Is naming holes a good idea?

[Dan Herrmann]

I'm trying to instil a sense of history at our 5 year old club, and the thought of hole naming came to mind.

Great course like TOC, ANGC, and Shinnecock all have hole names.  But if it's not done well, it can be pretty embarrassing.

What do you think?

[John Moore II]

I think you just said it. If its done right, hole naming can work great, if not, its silly. Where is your club? Name? Use something native to the area or a theme. Like Augusta with trees. Just an idea.

[Dan Herrmann]

We're in the far western burbs of Philly.   I like the native idea.

[Bart Bradley]

Dan:

I don't like the idea...I don't know the names of the Augusta holes and what holes are more famous?  Yes, we all know the Eden, the Dell...etc..., but naming holes on modern courses tends to be hokey...one of my home courses, a modern Fazio, has hole names....but I don't know a single one and I have been a member since 1997 (course opened in 1994).  Just my opinion.

Bart

[Peter_Herreid]

Dan--

When my children were younger, we decided to try to name the holes on our course so that the kids could remember them better.  This also served as a way to help them understand better where we were in the round, on the course, how much longer we'd be out, etc...

Interestingly, most of our "informal" hole names wound up highlighting some architectural characteristic or dominant visual feature of the hole---
"Elbow" for our uphill dogleg right, "Butterfly" for one hole with a bunker shaped that way by the green, "Cat's Paw" for a green narrow in front wider to the back with three bunkers behind it, not unlike an animal's paw, etc..

Pretty simple, but it got the job done...

Not holes named by a marketing committee, for sure..

[Adrian_Stiff]

I quite like the idea but ithink it is a minority opinion, the majority of golfers do not embrace the idea at all. Years ago we named all 18 holes but only one got the attention of the members, was an uphill hole named K2. They all remembered that... the cute ones with stories of their evolvement seemed to make no impact and the idea fell to stoney ground.

[Dan Herrmann]

Peter - Palm at Augusta (#4) is named that way because it's the only hole with a palm tree.  You have good company

[John Moore II]

Being in Philly, maybe you could go with athlete names, famous Philly players. Name each hole for a specific person and have a small history plaque on each tee. No sure if you think that will work, and I have no idea what native things Philly has. There is also the historical aspects associated with the area as well.

[Kalen Braley]

FWIW, always thought it was a bit hokey.  The hole number is enough for me...

[Mike Nuzzo]

Dan,

If the holes name themselves it is ok - as long as they are unusual - I think you have some of those.
That should take 18 years or so...

The bunkers can name themselves too.

[Steve Burrows]

There's a Nicklaus course on the north side of Indianapolis called the Sagamore Club that didn't name there holes, but they have individual markers at each of the tee boxes that chronologically commemorate each of his 18 professional majors. 

It's not quite the same, but at least it's a story worth telling.

[Mike Boehm]

I think the naming of holes has become somewhat commonplace.  To me, the name of a hole shouldn't be given at birth, it should be earned.  Something a member can share with a guest to give a sense of the history of his course.

[Wayne_Freedman]

I am not a big fan of this. It would be pretentious on such a young course. One cannot manufacture history or character. Names need to evolve with time, as in DEVIL'S ASSHOLE.

We have unofficial names for holes at mine.

We call the 3rd PAR FIVE because it is a difficult par 3.

We call the 5th GET ONE BACK because we get screwed by PAR FIVE.

We call the 12th RAILROAD because it is long, straight, and freight trains run behind the green.

We call the 17th JAILBREAK because you can hear inmates at the county jail when teeing off.

Forrest Richardson tells a good story about a group of people who shoveled up a long-lost bunker on a Saturday. That night, at a banquet, they named it SCOTCH AND SODA.

[Tim Gavrich]

I like the idea as long as the hole names are simple and a propos.  Your course has a lot of hole name-worthy features, I'd say.  I'd call #5 "Short," #11 "Wall," etc...

[W.H. Cosgrove]

We're more literate....my regular foursome has referred to #17 & 18 as crime and punishment. 

Take that for what its worth.

[Peter Nomm]

Some holes naturally deserve to be named, but trying to name all 18 usually ends with some very forced, silly attempts.  Ours were named at the beginning - actually most of them are pretty good, but I have seen some bad attempts.

[Wayne_Freedman]

We're more literate....my regular foursome has referred to #17 & 18 as crime and punishment. 

Take that for what its worth.

Great name.

[Justin_Zook]

The naming of holes is an absolutely fantastic idea when done correctly and Dan, I would recommend that you proceed.

Winged Foot West's first and last holes are named Genesis and Revelation respectively.  I find that to be fitting.  It instills a sense of resolution to this course of almost Biblical magnitude [difficulty-wise].

The process for developing names for each hole will be of highest importance and it needn't be done all at once.  As I recall the 10th hole at The Old Course was unnamed until it was named Bobby Jones (I think after he passed way).

Use the great old courses as a guide to intuit the process by which they used to name their holes. 

I think it would be a cliche to name all of the holes at once, but let stories of embarrassment and glory be your guide for naming holes (if Joe Doe makes a 10 in the club championship at hole number 4, call it "Imperfect 10" or something like that). 

Let symbolism be your guide as well.  Alpha is a good name for a first hole. 

But would you change the name of your company on a whim?  I think not. 

Play around with words and their true meanings.  Look at it like you're naming a thoroughbred destined for the Triple Crown.

[John Moore II]

Justins suggestions are great. Like I have said, I don't know much about cultural and physical features in Philly, but things like that I would say can work as hole names. Creativity is the main key to it all though.

[Will MacEwen]

Being in Philly, maybe you could go with athlete names, famous Philly players.

The costliest hole could be Mamula, the least stable one Hextall.

[Jeremy Rivando]

Hole names can be personal as well as something native that applies to the area.  The idea of an info marker at each tee has always been appealing to me and I think it can be a great idea, but like everyone has already mentioned, it needs to be done right.

Now if that marker tells a story or is simply the 'earned' name of this hole is a different story.  I really like the concept of 18 groupings, something native to the location you're in, whether it be 18 birds, or 18 grasses, 18... you get the point. 

Something to teach us something, if you can tie it back to a particular hole, great.  I'm all for sneaking in an education wherever you can.

[Tony Petersen]

I rue the day when a club decides to sell sponsorships that "buy" you the name of the hole. Just wait... someone, somewhere

I like the idea of naming holes if there is a sense to them... Augusta is brilliant in naming the holes after fauna common to the orchids and gardens of days past, while other courses use unique elements of the holes that can make them memorable... Straight, Rift & Chasm are just a few that come to mind...

[Sean_A]

I like the idea of naming holes, but like a few others, I would do it one step at a time.  Its alright to have a few names on the card and build from there.  Though I am not keen a theme for name holes.  There are a whole host of ways to name a hole.


One or two prominent (as in keeping the club afloat or founding the club) past members or prominent pros of the club

The odd view (if there are any)

Particular land features (especially the strange ones) including creek or pond names - we had one at Droitwich which I always liked called Tompkin's Plateau because of the plateau he would try to hit short of the brow of a hill (he couldn't reach the top)

A road that may come into play or border the course

A nearby town or village which the hole may play toward

The architect's favourite hole or common sort of hole he built

A VERY famous person's favourite hole or hole which often proved to be a disaster

The odd cool names that take in phrases so long as they fit.  Crime & Punishment are good and I always liked O.L. & L.O. at North Wales

I suspect it will take several years to come up with good names and that suggestions should be kept and encouraged until you find a cracker. 

Ciao

[Rich Goodale]

I think it is an affectation which should utterly be cryet doon.  Who actually knows the names of any of the holes at Augusta, or even cares?  Other than the Road hole, only sad anoraks like us will know the names of any others at St. Andrews.  Same with Dornoch and Foxy, Troon and Postage Stamp, Prestwick and Alps, North Berwick and Redan, Carnoustie and Sepctacles, etc., etc.  Many of the greatest and most venrable courses (e.g. Muirfield, County Down, Portmarnock, Ballybunion, Lahinch) have no named holes.  Yes, I do know about the Dell hole, but that is an informal name which has been earned over time.  That's the way it should be, IMO.

[Sean_A]

I think it is an affectation which should utterly be cryet doon.  Who actually knows the names of any of the holes at Augusta, or even cares?  Other than the Road hole, only sad anoraks like us will know the names of any others at St. Andrews.  Same with Dornoch and Foxy, Troon and Postage Stamp, Prestwick and Alps, North Berwick and Redan, Carnoustie and Sepctacles, etc., etc.  Many of the greatest and most venrable courses (e.g. Muirfield, County Down, Portmarnock, Ballybunion, Lahinch) have no named holes.  Yes, I do know about the Dell hole, but that is an informal name which has been earned over time.  That's the way it should be, IMO.

Rich

Thats just it, not every hole needs a name.  Only keep the ones that have earned usage.

Ciao