I came across this rather prominent sign today on the short par four 1st tee...

[Jim McCann]

... at Dumfries & County Golf Club:



The "ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE FIRST GREEN IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN" part is due to health and safety
issues, I believe, as there are houses set back to the right side of the fairway, overlooking the course.

Since when were golf clubs allowed to dictate to golfers what sort of shot they could or couldn't play?

[Bill_McBride]

A sign by the first tee at Liphook says "BEWARE OF ADDERS!"

I don't even like authorized Texas scrambles!

A local course here has a long par 4 with a 90 degree dogleg and a house in the corner whose new buyers were apparently unaware of the nearby golf course until they moved in.  When Titleists began rattling off the roof they sued and won.  The tee now has a similar sign.  Sorry no photo, I avoid the place like the plague.

[John Kavanaugh]

Riviera is among a few courses that do not allow players to use wedges on the green.

[Jaeger Kovich]

I haven't been there in a few years, but the 18th hole at Van Courtlandt Park, an NYC muni had a sign on the tee saying you were not allowed to drive the green.. Its 272-313 yards on their website, but blind tee shot down hill, and has an obstructed view of the green behind some trees... Its not about the adjacent property, but safety from being getting hit by the group on the tee... The sign isn't quite as intimidating as that one though.

There is very good golf course in New York that has had someone sitting in a cart marking where every tee shot goes on a hole along the property line, for most of the last few years... There is already a screen fence, and tree fence... no sign, but this is well documented for legal reasons.

[Criss Titschinger]

In Cincinnati, there is one "forbidden" and one "strongly encouraged not to...". 18 at Cedar Trace is the former. A 338 yard par 4 with a 90 degree dogleg and downhill. It's only about 270 to reach the green. Of course, anything hooked is going to hit the Clubhouse or the parking lot. Of course, their sign is not as ominous as that sign, so I've seen people go for it.

12 at Aston Oaks is a short par 4 (375 on the card, but more like 340) that's downhill. Directly adjacent to the cart path on the right side are condos with nice views of the Ohio River. And apparently they don't like their windows being busted out. There's a sign that strongly encourages to hit long irons or fairway woods at most off the tee; noting players are responsible for property damage. Again, nothing menacing, but these signs do exist.

[Michael Moore]

We have this at the thirteenth, formerly eighteenth, hole at Newton Commonwealth in Newton, Massachusetts. The parking lot is 100% directly in a power hitter's slice zone on a downhill 268-yard hole. Classic. I believe that Bradford has the photo.

[jeffwarne]

#1 at North Wales forbids cutting the corner
The only aeriel OB I've ever seen

[John Kavanaugh]

#1 at North Wales forbids cutting the corner
The only aeriel OB I've ever seen

Stoy Golf Club in Stoy, Illinois has an aerial OB. Hit it right of the pole and it costs stroke and distance no matter where your ball comes to rest.

[Jon Cavalier]

10th hole at Tamarack Country Club:

[Rees Milikin]

#10 at Palatka Golf Club has a no cutting the dogleg sign, the only course I have ever encountered with a sign telling you where you can't hit a ball.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

I played Hartwell in Cincinnati a few times in high school and the third hole was a shortish par 5 with a 90-degree dogleg to the right about 150 yards from the tee. There was a short net that you could easily hit a driver over which was there to protect the road that the hole bordered. If I remember correctly, there was a sign on the tee stating a local rule that any player driving over the net would be conserved OB and be assessed a penalty. It was kind of ridiculous and a poorly designed hole, but the rule was in place due to liability.

Also came across this little beauty at Raven's Claw in Pottstown, Pennsylvania: http://instagram.com/p/q7W3rHl-o0/

[Duncan Cheslett]

I can think of quite a few examples within a couple of miles of my home.

Avro Golf Club - the short severe dog-leg second has a sign prohibiting attempts to drive the green.

Heaton Moor Golf Club - one hole with houses along the right hand side of the fairway has an 'irons only' rule from the tee.

Didsbury Golf Club - The M60 motorway was built through the course resulting in a 'no woods off the tee' rule on at least one hole for safety reasons.

Alderley Edge Golf Club - The 4th is another 90 degree dogleg which has a local rule supported by internal OOB prohibiting attempts to drive the green.


If 10% of my local courses have holes with such restrictions I can only imagine that this phenomenon is more common than we imagine. I agree that in all cases it is unsatisfactory but unavoidable given potential liability issues and the demands of insurance companies.

It's not necessarily a case of bad design; when some of these courses were laid out no-one could have imagined that club players would be hitting high balls 250 yards and 100 yards off-line!

[Jim McCann]

Duncan:

In playing over 325 golf courses around GB&I, this is the first time I can remember being told explicitly on a tee what I can't do.

And, funnily enough, I played the Dumfries & Galloway course yesterday before playing Dumfries & County and this notice was
displayed beside the short par four 14th tee:



You know the old saying of "you wait ages for a bus to arrive then two come along at the same time..."

[Thomas Dai]

From Rob's photo-tour of the Annesley Course at Royal County Down -


atb

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Duncan, There is a hole at Ringway (18th) on which you are forbidden to make a stroke if you can hear a car. If you go out of bounds you have to report it to the professional. There's some restriction of attempting to drive the 4th green (very short par four), but I can't remember what it is - senility setting in!

[Steve Lang]

  I'm not sure if I should take humbrage or not... what's a Texas Scramble???   I hope its not like one of those Florida Scrambles!

[Bill_McBride]

I'm not sure if I should take humbrage or not... what's a Texas Scramble???   I hope its not like one of those Florida Scrambles!

I think it has something to do with eggs, chorizo, salsa and tortillas!