Why aren't there more lighted golf courses

[Jason Topp]

There was a lighted course near LAX that was par 66 or something. But it was difficult to see drives and wedges as they would get over the lights and you had to guess where they came down. Putting was also very hard to judge.

That was my first experience with golf in California.  I remember it being difficult to follow the ball. 

[Luke Sutton]

Knights Play Golf Center between Pinehurst and Raleigh. It’s 27 hole par 3 course and driving range. We used to make 10p tee times, load up as much beer as possible and play 27 in a little over 2 hours. Holes range from 80-200 yards and they only light the greens. You could hit a great shot you think on the 200 yard hole and never find it. I played about 50 rounds here in grad school when time was limited but could play at night so it worked.


Bluejack has lights on their 9 hole par 3 course. All the holes are under 100 yards. I’ve only seen it during the day.

[V. Kmetz]

Highland Greens Golf Course in Prospect, CT is a par 3 nine holer with distances between 115 yards and 190 yards. Opened in 1967 it had lights on opening day and has operated continuously through today. Surprisingly they  would let kids play without their parents in the 1970’s at night and despite quite a few plays I don’t ever remember playing it in the daytime.

Tim, that is a different course than the much older (?) Highland 9-holer near Shelton, correct?


Regardless, your last note (kids in 70s) registers with me. Going beyond your comment, I continually recall how at very young (8,9) ages, I and my cohorts roamed and did things up to a 1/2 mile away from our homes, went to stores and arcades and specifically a thin lot-sized driving range/mini-golf center across a main drag from our neighborhood.  The degree of autonomy I had at those elementary school ages in the 1970s in toto was ridiculous, perhaps even illegal by today's social standards.  All I was responsible for was ON TIME, hands-washed dinner time appearance (6:30 pm) and a 9:30 pm bed time.  Other than those and planned family events, I was largely left alone and just asked where I was going. Humorously, "grounded" for misbehavior really had a literal meaning... you felt like a plane, stuck in the bay, who would; rather be flying off as you usually did.

[Nate Oxman]

   In the 70’s, Tall Pines was an 18 hole full length course in South Jersey that had 9 lit holes.  I think Ron Jaworsky bought it and changed its name. Not sure of its present status.

This topic was discussed years ago. Another SJ course used to be lighted before it went under.


https://salemcountryclubnj.com/about-us/

[Tim_Cronin]

There was one PGA Tour tournament played partly under lights. In happened early in 1969, after the brief split between the tour players and the PGA of America. The players formed the Association of Professional Golfers and put together a schedule, mostly from the old tour. There was also the Alameda County Open, slated to go against the Los Angeles Open. The two sides settled before the season and the schedule went back to normal, but Alameda was contracted so it was played as a regular tour stop coinciding with the LA Open.


It was played at Sunol Valley Golf Club, on the Palm Course, in Sunol, Calif. The course were lighted by a $325,000 installation attached to palm trees (so the reports had it), which came in handy when a weather delay pushed back the second round. The delayed tee times meant a large chunk of players would finish under the lights. Dick Lotz was the winner. He used his feet to figure out how putts sloped in the gloaming.


Said Bill Ogden, "Generally a late starter can see every little spike mark and heel print on the greens. At night you can't see them."


Sunol Valley closed early in 2016, victim of rising costs and fewer rounds played.

[Tim_Cronin]

An interesting note from the course that I grew up playing. An illuminated golf course in 1933 outside of Chicago:




At the time of the 1933 World's Fair, the Century of Progress Exposition, the Wilmette Golf Club became one of its great off-site attractions. A 27-hole facility at the time, the Wilmette Golf Club included a nine-hole "illuminated" golf course making it one of the only, if not THE only, golf course in the world that could be played under the stars

The nine-hole West Wilmette Illuminated GC opened Aug. 1, 1931, adjacent to Wilmette GC. It cost $32,000 to light the nine (and $11,000 to build the course), with holes ranging from 75 to 165 yards. Nine 75-foot towers did the job of putting 125,000 watts on 18 acres. The power bill was $20 a night.

It remained open at least through 1933.

[V_Halyard]

There was a lighted course near LAX that was par 66 or something. But it was difficult to see drives and wedges as they would get over the lights and you had to guess where they came down. Putting was also very hard to judge.

That was my first experience with golf in California.  I remember it being difficult to follow the ball.
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That would be Westchester, built during the Teflon Age of Architecture. A public 18 hole exec course where many a west side Los Angelino's plays their first full 18 holes. (my kids did) It's good it was your first Cali Golf experience because there was mostly upside to follow. The floodlight spread has gaps absolutely making the ball hard to follow. It has 8 par threes... yes 8 (Eight). Greens are surprisingly not too bad, and it is a blast.  We head there after late meetings knowing we will finish if we can get off before sunset.  Functions very much like a halfway house for golfers coming from, and returning to cold climates. You can get from LAX Luggage to the first tee in about 8 minutes with the right Lyft Driver. When commuting, I have frequently grabbed a golf fix before returning to windchill. You will see lots of people careen into the parking lot in a rental car, jump out, and start yanking clubs out of travel bags to get in a round before a meeting.

It was only 15 holes having lost 3 to airport imminent domain for a giant radar dome. They finally got to build the final three holes about 8 years ago (not too badly designed) and expanded to 18. When/if you play there, Westchester feels like a TopGolf. You will find a mix of low handicap target shooting skins gamers... a movie star or producer or two, and a busload of Cheerleaders from UCLA taking golf lessons for team bonding. Beware however, due to light ordinances and potential fines, the lights will shut off promptly at 22:00:01, regardless who is on the course and where you are. They do not care and it gets dark as hell. Jason, to answer ordinance question, regardless of the light ordinances, it prints money from 05:30 to 22:00.