[John Ezekowitz]

In my (admittedly somewhat limited) golf experience, I have found that barber poles located at 150 yards out in the middle of the fairway are generally a signifier of a less than stellar course. In fact, I am having trouble coming up with a good/great course that I have played that has them.

I'm sure GCA's encyclopedic knowledge must include a great course that has these. So what is the best course with barber poles in the middle of each fairway?

[Jason Thurman]

John, this is far from off-topic. To get a better idea of what an off-topic thread looks like, check out the ridiculous "Professional Golfer Ranking" thread that has somehow gone on for four pages now...

The Harvester just outside Des Moines is pretty damn good, and has 150 poles in most fairways.

[Chris_Hufnagel]

The only course that I can remember having here poles is Cook's Creek just south of Columbus, Ohio - I wouldn't define it as a great course. They always looked a little funny to me and not sure how much they actually helped to speed up play...

[Kevin Lynch]

The only course that I can remember having here poles is Cook's Creek just south of Columbus, Ohio - I wouldn't define it as a great course. They always looked a little funny to me and not sure hoe much they actually helped to speed up play

Ravenwood in Rochester, NY uses them, and it's a pretty decent design.

I like them as a feature, especially when I am playing a course for the first time.  They speed up play because I can make a very quick estimation of approximate landing zones for drives (especially on dogleg or cape holes).

[Matthew Petersen]

They are a relatively common feature out here, particularly on resort courses for all the obvious reasons.

Played down in Tucson at Ventana Canyon a couple weeks ago and that course had them. I believe TD rated that course as a 6 in the guide. Maybe the "best" course I've played that has them. Not a great course by any means, however.

[Kalen Braley]

Stevinson Ranch, (site of an early KP event) has them....and its a pretty darn good course to boot.

[Garland Bayley]

Kalen is remiss in not informing you that the course rated best in Utah for at least a few years has them.

Forrest's Hideout

[Jim Johnson]

Blackhawk (Alberta, Canada) ... Rod Whitman with Jeff Mingay ...

7th fairway


11th fairway


18th fairway


Personally, I think they're great for speeding up play. What I find best about them is when playing a course for the first time, and following a group, I/we can safely determine when it's okay to tee off, using basic math skills to determine how far it is to the 150 yard barber pole and their proximity to it.

[Tim Pitner]

It's certainly not the "best course" (okay, maybe the best course in Commerce City), but Buffalo Run outside of Denver is a pretty solid course (Doak 5, probably) by Keith Foster that uses the 150-yard poles.  When it first opened, particularly before the housing was built, I was a fan.  It's somewhat of a typical faux links design, but it has some interesting short par 4s and large, challenging greens.  Unfortunately, last time I played it, the conditioning was poor and the growing number of houses around the course was a real negative.

[Tom Fagerli]

When I played the Long Mean at Fiddlesticks in FT Myers many many years ago it had the poles and I loved them as it gave me something to aim at on most every hole. ( I have been known to lay out one line irrigation systems-LOL). IDK if they still have them as this was early 80s. Can't remember too many other courses since with them so that either means the course wasn't memorable or didn't have them.

[jeffwarne]

I like them.(but the I like any visible simple marking that speeds play and eliminates finding heads or shooting yardages)
I played with a group in Ireland recently and I can't tell you how many times they shot "211"(off a tree) when they were about 150, so I just don't think they speed play for many people.
a good idea for public or resort play(or a course with a lot of unaccompanied visitors)
Can't think of a great course that has them though

[Stewart Abramson]

It's certainly not the "best course" (okay, maybe the best course in Commerce City), but Buffalo Run outside of Denver is a pretty solid course (Doak 5, probably) by Keith Foster that uses the 150-yard poles.  When it first opened, particularly before the housing was built, I was a fan.  It's somewhat of a typical faux links design, but it has some interesting short par 4s and large, challenging greens.  Unfortunately, last time I played it, the conditioning was poor and the growing number of houses around the course was a real negative.

Tim - I played Buffalo Run a bout a month ago and it was in great shape. I was the first one out in the morning and met up with a retired gentleman. We played 18 in 2.5 hours. What a nice way to start a day. It is true that the houses detract a bit from the ambiance on a few holes, but it is still a solid course. And yes, the 150 yard barber pole markers are still there as can be seen in this photo tour http://sports.webshots.com/album/583037830oEtioA



#8 from the tee


#6 par 5 second shot - Note smoke from wildfires made the Rockies look like a silhouette

[Andy Troeger]

Black Mesa and Paa-Ko Ridge both have them. I think they are a useful feature--I can get a yardage off them from +/- 30 yards pretty easily. Maybe more than that...

[Dan Herrmann]

I've often thought that barber poles would be great on a private course that's holding an outing.  Probably would help speed up play.

Example - I can play my home course in about 3:15.  But Tuesdays are 1/2 price for visitors (a great idea to boost play on a day that would usually see the course empty).  I'm betting rounds go about 5:00 on those days.

[Joe Leenheer]

The beloved Kirtland Country Club in Ohio has 150 posts.  They are a bit more refined then "barber shop" poles, but they are still out there. 

[Mike_Trenham]

Banff has them, many people rave about it, not me.

[Greg Chambers]

I once witnessed a golfer shooting the yardage to the flagstick while standing next to the barber shop pole...so no, they don't speed play.

[Wayne_Kozun]

I once witnessed a golfer shooting the yardage to the flagstick while standing next to the barber shop pole...so no, they don't speed play.

I know some people who do that sort of thing, but are you sure he was getting the distance to the flag and not the carry over a bunker or distance to front or rear of green?

[Greg Chambers]

Does it matter?  Throw out the argument that the obscene barber poles speed up play.  They actually slow it down if you rip one right down the middle to about 150 out and have to wiggle the thing out of the ground.  They're an insult to the game of golf.

[Jim Johnson]

They speed up play by QUICKLY showing all golfers a 150 yard distance from the center of the green. Golfers are able to glance at it when approaching their ball and QUICKLY judge their approximate distance (which is more than enough for most of us hacks) to the flag, instead of crawling around looking for a sprinkler head or a metal plate sunk in the ground, or pulling out a Bushnell or a SkyCaddie.

Do they have to be 5 feet tall? No. But, they are a QUICK way to ascertain approximate distance to the green.

And, on the tee of a par-4, for example 400 yards, simple math translates to a 250 yard tee shot to the barber pole. My normal driver is about 240, as are a lot of my buds, and if the group ahead is anywhere beyond that barber pole on a 400-yarder, we're hittin'.

Just sayin'.

[Buck Wolter]

They speed up play by QUICKLY showing all golfers a 150 yard distance from the center of the green. Golfers are able to glance at it when approaching their ball and QUICKLY judge their approximate distance (which is more than enough for most of us hacks) to the flag, instead of crawling around looking for a sprinkler head or a metal plate sunk in the ground, or pulling out a Bushnell or a SkyCaddie.

Do they have to be 5 feet tall? No. But, they are a QUICK way to ascertain approximate distance to the green.

And, on the tee of a par-4, for example 400 yards, simple math translates to a 250 yard tee shot to the barber pole. My normal driver is about 240, as are a lot of my buds, and if the group ahead is anywhere beyond that barber pole on a 400-yarder, we're hittin'.

Just sayin'.

Amen -- on a high volume public they make a huge amount of sense. Slow play is an insult, not an f'ing removable pole in the fairway. My favorite public course of all time -- Gateway National a Keith foster outside St Louis has them and if they bother you --you've got bigger problems frankly.

[Greg Chambers]

I played a course the other day that has stupid barber poles and it took 5.5 hours to play, so don't try to tell me that they speed up play.  And insults aren't exactly necessary on a thread such as this, thank you very much, Buck.

[Buck Wolter]

I played a course the other day that has stupid barber poles and it took 5.5 hours to play, so don't try to tell me that they speed up play.  And insults aren't exactly necessary on a thread such as this, thank you very much, Buck.

Point taken -- I apologize though I dont see the problem with them in all cases.

[Sam Morrow]

The Philly guys haven't mentioned Glen Mills yet, I recall poles there. Until this thread was started I never even thought about the poles anywhere.

[Tim Pitner]

It's certainly not the "best course" (okay, maybe the best course in Commerce City), but Buffalo Run outside of Denver is a pretty solid course (Doak 5, probably) by Keith Foster that uses the 150-yard poles.  When it first opened, particularly before the housing was built, I was a fan.  It's somewhat of a typical faux links design, but it has some interesting short par 4s and large, challenging greens.  Unfortunately, last time I played it, the conditioning was poor and the growing number of houses around the course was a real negative.

Tim - I played Buffalo Run a bout a month ago and it was in great shape. I was the first one out in the morning and met up with a retired gentleman. We played 18 in 2.5 hours. What a nice way to start a day. It is true that the houses detract a bit from the ambiance on a few holes, but it is still a solid course. And yes, the 150 yard barber pole markers are still there as can be seen in this photo tour

Stewart,

I'm glad to hear conditioning at Buffalo Run is back on track.  I don't see a whole lot of difference in quality between Foster's Haymaker in Steamboat (which is often rated highly) and Buffalo Run (which isn't), except for Haymaker's proximity to the mountains.  Both are solid layouts.

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