[Garland Bayley]

...
Good heavens, how far could you carry it in your youth?  Even if the lines are low to the ground 270 out that is a carry distance of 280 or more.  I have no idea how old you are, but if this is with mush balls, steel shafts, and wood heads that is almost unheard of.

Courses with power lines in play generally have players that know the re-tee provision for hitting them.  You hit them regularly, but no one you played with ever told you?  Weird.

When I relate stories of how far I hit it back then, I often get challenged on it not being possible, then others chime in saying there were lots of people doing it, but not becoming champion golfers. The reason. TopFlite. It is the reason for the distance AND the reason for not going low.

I only played with my dad and brother, and I was the golf expert in the family. If I didn't know, no one was going to tell me.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Tilden Park holes 2 and (I think) 3 have power lines crossing the fairway.  I have never seen anyone hit them in probably 60 rounds played there.  No pics, sorry.

Good call...I've seen the lines on #2 hit once or twice in 100+ rounds there, but they really aren't in play or something you even think about.

I've never seen anyone hit the lines crossing the fairway up close to #3 green.

[Lyman Gallup]

The USGA Rules allow a golf course to decide how a ball striking power lines will be handled, with some limitation.  They offer the wording for a Local Rule in Decision 33-8/13 that basically says a ball striking a power line (at a specific hole) must be abandoned and replayed without penalty.  If the local rule is not in effect, the ball that struck the power line must be played as it lies.  The USGA can go either way on this issue--play it as it lies or mandatory replay.  What the USGA does not like is a (local) rule that allows the player the option to replay or not.  

[Jason Connor]

I recall a par 3 at the Karsten Course at Arizona State with in play power lines.

I remember because my playing partner skied his teeshot and hit them.

[JeffTodd]

Rancocas in South Jersey (RTJ Sr), #8, the power lines are in play from the tee. Since it's a shortish, dogleg left par 4, and the line to the green is guarded by trees, it's a hole where many lofted clubs are hit from the tee, and the lines are very much in play.

[Stu Grant]

Jeff,

In East Lansing I can think of a couple examples.  At College Fields, a relatively new course they have a MAJOR problem on one hole, and its not so bad on another.  On the fourth, a shortish Par 5 there are not only lines but poles that run directly parallel to the entire hole.  It's a nightmare on the tee, particularly the back tee.  Think 18 at Augusta only the right side is a giant ugly pole.  It keeps me from playing there and seems to me that whoever routed the course either thought those poles would be moved (quite expensive I imagine) or completely neglected the fact.  Put it this way, if you're a righty playing a hook, you've got to start it right of the pole!!  

Another example I can think of at a course that gets some decent recognition and one that I do really like is Eagle Eye.  The seventh has almost the same isssue I described except for the pole sits some 250 yards to the right off the tee about 10-15 yards into the rough.  Not nearly as in your face as the former, but certainly in play and definitely an eye sore.  I think it reallys hurts the feel of the hole / course.  However, from this pole the lines cut diagonally across the fairway at about 100 yards and although I've only seen it happen once in about 30 rounds it's possible to hit them on your approach.  Not sure this helps, but there you have it.

Nev

P.S. I wish I had a photo of the tee shot at College Fields, It's worth a good laugh!!  

David here's a picture of the CLASSIC 4th hole tee shot at College Fields. 



Hard to imagine what they were thinking when they designed this hole...could've just made it a par 4 left of the hydro wires (instead of a par 5) and it certainly would have been a lot better than this result.

[Will Peterson]

I think it is 13 at Lake Wisconsin GC in Sauk City, WI.  A short, tight par 4 (330-350) with the power lines about 100 yards off the tee.  A local rule is in place, stating that if your ball hits the wires you must replay without penalty.  The hole is best played with an iron off the tee.  The lines are at a height that is just where a long iron will be at 100 yards out.  They are very much in play, and affect the hole negatively.

[Pete_Pittock]

The Ridge Course at Eagle Crest (Redmond,OR) has a power line which crosses the 11th hole maybe 50-100 yards in front of th tee. Local rules cancel the shot. I hit it two days in a row.

Richard,
The power lines at Desert Canyon (Orondo, WA) that you drive (if cart bound) under don't need that titanium club experiment. My arm hairs were standing on end.  Very disconcerting.

Power lines at TPC Soqualamie outside of Seattle are transitted on the route from 1 green to 2 tee. Not in play.

[Chris_Blakely]

Stu,

Thanks for the picture - I had forgotten how awfull that hole and tee shot are.  When I played is was quite early in the morning, maybe that is why I did not remember it.  However, the rest of the courses is quite good.

Chris

[Phil McDade]

I think it is 13 at Lake Wisconsin GC in Sauk City, WI.  A short, tight par 4 (330-350) with the power lines about 100 yards off the tee.  A local rule is in place, stating that if your ball hits the wires you must replay without penalty.  The hole is best played with an iron off the tee.  The lines are at a height that is just where a long iron will be at 100 yards out.  They are very much in play, and affect the hole negatively.

Will:

You beat me to the punch on this one -- I've hit this one! You're right -- it does drag down what is otherwise a pretty neat little par 4.

Here's another one -- Janesville Riverside in Janesville WI. This is the view from near the back tee of the 4th hole, a shortish par 5. You can hit these pretty easily.

[Bart Bradley]

Jeff...I know of two that both have power poles and lines that are near the line of play in the fairway...both hittable off the tee.

1.  The Ridges Golf Course in Jonesboro, TN (arthur hills design)

2.  River Bend Golf Course in Ft. Wayne, IN.

Bart

[Mark Smolens]

I recall a par 3 at the Karsten Course at Arizona State with in play power lines.

I remember because my playing partner skied his teeshot and hit them.

That must have been a really bad shot.  I've played Karsten many times, and while the lines are an eyesore, they really don't come into play very much at all. . .

[Ash Towe]

My home course, North Shore, has power lines that affect play on 3 holes.  They run across the fairway on each case.  Unfortunately they are at a distance and angle where well struck tee shots will hit them.  It is a common and frustrating occurence.

[Dave Givnish]

Farmington CC in Charlottesville, VA - crosses in front of tee on 11th hole.  They are high enough to not really be in play, but they do make you think about hitting the ball low.

[Will Peterson]

Phil -

I played Lake Wisconsin 6 times for HS and Jr events years ago and think I hit them 5 times.  Twice the ball ended up okay, but I was forced to rehit and put the second in some trouble.  Needless to say, I am not a fan of that hole.

I  have played Riverside many times and have not noticed the lines when playing, but looking at your picture reminds me they are there and that you have to go around the tower after the 3rd green to get to the tee.  Kind of interesting what your eyes pick up.

[Jim Carrigan]

#11 at Flatirons GC in Boulder, CO is a ~170 yd. par 3 that has power lines running parallel to the line of the shot to the left of the hole.  The local rule to re-hit is in effect, and it would help - I think any shot hitting the power lines is most likely headed OB anyway.

[James Bennett]

J have seen clubs decide to have the local utility underground a low-voltage (415 volt) or 11,000 volt line that was supplying an irrigation pump station in the middle of the course.  This has occurred at Riverside in Adelaide, Australia.

My home club put in automatic irrigation 25 years ago, and had the 11kV line undergrounded.  It crossed 3 holes, plus the car park and clubhouse area.

I am talking about the local district powerlines here - not the meccano style towers that carry the power across the grid at 20 to 30 times the voltage, and at significant height/clearance.  The bigger the insulators on the power line, the higher the voltage, and the more expensive undergrounding is.

James B

[Will MacEwen]

Jeff,

Northview (Ridge Course) in Surrey BC used to host a tour event and was well known for lines and poles on the course.  It always looked badd on TV for that reason.

[JohnV]

My understanding of the rules is that you must replay the shot without penalty after hitting power lines. Any rules expert that can verify this?

Rock Creek Country Club in the Portland area has them not far off of the 9th tee. I have hit them twice in about 4 plays. In one case I would have been much better off playing the ball that had hit the power lines.

As a former member of Rock Creek, I know those towers and lines are a pain.

As Lyman said, with no local rule, you play the ball as it lies.  The local rule, which most organizations implement requires the replay for any ball hitting the wires, but no relief for a ball hitting the tower.

[Garland Bayley]

,,,
As a former member of Rock Creek, I know those towers and lines are a pain.
...

As a former member, when are you going to do a post on the architectural significance of Rock Creek?

[Alan FitzGerald CGCS MG]

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,38391.msg797740/topicseen/

[Steve D]

Belmont Golf Course (the old Hermitage CC) which is a Tillinghast course has power lines in play off the first tee.  I've always seen people reload when they've been hit.

[Joe Bausch]

But can anyone explain why when playing a course with power lines in play, you only hit them when you pure a shot going right where you want it? 

[Carl Johnson]

Black Mountain Golf Club, a muni in Black Mountain, NC (just east of Asheville).  The approach to the green on no. 18, a par 4, must both cross over a public street and over (or under) a power line.  No. 17 on this course is a 747 yd. par 6, at one time reputed to be the longest hole in world.

[Steve_Lovett]

The Ridge Course at Eagle Crest (Redmond,OR) has a power line which crosses the 11th hole maybe 50-100 yards in front of th tee. Local rules cancel the shot. I hit it two days in a row.

Richard,
The power lines at Desert Canyon (Orondo, WA) that you drive (if cart bound) under don't need that titanium club experiment. My arm hairs were standing on end.  Very disconcerting.

Power lines at TPC Soqualamie outside of Seattle are transitted on the route from 1 green to 2 tee. Not in play.

Agree about the power lines at Desert Canyon...  I felt like I wanted to get out of there, fast as I could!  And - +1 for Echo Falls in Woodinville - they're in play as much as any I've played.

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