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TEPaul

Would you make a homemade golf course?
« on: November 21, 2008, 11:15:14 PM »
I have about a ten acre field next to the barn/office here on the farm. I was just eyeing it the other day and I realized I could design a homemade course that would basically be a target course (putting would be a bit raw and tough). I could make hazards out of high grass shapes and I could make maybe 6-9 target greens. No seeding or sodding, just mowing out fairway shapes and high grass hazards in various arrangements.

If I didn't like it I could redesign it in about a month with the tractor and lawn mower!  ;)

It would probably be something like golf around 1800.

Would you do it if you were me?   ???

Chip Gaskins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2008, 11:20:02 PM »
Well it wouldn't really be a course on 10 acres, correct?

It would be a really fun and cool practice facility, no?
« Last Edit: November 21, 2008, 11:23:51 PM by Chip Gaskins »

J_ Crisham

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Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2008, 11:20:34 PM »
Tom,   Build it and they will come! I would love to have another reason to come and hack it around Philly. ;D  In all seriousness this is a great idea-wonderful opportunity to do your own thing. Plus a great cocktail setting with a few short irons amongst friends. You could even get some hickories and play as it was meant to be.    Good Luck,   Jack

Andy Troeger

Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2008, 11:25:20 PM »
At my high school graduation we mowed a "green" in the corner of the yard, creating about a 100 yard downhill shot. There were trees/woods behind the green on both sides and wide open spaces in front--not a bad little hole really as if one wanted to get it close you had to flirt with the hazards behind.

I also occasionally put the one hole in other spots and created tees to play to it. I enjoyed it and it was a good way to learn some different shots. We had a few acres that were mowed, so there were quite a few little holes that could be played with a wedge.

TEPaul

Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2008, 11:34:53 PM »
"Well it wouldn't really be a course on 10 acres, correct?
It would be a really fun and cool practice facility, no?"


Chipperino:

I take that as an insult and a direct challenge. I cannot talk about it right now but I do know as a absolute fact that in the not too distance future Tiger Woods is going to be in the neighborhood and if he breaks 70 on my homemade course I'm going to be really pissed and I'll be forced to pull out all the stops and seriously "Tiger Proof" it. Among other architecture, maintenance and set-up defenses I might be forced to take the greens down to 1 on the stimpmeter!

Peter Pallotta

Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2008, 11:35:29 PM »
TE - I'm not sure this is what you have in mind, but how about one hole with a ten-acre-wide fairway and one massive double green, the only expense being a giant portable wind machine that could change the hole's playing characteristics daily, or even hourly....

Peter

Tommy Williamsen

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Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2008, 11:44:18 PM »
Years ago my dad had about twenty acres of land with pond and stream.  I built about five holes.  The longest being about 300 yards. I cut fairways and greens where I hit lob shots.  It was great fun and my young son and I would play on it for hours.  Go for it.  You have nothing to lose.  Have you thought about the price of greens fees?
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

TEPaul

Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #7 on: November 21, 2008, 11:50:27 PM »
A wind machine?

I don't know about that. Has anyone seen one at Home Depot?

How about this Peter? I've got enough space in that field where Tiger could land his Gulfstream VI. How about if he just got his pilots to turn it around backwards, put on the parking brake and floor it? That should give us all the wind we need. If we want a different challenge they could taxi the GVI to the other end of the property and put on the parking brake and floor it again.

Joe Hancock

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Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #8 on: November 21, 2008, 11:52:17 PM »
A wind machine?

I don't know about that. Has anyone seen one at Home Depot?


I raised one. His name is Curtis. A gosh awful sounding wind it is at that....

Joe
" What the hell is the point of architecture and excellence in design if a "clever" set up trumps it all?" Peter Pallotta, June 21, 2016

"People aren't picking a side of the fairway off a tee because of a randomly internally contoured green ."  jeffwarne, February 24, 2017

Ian Andrew

Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2008, 12:00:00 AM »
Why not two greens at either end and multiple tees?

By the way, I build a green with sod wall bunker when I was around 15 or 16. I had three tees. My Dad throught it was funny but encourages me and Ikept it cut as tight as I could. There was nothing over 100 yards but I used to walk out to the tees and play shots back into the central green and finish them all out. You couldn't putt, unless I scalped it all down for my buddies to play, but I had a flag and cup and would play to a white circle around the cup.

Charlie Goerges

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2008, 12:41:31 AM »
It is a fantabularific idea!

I mentioned this on another thread, but my brother and I play 1800's golf (I described it as "nuclear winter" golf) in the warm-weather months at his house. He also has about 10 acres, with a log barn, cabin, bunkhouse and his own house. Of course he has a couple of forested areas surrounded by open meadow and gardens so it is a fairly tight course. The grass in the open areas is not all mown regularly, so the further method of tiger-proofing he uses is to keep the fairways about 10-20 feet wide. Talk about the designer taking driver out of your hands ;).

I wonder (perhaps this thread will answer my question) whether golf would have survived past it's infancy if the folks on this board would have been the one's responsible for playing it and passing it on. Obviously in your case Tom, the answer is a resounding yes :D. Mr. 1-on-the-stimpmeter.
Severally on the occasion of everything that thou doest, pause and ask thyself, if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives thee of this. - Marcus Aurelius

Mike Sweeney

Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2008, 05:16:44 AM »
List the New England golf courses of the following architects:

Tom Doak: none

Mike and Dylan Sweeney: The Gammy Club !!

My son and I laid out a  5 hole course in Stamford CT the hometown of world famous golf club architect Tom Doak. My son was much cheaper than Doak. The Gammy Club has a 5 person membership and we do have an artisan membership of local neighborhood kids who watch the place during the week.

We are especially proud of the Par 4 fourth hole a tribute hole to the Tillinghast Barn Hole at Five Farms. The course features New England rock outcroppings, original horse barn, native grasses and is the defacto standard for minimalism. It could use a little tree work on the second hole and the greens are a little rough, but we think this gives the course and club their Yankee feel.



A few GCAers including Historian Moore, World Traveler Huntley and Long Ball Hitting Loh have been on and walked the property. However, none have been granted playing rights to the exclusive grounds.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2008, 05:24:07 AM by Mike Sweeney »

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2008, 06:17:24 AM »
Great idea. Could you incorporate that fascinating old piano of yours as an unusual hazard somewhere. Get behind it and you have to play a perfect Liszt Transcendental Study before you are allowed to move on....

Melvyn Morrow

Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2008, 06:57:56 AM »


Tom

Go for it as long as the land is suitable and will give you a challenging course. Don’t forget that a six hole course will work well, and if fussy you could add additional Tees to perhaps give you 6 holes, 12 Tees.

My father had a small putting green at the very bottom of our garden when I was around 11-12 years old. Not enough area for a small course but adequate for a 9 hole putting green with a few lumps and bumps.


PS May see one problem, cart track maybe a NO-NO, but for those who need assistance in getting around what about using what this guys has. Single seater mobile Golf bag.

Charlie Goerges

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2008, 10:20:21 AM »
Mike S. you and your boy pass the golf survival test. Well done!
Severally on the occasion of everything that thou doest, pause and ask thyself, if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives thee of this. - Marcus Aurelius

Mike_Young

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #15 on: November 22, 2008, 10:24:24 AM »

Not to hurt your feelings but plant a vineyard and get an artificial putting green for your living room....you would like it more..... ;D
"just standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona"

Steve Lang

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #16 on: November 22, 2008, 10:53:11 AM »
 8)  How about a 9 hole par three course?  Given your reported loss of distance off the tee, build it to your strength.. while you have it under control..
Inverness (Toledo, OH) cathedral clock inscription: "God measures men by what they are. Not what they in wealth possess.  That vibrant message chimes afar.
The voice of Inverness"

Mike_Cirba

Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #17 on: November 22, 2008, 11:35:46 AM »
Not only would I build it, I would be unable to not build it. 

When I was a kid, I laid out a course over the crushed culm surface in and around an anthracite coal breaker across the street from my house.   



It wasn't ideal terrain for golf, and the jagged coal would scuff up the balls pretty quick, but most of the fun was in conceptualizng the holes.

Too bad they didn't play quite as well as I imagined.

Actually, I just found an artist's charcoal drawing of the exact Coal Breaker that was across the street from my house.

Please excuse me while I have a nostalgic moment, as that patch of culm between the street and the breaker of about 150 yards was indeed also our baseball field.

Balls that hit the breaker in the air were home runs, and balls that went down the mine shaft were ground rule doubles, and often the end of the game unless someone could squeeze in and retrieve it.




My older brother still has a visible piece of coal embedded under the skin in his knee from sliding into second base.

You should have seen the night that breaker burned to the ground...some kid reportedly sent a flaming arrow into it one night.    I never saw anything burn so big and bright and my dad spent the night hosing our roof as huge chunks of blazing timbers fell from the sky.

Charred embers were found as far as ten blocks uphill north of the fire.   

Yeah...I'd build it Tom.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2008, 11:45:25 AM by MikeCirba »

BVince

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Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #18 on: November 22, 2008, 11:42:22 AM »
When I was 12, I made a par 3 hole in a lot across the street.  Dug out bunkers, asked the local club for a hole and flag, and did the best I could with nothing.  I guess that is when this passion really started.  I say go for it...it should be a lot of fun.
If profanity had an influence on the flight of the ball, the game of golf would be played far better than it is. - Horace Hutchinson

Charlie Goerges

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Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #19 on: November 22, 2008, 12:01:15 PM »
Steve, Bryon, Mike C., Melvyn, Mark....Pass

Mike Y...FAIL!
Severally on the occasion of everything that thou doest, pause and ask thyself, if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives thee of this. - Marcus Aurelius

David Stamm

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #20 on: November 22, 2008, 12:03:23 PM »
YES!!! Of course build it. Buy some hickories and travel back in time. I think it would very cool!
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Peter Pallotta

Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #21 on: November 22, 2008, 12:09:35 PM »
TE - the "wind" machine idea was meant only to forestall Patrick's inevitable reference to wind  :)
Otherwise, I'm with everyone else on this one - your grand experiment would be great (you could even channel the spirit of Behr....)

Peter

George Pazin

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Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #22 on: November 22, 2008, 12:20:52 PM »
I definitely would, it's the whole reason I got interested in golf course architecture in the first place.
Big drivers and hot balls are the product of golf course design that rewards the hit one far then hit one high strategy.  Shinny showed everyone how to take care of this whole technology dilemma. - Pat Brockwell, 6/24/04

Ray Cross

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #23 on: November 22, 2008, 12:31:38 PM »
Tom,

The real question is....can you get it finished by 12/17??   A few cars around the perimeter for lights and we got us a game!

Ray

RJ_Daley

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Re: Would you make a homemade golf course?
« Reply #24 on: November 22, 2008, 12:37:12 PM »
I think you just have a fixation for mowing your property, Tom.  You like to ride your mower and have a few nips and see how many interesting mowing patterns you can create...  ::)

Here are some ideas for maintenance...

with aeration included:

exercise included:

For when the Hillbilly tour is in town:

for when you hold the Hell's Angels cup:
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.