Bonus Holes Within a Routing / Course

[Forrest Richardson]

Recently the matter of members playing a bonus hole within a round was brought up. The concern being that, perhaps technically, the Rules of Golf are thwarted because players would, in effect, be practicing during a round on this hole.

Can anyone cite examples of extra (bonus) holes that occur within a routing — either within a 9-hole or 18-hole course? I would be interested to know the course and whether there is any local rule or standard prohibiting play on the extra hole(s).

[David Druzisky]

F,

I have not heard of a bonus hole actualy "used" to make more than 9 or 18 holes in a given round.  East coast guys may have more exposure to this.  Only seen them in application where for whatever reason the course occasionally or on routine closes a hole for work or something.  Odd.  How would it relate in Match vs Stroke play I wonder?

TD's new Stone Eagle has that 19th hole at the Airee(sp?) and that is a neat dynamic.

Hey, if it is fun, make it so.

DbD

[Joe Hancock]

Forrest,

I tried my darndest to get Mike DeVries and the owner of the Mines GC to allow an "Easter Egg" hole. There was a great sand dune next to the 6th tee that could've been a great hidden par 3. If you knew it was there, you played it...if not, you weren't paying attention....just like the hidden stuff in Super Mario Brothers.

Oh well...next project I'll do it without anyone's blessing! That'll show 'em!

Joe

[TEPaul]

Forrest, this bonus hole idea has real merit.

Personally, I'd advocate 4-6 of them per course so they could act sort of like a side-track on rail-lines where dawdling slow trains could be switched off for a few minutes while the much faster express trains roar through. If this could be done and the dawdlers were not switched onto their bonus hole side-track when the express train approached from the rear it would give the express train groups the license to just flatten the dawdlers dead as smelts on the fast track and move on down the line without even having given the dawdlers so much as a "By your leave". They say it's not possible any longer to come up with anything wholly original in golf course architecture, but By Jove, I think you've done it. I don't think I like the sound of the name "bonus hole" though. How do you feel about calling them "watch your ass holes"?

[Peter_Herreid]

How would a bonus hole in the middle of a routing be handled if some folks played it and others didn't?  Yield the "right-of-way" to the group behind I suppose...  Could make for some interesting discussions about "playing through"!

[Mark_Fine]

Forrest,
Lehigh has a 19th hole.  However, I'm not sure I ever saw a "bonus" hole in all my travels.  I've seen courses with "extra" holes and alternate tees, etc. but they are not in play during a normal round.  They are there for practice or for when another hole is being worked on, or for alternate play on different days, or just for having fun.

The rules of golf would prohibit such holes being used "during" a recorded handicap or tournament round.  
Mark

[Brad Klein]

Double Eagle's Bye Hole comes after the ninth green, on the way to the clubhouse and the 10th tee. I think it's reversible, meaning players also have the option of playing it as they come off the 18th green and walk around the clubhouse, but it's far easier to sequence in between nines.

Devil's Pulpit north of Toronto has three 11th holes, one of which plays as a Bye Hole to get to the 12th tee after you've played one of the 11ths. Don't ask. When you're that rich, you can do anything you want. Sounds like fun to me.

Anyone who tells me it's not within the rules to post a score when playing like that has a lot worse to account for, like the 90% of golfers who don't follow the rules of golf as a matter of course when they play and nonetheless post.

[Forrest Richardson]

Mark — I am not sure you are correct. If the Committee establishes a course, then it is a stipulated round. If a "course" officially does not include, let's say, an extra hole between Nos. 11 and 12, then the only issue is whether a player who plays this extra hole has "practiced during a round." The interesting point is that play of a hole which is not part of a "course" would have little effect on a player's performance to post a score. Chipping and putting between holes is already allowed.

The European Club has two extra par-3s. If a player plays those during an 18-hole round do they count? Or, does the score on the extra holes vanish into thin air? Is the player penalized for playing these holes?

Somewhere out there is a course with an extra hole which falls in the middle of a layout...where is it — and how is handicapping handled?

[Phil_the_Author]

Forrest,

At Eisenhower Park on Long Island, on the White & Blue courses, most of the par threes have a parallell hole that is used to reduce long waits on the tee. WE used to play both when young  .

On the Red course, site of the Champions Tour event, several of the par-fours have separate greens that are alternated to reduce wear & tear on some of the greens.

Not quite qhat you were asking about, but interesting nevertheless.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Forrest,

At the Quarry, I tried my damnedest to create switchable holes - the 16th and 18th could have both had tees to make them par 4 or 5, and you could rotate.  The powers that be scotched the idea just because they didn't know how to do the card for that.....and the super balked at the cost of all that "extra" green and tee.......

Shady Oaks in Ft. Worth has the par 3 course intertwined.  I think some members wander back and forth for extra holes occaisionally, but it is not officially marked.

I have done a few five hole courses, where four have the second tee to create an entirely different hole (usually of different par) the second time around, but I am not sure that is what you are talking about.

[Jim Sweeney]

Forrest:

The rules issue could be handled by making the extra hole out of bounds. I can't think of any other way as the score could not count for handicap purposes, it would not be considered for the course rating and there is no such thing as a nineteen hole stipulated round.


TEPaul's comment about using such a hole as a diversion while faster groups played through is interesting- though on a crowded course probably wouldn't work.

Brad:

Were the nines at DECC ever reversed, making the bye hole more accessible by way of #9?

[Evan_Green]

There is an extra par 3 at the Dunes in Myrtle Beach. I believe it falls after the famous #13 - it is not part of the usual routing, but sometimes they use it if another hole is closed.

[Evan_Green]

dont know if this counts but the 18th hole at Silver Creek Valley (Strantz redo) is normally a par 4. However there is a seperate tee from above the waterall that is listed on the scorecard as a 19th hole (playing to the same green as the par 4, #18)

[Ian Andrew]

At the European Club the standard card does not include 7a and 12a, but I seem to remember being encouraged to play any configuaration you damn well want - it's your round to enjoy.

I loved the attitude they have.

[Mark_Fine]

Forrest,
Brad has it right in that most golfers don't play by the strict rules of golf anyway.  However, if I was following the rules of golf, I am pretty sure that if I played Lehigh's "extra" hole in the middle of an 18 hole round, it would be considered "practicing" and I would not be able to officially post the score.  

Again, I have seen many of these "extra" holes and some fall in the middle of the layout (Arcola CC has one).  But it is classified as a practice hole (at least for now).  
Mark

[SPDB]

It's hard to believe no one has mentioned the "2 and 20 Hole" Engineers. How often is it that one of the Most Famous holes in the history of golf, is also one of these "Bonus Holes"?

[rjsimper]

Luana Hills on Oahu has "Pond" which comes between the 10th and 11th holes.  It's a short wedge of a par 3 with a bulkheaded peninsula green in a pond.  When I was there, they had the 10th closed and we played Pond as 11...I have heard that they typically close a hole and use Pond as the filler.

It was listed on the card with its own column for your score, but I do not recall how/if handicapping was handled

[Brad Klein]

How about the next time they play a major at The Country Club -- if they ever do so again -- on The Composite Course, they play a hole-in-one contest on the short downhill par-3 in-between holes 9 and 10 that they normally walk by. Would be a heck of a conversation piece, and they could have the event sponsored separately.

[ForkaB]

How about that unused but semi-maintained short hole out at the far end of Pasatiempo (adjacent to the 13 green/14 tee area)?  Was it ever part of the routing?

[John Kirk]

How about that unused but semi-maintained short hole out at the far end of Pasatiempo (adjacent to the 13 green/14 tee area)?  Was it ever part of the routing?

I don't know whether it was ever part of the routing, but I played it when #15 was out of service for restoration.

[Tom Huckaby]

JK has that right re Pasa - that extra hole has been used many times over the years when another hole is out of service.  It's actually a pretty darn good hole - raised green falling off at the sides...

I too don't know if it ever were part of the 18-hole routing though.  Someone told me that 13 once played to that green alternating with the current green... but that was a far from reliable source.

TH

[SPDB]

Brad Klein -

If I recall correctly, I think Jack Nicklaus called that hole (misnamed "redan"), "the best par 3 I've never played"

[Tom Huckaby]

Mark — I am not sure you are correct. If the Committee establishes a course, then it is a stipulated round. If a "course" officially does not include, let's say, an extra hole between Nos. 11 and 12, then the only issue is whether a player who plays this extra hole has "practiced during a round." The interesting point is that play of a hole which is not part of a "course" would have little effect on a player's performance to post a score. Chipping and putting between holes is already allowed.

The European Club has two extra par-3s. If a player plays those during an 18-hole round do they count? Or, does the score on the extra holes vanish into thin air? Is the player penalized for playing these holes?

Somewhere out there is a course with an extra hole which falls in the middle of a layout...where is it — and how is handicapping handled?

Forrest - I'm no rules-head, but this was intriguing, so here's what a perusal of the USGA rules on-line found.

This is the definition that matters most for this:

Stipulated Round
The “stipulated round’’ consists of playing the holes of the course in their correct sequence unless otherwise authorized by the Committee. The number of holes in a stipulated round is 18 unless a smaller number is authorized by the Committee. As to extension of stipulated round in match play, see Rule 2-3.


The bolding was mine.  Seems pretty clear the Committee can declare a Stipulated Round to be LESS than 18 holes, but not more.  So no extra holes.

Here's the relevant rule re practice.


Rule 7-2 During Round
A player must not make a practice stroke during play of a hole.
Between the play of two holes, a player must not make a practice stroke, except that he may practice putting or chipping on or near:
(a) the putting green of the hole last played,(b) any practice putting green, or(c) the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round,provided a practice stroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7).
Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes.
Exception: When play has been suspended by the Committee, a player may, prior to resumption of play, practice (a) as provided in this Rule, (b) anywhere other than on the competition course and (c) as otherwise permitted by the Committee.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 7-2:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play— Two strokes.
In the event of a breach between the play of two holes, the penalty applies to the next hole.
Note 1: A practice swing is not a practice stroke and may be taken at any place, provided the player does not breach the Rules,.
Note 2: The Committee may, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), prohibit:
(a) practice on or near the putting green of the hole last played, and(b) rolling a ball on the putting green of the hole last played.


Seems pretty darn clear, no?  As cool as these bonus holes are, playing them would be against the rules.  

TH

[Bill Gayne]

I remember something along these lines at Kiawah's Cassique course. I've only played the course once but I remember alternate holes and if you selected one route on the fourth then you played a different fifth hole then if you selected the other route on the fourth. The fourth having alternate greens and the fifth actually being two different golf holes. At the fifth everything got back to the sixth tee. Maybe somebody who's played the course more can chime in. It's a very interesting golf course and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Seaton Carew has 22 holes, but only 18 are in play at any one time.