Playing from walk back tees

[Bill_McBride]

At Pensacola CC we have the 16th tee which is the best part of a 100 yard walk back from the 15th green.  Now that the weather is great for walking, some of the walking fellows have taken to going over to 16 tee and hitting their tee shot before completing play of the 15th hole.  I fully understand that is totally outside the rules of golf, etc etc, but it does save that walk back and I don't think it's been done other than in casual play.

Thoughts?  Are there other examples of players doing that on other courses?

[JMEvensky]

Why not? It's a private club and sounds like all that happens is that it speeds up play and saves a 100 yard hike.Where's the harm?

[John Kavanaugh]

Hard to believe it is worse at St. Louis CC around the 17th. Must have been where Stranz got his inspiration for Tobacco Rd. 

The harm is to your soul.

[JMEvensky]

 

The harm is to your soul.

Lost mine to the Devil years ago--was a very bad beat.

[Scott Stearns]

Sleepy Holllow has a situation like that-think its the 15th tee.

[Will MacEwen]

I have played at Point Grey in Vancouver when they have a temporary par 3 hole in play, due to construction taking another hole out of play.  As I recall, there was a par 4 where you tee off, and on the walk to your ball in the fairway, you tee up on the temporary hole, and then finish the original hole, and go back and finish up the temporary hole.

[jeffwarne]

At Pensacola CC we have the 16th tee which is the best part of a 100 yard walk back from the 15th green.  Now that the weather is great for walking, some of the walking fellows have taken to going over to 16 tee and hitting their tee shot before completing play of the 15th hole.  I fully understand that is totally outside the rules of golf, etc etc, but it does save that walk back and I don't think it's been done other than in casual play.

Thoughts?  Are there other examples of players doing that on other courses?

Sleepy Hollow #15 used to be like that. Hit second shot into 14, tee off on 15.
Caused a few issues in  Club Championships
15's been turned shortened a bit and is a par 4 now, so less need,but perhaps they still do it

[Joe McCormac]

Hard to believe it is worse at St. Louis CC around the 17th. Must have been where Stranz got his inspiration for Tobacco Rd. 

The harm is to your soul.

Please, I've done it a number of times at St. Louis CC and it speeds up play significantly.  Moreover, after teeing it on 17 and walking to the 16th green it provides ample conversation for "special event" prop bets.

[Mike Benham]

Now that the weather is great for walking, some of the walking fellows have taken to going over to 16 tee and hitting their tee shot before completing play of the 15th hole. 

Who has honors?

[Bill_McBride]

Now that the weather is great for walking, some of the walking fellows have taken to going over to 16 tee and hitting their tee shot before completing play of the 15th hole. 

Who has honors?

Picky picky!

[Paul OConnor]

There are a couple holes on Olympia Fields North where this occurs, between the second and third, and the sixth and seventh.  The six is a par three down the hill, and the seventh tee is right next to the sixth tee, so you can hit your drive on seven and save yourself the walk back up the hill.  These two shortcuts probably save 5-6 minutes a round. 

The third tee is about 100 yards back up the second fairway, so you can save a few minutes by taking a quick detour and hitting the drive on three.  I was so in the zone once that I hit my approach on two, teed off on three and kept playing.  It wasn't until I got to the third green that I realized I forgot to finish the second hole.  Walked back like a bum with my putter.  As I like to say, it gives you the chance to make bogey on two holes at the same time, which is what usually happens. 

[Joey Chase]

Scarsdale Golf Club in Westchester has a situation similar to that.  After hitting your tee shot on the par three second, on the way to the green you hit the tee shot for the uphill par 4 third hole.

[Pete_Pittock]

Tualatin CC near Portland, Oregon had that before the Cupp/Fought remodel. It was a Chandler Egan course. The 7th doglegged left down a hill to a green next to the Tualatin River. The 8th and 9th tees were side by side, with the 8th tee being the further walk.
The 8th was a 170-190 yard par three, elevated and double tiered green with OB hard behind the green, and played towards the clubhouse.
You'd walk back to the 9th tee and play a 330 yd par 4 up the hill to a fallaway green with a high arborvidae hedge right behind.
When I joined it played very firm and fast throughout, with a single line irrigation system up the middle.

Quite often when coming off the seventh you would assess what groups were in front of you and make your play accordingly.
It you don't play the course in order you break the first decision in the book, and get Dairy Queened.

I'll try to arrange a round when you're here in Junly.

[Matthew Petersen]

How many of these examples are part of the original design? Or are most of these due to tee lengthening over the years?

[Craig Disher]

Bill
You should know this. At Rye, the foursome pair not teeing off on the 2nd walk to the 3rd tee and play their tee shots; then they walk to the 2nd green, finish up, and proceed down the 3rd fairway.

[Bill_McBride]

Bill
You should know this. At Rye, the foursome pair not teeing off on the 2nd walk to the 3rd tee and play their tee shots; then they walk to the 2nd green, finish up, and proceed down the 3rd fairway.

You're right, but isn't that example more of a foursomes thing?

It's hard to hit that tee shot while your partner is screwing up the chip to #2!   

[Bill_McBride]

There are a couple holes on Olympia Fields North where this occurs, between the second and third, and the sixth and seventh.  The six is a par three down the hill, and the seventh tee is right next to the sixth tee, so you can hit your drive on seven and save yourself the walk back up the hill.  These two shortcuts probably save 5-6 minutes a round. 

The third tee is about 100 yards back up the second fairway, so you can save a few minutes by taking a quick detour and hitting the drive on three.  I was so in the zone once that I hit my approach on two, teed off on three and kept playing.  It wasn't until I got to the third green that I realized I forgot to finish the second hole.  Walked back like a bum with my putter.  As I like to say, it gives you the chance to make bogey on two holes at the same time, which is what usually happens. 

Don't forget, Lee Trevino said, "Happiness is a long walk with a putter."   

[Doug Wright]

Lakewood CC (Ross), a private club just west of Denver, has this at the second and third holes. The second is a medium length par 4, and the third is a par 5 with the tee 100 yards or so back towards the second tee. I've hit the third tee shot before completing the second hole a few times when walking; when riding it doesn't matter. Don't know if Ross created this situation but I doubt it; probably the third hole was lengthened.

[Ronald Montesano]

Niagara Falls CC, site of the Porter Cup. Players tee off on 16 and 17. 16 is par three heading north, 17 is par 4 heading northeast. After finishing 16, players head sideways to 17 fairway, eliminating return to 17 tee.

[Bill_McBride]

So it's not unusual a situation.  I'll stop complaining. 

[Wade Whitehead]

At the old Country Club of Bristol (Tennessee) players would tee off on the par four 12th hole and walk to the 13th tee, where they would play a tee shot BEFORE hitting the approach on twelve.  After finished twelve a short walk through some trees took the player to the 13th fairway, where play commenced.

Everyone played the holes this way.  I played the course dozens of times and never saw a single player walk back to the 13th tee after completing the 12th hole.

WW

[Mike Nuzzo]

Bill,
If I were you I would complain more
I think it stinks

We do have a backest of tees on #13 at Wolf Point, from the 12th tee, but that is only used sparingly on cross country days
Cheers

[Bill_McBride]

Bill,
If I were you I would complain more
I think it stinks

We do have a backest of tees on #13 at Wolf Point, from the 12th tee, but that is only used sparingly on cross country days
Cheers

Jeez Mike, I already have a reputation as a bit of a curmudgeon.   

[Steve Lang]

  Yeh, the Club Curmudgeon with his name on the wall...

16 was a great little hole, even with the walk, but once is alright, what else was Jerry P to do?? you're all locked in there.. and putting 18 on the beach side of the clubhouse, I thought was great theatre..

[William_G]

Eugene has a few walk back championship tees that we use to turbo boost our speed of play when it is appropriate during daily play, ie. no one in range in front and no one close behind...no walk back regular tees

7, 9, 16

thanks