What do NGLA, GCGC, PV, Maidstone, Pebble Beach, CPC and Merion have in common

[Patrick_Mucci]

that most modern day courses don't ?

And, when did that trend go out of favor ?

[Mike_Young]

18 hole loops

[David_Elvins]

Have been played by Pat Mucci.

[Mark_F]

Have access to the largest sex offender database in the USA?

[Michael Whitaker]

Have been played by Pat Mucci.

Haven't been played by Michael Whitaker! 

[Doug Braunsdorf]

Have the largest sex offender database in the USA?

Mark, this is in poor taste, and it's not even funny.  Take this down immediately. 

[Tom_Doak]

All of them [except, arguably, Pebble Beach] have a bunch of great short par-4 holes, which is why they're rated so highly in my book.

That trend came to an end about 1950.

[Bill_McBride]

All of them [except, arguably, Pebble Beach] have a bunch of great short par-4 holes, which is why they're rated so highly in my book.

That trend came to an end about 1950.

You don't like #4?   It's one of my favorite short par 4's.   The first time I played it, the pin was back right.  I hit a good 4 wood (persimmon!) off the tee over the cross bunkers, and a wedge right at the flagstick.  Got up there, no golf ball, over the cliff edge I guess.....

[Jim Franklin]

Have the largest sex offender database in the USA?

Nice.

[Mark Chaplin]

Doug and Jim

A scan through the topic below will explain Mark's post.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,50096.msg1138187.html#msg1138187

[JSlonis]

Have the largest sex offender database in the USA?

What? Looks like your list of courses to get an invite to just shrunk.


As for the rest who want to actually participate in this thread...

Outside of the short par 4's, don't all these courses also have a great short par 3?

That is the type of hole that has really seemed to disappear from the majority of modern design. It seems to me that so many of the newer courses think that a par 3 has to be 200 yards +.  We saw this past week at Royal Melbourne that a short par 3 can provide plenty of challenge when designed properly.

[Pete Lavallee]

My initial thought was that all these courses were built when the average male golfer could probably only hope to hit the current ball in two shots about 380 yards at best, highly skilled players could probably reach 440 yards and women were given no consideration at all. 

[Ben Sims]

Outside of the short par 4's, don't all these courses also have a great short par 3?

That is the type of hole that has really seemed to disappear from the majority of modern design. It seems to me that so many of the newer courses think that a par 3 has to be 200 yards +.  We saw this past week at Royal Melbourne that a short par 3 can provide plenty of challenge when designed properly.

JSlonis,

Agreed.  Other than Mike Young's post, the par 3's were the first things that came to mind.  In the aggregate course thread, it was fun to see the where and when some of the great short 3's were built.  The one common thread was that the greatest short threes all came from maybe the top 10-20 courses in the world. No coincidence there.

Heard you may have gotten some grief over our meeting/round last year at a dinner recently.  It always makes me laugh when folks marvel at how all us internet dorks come to know each other.  Hope you're well.

[PThomas]

Have the largest sex offender database in the USA?

Mark, this is in poor taste, and it's not even funny.  Take this down immediately. 

+1

talk about a threadkiller

[Doug Braunsdorf]

Doug and Jim

A scan through the topic below will explain Mark's post.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,50096.msg1138187.html#msg1138187

Mark,

  Doesn't matter.  Regardless of prior threads or otherwise.  No explanation necessary.  It's not funny in any situation. 

[Niall C]

Have the largest sex offender database in the USA?

actually, I thought it was quite funny

[Ronald Montesano]

Just one trend? I'm guessing that one could come up with a handful of trends.

My first thought was that Patrick had nothing in particular in mind, and was offering a November exercise in drumming up consistencies when none was apparent. I then decided that he wouldn't waste his time without having some specific trend in mind.

Having played none of the above, and walked only one of them, I cannot venture a guess. What I've read so far seems pretty good to me. I especially like the variety of par threes, as that is one of the characteristics of a course that attracts me. Give me a shortie, a mid-short, a mid-long and a long (or better yet, 5 3s, 5 5s and 8 4s) and I'm a pig in mud.

I look forward to the revelation of the trend that no longer trends.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Oddly placed halfway houses??  keeping with the food theme of the day.

[Mark_F]

Mark, this is in poor taste, and it's not even funny.  Take this down immediately. 

Doug,

From the sound of your surname, you are either German, in which case you wouldn't know what funny is, or American, ditto. I'll assume German, since you are also acting like the Pope.

What? Looks like your list of courses to get an invite to just shrunk.

That's rather presumptuous of you assuming I may want to go back to the USA.  There are a lot of things to do and see in this world before I shuffle off.  I still haven't been to Botswana or Iran.  I'm thinking I should go to Iran very shortly though, because surely you lot aren't stupid enough to start another war just now?

+1
talk about a threadkiller

What would you know Paul?  You are just full of horseshit, and you are an imbecile, a cretin and a moron to boot.

[Tim_Cronin]

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to everybody, Americans and otherwise.

[Tim_Cronin]

Back to business: I'd think it was the short 4s that have the commonality here.

[Mark Studer]

the 9th green is nowhere near the clubhouse.  9 out and 9 holes back.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.  Mark

[Ronald Montesano]

To Mark Ferguson: Congratulations on your 2000th post...that was quite a celebration!

[Scott Warren]

Mark S,

Pine Valley's ninth green is about 200 yards from the 18th green. The course's routing is about as far from an out&back as you can get.

[Tim Martin]

Mark S,

Pine Valley's ninth green is about 200 yards from the 18th green. The course's routing is about as far from an out&back as you can get.

Scott-Although not the furthest point away 9 green does not come back to the clubhouse. Isn`t that what denotes an out and back?