is part of the fun. I guess some executive golf courses can try it as a novelty but keep regular golf courses the same.

[tocino]

it's like bowling with the bumpers up. It's a great way to learn how to play while still knocking down pins. Eventually, you'll want to transition to playing normal. I kind of like the idea if it grows the game and gets more people involved.

[bNeill]

I used to hate the idea.

Now I think it may work well for some recreational players.





But I'll continue to torture myself as long as I can.
I was a + cap but then investment banking came along.
I envy you guys who actually get to touch a club.

[TJCDAS]

36DD cups? Yes Yes Yes

[hayzooos]

I think it would be fun in random scrambles and such, maybe for a separate course. But with the way courses are being built today, 15" cup isn't going to do a whole lot of good IMO. The long times on resort courses probably aren't spend around the greens, it's trudging through the woods looking for lost balls, hitting 3+ shots off the tee because the first two went into the woods or pond, or didn't make it over the 220 yard required carry.

I'd be up for playing in a charity scramble once or twice a year that used 15" cups, why not? It's not 'real' golf anyway. I wouldn't want courses I normally play to all of a sudden have 15" cups in addition to the standard ones. That wouldn't be much fun at all.

[MadGolfer76]

I hear this is going to be a feature at the next Hartounian design. Comes with a complimentary skirt.

[jnradioactive]

I need a 15" cup now... What? Oh you're taking about golf cups...

[Guia]

15" golf hole! Wow, even Michele Wie could be a great putter.

Kind of takes a lot of skill out of putting.

[gmangolf]

I would play it with kids, but would prefer regulation any other time.

Admittedly avid golfers like golfwrx aren't really the target for this idea though.

[rushfan96]

Negative.

[rvgolfer]

My old club would have an 8 inch cup tournament once a year. Scoring was remarkably similar to 4 inch cups, but the pace of play improved significantly, mainly due to players not marking and needing to spend as much time prior to a 2-5 foot putt. I could support an 8 inch cup, but believe 15 inch would be too much of a game changer.

[Santiago Golf]

Here at ferris state we played a pgm tournament with 12 inch cups and we all shot bout the same.

[mr_divots]

[quote name='sharkiesj' timestamp='1397759379' post='9113155']
Played at the TM sponsored testing spot at [b]Pauma Valley CC[/b] with 15 inch cups about a month ago. It was really a fun day! Really a blast. Not as easy as you'd think. The one thing that stood out was pace of play. Done in little over 3 hours. Awesome. Those complaining about not being challenging enough do have a point but you're missing the big picture.

This isn't about you. It's about growing the game. That's all Mark King wants. Of course he wants to move merchandise but its more about growing the game. The game takes way way way too long. The other thing we had to do was put sand in the cups. The cups are so big that balls would just pop right back out if sand wasn't put in them to keep the balls in..
[/quote]
You played at a private country club. Three+ hours is pretty normal for a private club using regulation size holes. Not the best example.
Go to a muni at 10AM on a Saturday, and if 15 inch cups take it from 5 hours down to 3, you'll have something.

[mdgboxx]

[quote name='rvgolfer' timestamp='1397782746' post='9115493']
My old club would have an 8 inch cup tournament once a year. Scoring was remarkably similar to 4 inch cups, but the pace of play improved significantly, mainly due to players not marking and[b] [color=#A52A2A]needing to spend as much time prior to a 2-5 foot putt.[/color][/b] I could support an 8 inch cup, but believe 15 inch would be too much of a game changer.
[/quote]

Anybody (Mr Everybody, average Joe) needing more than 5 seconds (and I'm being generous) on a 2-5 foot putt, is going to miss it anyway.

[RollingRocks]

Not interested. Changing the hole to the size of a manhole cover isn't going to help anyone advance the ball consistently from the fairway. That's where the casual/new golfer typically struggles most. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can practice putting and improve that part of their game without leaving their living room.

[hogans71]

[quote name='sharkiesj' timestamp='1397759379' post='9113155']
Played at the TM sponsored testing spot at Pauma Valley CC with 15 inch cups about a month ago. It was really a fun day! Really a blast. Not as easy as you'd think. The one thing that stood out was pace of play. Done in little over 3 hours. Awesome. Those complaining about not being challenging enough do have a point but you're missing the big picture.

This isn't about you. It's about growing the game. That's all Mark King wants. Of course he wants to move merchandise but its more about growing the game. The game takes way way way too long. The other thing we had to do was put sand in the cups. The cups are so big that balls would just pop right back out if sand wasn't put in them to keep the balls in..
[/quote]

I'm thinking Mark King wants something wise besides "growing the game"...

While that may play a part, don't kid yourself- majority of it is clearly cash driven.

Outside of a scramble every once in awhile, count me out. I like the game just the way it is..

[RecreationalHacker]

[quote name='djmohab2' timestamp='1397747984' post='9111695']
Really, even my hacker friends are capable of two putting pretty much everything. It's the getting there in a decent amount of strokes which seems to be the killer for them.
[/quote]

Well said. Larger cups are promoted as a way to make golf easier, faster, more fun, etc. The reality is that it's getting to the green that's the real struggle and the greatest frustration for most new golfers and high handicappers. If you want to try larger cups for the sake of trying something different, then I say go for it. For similar reasons, I'll play a little basketball on a short rim once-in-a-while so I can re-experience the dunks of my youth when I played college ball. It's fun for a short while as a diversion...but it's not really basketball.

But don't disguise the pursuit of larger cups as a way to make golf easier, faster, or more fun. It suggests that there is an ulterior motive (sell equipment) or a complete misunderstanding of why golf is hard for most of us (especially newbies and high handicappers).

[JMHunter]

Not interested, that's a little ridiculous. Played a tourney on 6" or something once, that wasn't to bad.

[tjumper78]

in the winter, the local county course here draws a circle on the fairway about 20-30 yards before the greens, and they are the temp greens. they make the holes about 12 inches in diameter.
although the "temp greens" were in bad shape, putting was too easy with 12 inch holes.

[dcmidnight]

Ted Bishop now gets my hypocrite of the decade award:

====

“We’ve got to stop scaring people away from golf [b]by telling them that there is only one way to play the game and it includes these specific guidelines[/b],” said Ted Bishop, the president of the P.G.A. of America, who
also owns a large Indiana golf complex. “We’ve got to offer more forms of golf for people to try. We have to do something to get them into the fold and then maybe they’ll have this idea it’s supposed to be fun.”

====

Right, so you just finished completely caving in to the USGA demands on anchored putting...but now holy crap, wait a minute, we dont want to scare people off by telling them there is only one way to play. There are lots of ways to play! Golf is supposed to be fun! Unless you are one of the millions of people that used an anchored putter because if so, then no fun for you!

What a joke.

And no, I dont think this will have any major impact on pace of play. The guy who hits an 80 yard banana slice off the tee and spends five minutes looking for it in the woods is still going to be in the woods. He's still going to realize that golf is a hard sport from tee to green.

Maybe Mark King should consider whether or not people are quitting the game because its too damn expensive for people to play. Maybe not everyone can afford a $500 driver every six months. If he was serious about growing the game for new players, why not put out an at-cost beginner set. Put together a real honest to god set of good beginner clubs and sell them for at or very near cost. Oh, you cant do that? But hey, TM/AG revenues soared enough that he got a promotion.

[ericm007]

I would try it, for kicks if nothing else, but wouldn't play those holes regularly if they were on greens with the regulation holes. I have always wanted to try 8" holes, I think it would still be a challenge and resemble golf, while being a little easier and more exciting on the greens.

[Anonymosity]

No, this would neutralize the one part of the game I'm good at.

Now, if they want to move all tee boxes forward on all courses, I'd be a big fan of that.

[Hateto3Putt]

There's a par 3 course near me that has big holes (coffee can size, maybe 10 inches).

 

I love it when I see a hole in one made there listed in the newspaper!

 

[pkwilli1999]

There's a par 3 course near me that has big holes (coffee can size, maybe 10 inches).

 

I love it when I see a hole in one made there listed in the newspaper!

 

Have you played said course and did you score better than usual?

 

Patrick