A "Different" Nine-Hole Course Design

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Check out the below routing and press release from Callaway Golf and the San Diego Padres on their plan for "the Links at Petco Park." Certainly not a permanent attraction, or maybe even one that deserves any real attention on this site, but it seems like a pretty fun time to me...certainly a different "near-golf" experience.



 PADRES PARTNER WITH CALLAWAY GOLF ON THE LINKS AT PETCO PARK
— Nine-hole golf experience to take over Petco Park November 5-8 —
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres and Callaway Golf today announced The Links at Petco Park, a nine-hole golf experience that will take over Petco Park November 5-8, 2015. As part of the experience, golfers will have the opportunity to take shots onto the playing field from various tees along a course designed within the ballpark.
“San Diego is a premier golf destination and Callaway is a premier golf brand, so partnering on this event makes perfect sense,” said Padres Vice President of Corporate and Event Revenue Jeremy Horowitz. “The opportunity to play golf inside a Major League ballpark does not come along every day. We are looking forward to working with Callaway to make this an unforgettable experience, and to seeing our partnership grow over the coming years.”
“We’re always trying to provide authentic golf experiences with our products that are unique and engaging, and that’s exactly what this partnership with the Padres is about,” said Callaway Sr. VP of Marketing Harry Arnett. “Playing a nine-hole course at a venue like Petco Park with Callaway golf clubs and balls will be a once-in-a-lifetime round, and we are excited to be a part of it.”
The nine-hole course begins on a putting green in the home dugout at Petco Park. From there, golfers will move to the ballpark’s upper deck for holes two through five, where they will hit shots onto the field from various locations. Hole six will tee off on the field level near the Western Metal Supply Co. building before golfers move to the Batter’s Eye out in centerfield for hole seven. Hole eight will feature another putting shot, this time in the bullpen. The final hole of the course will be located on the rooftop of the Western Metal Supply Co. building.  A map of the course is attached. Several videos are available for download at www.padrespressbox.com.
Each hole along the course will feature a unique theme and an opportunity to win prizes like a new Callaway Great Big Bertha Driver, with various holes offering corresponding snacks and beverages. Finally, golfers will finish their day in The Loft presented by Budweiser, which will be transformed into a Callaway clubhouse. There, they will have the opportunity to relax with additional food and beverages available for purchase, watch other golfers along the course, and shop for commemorative items.
The course will be reserved for media and corporate use on Thursday, November 5, and will be open to the public for purchase Friday, November 6 – Sunday, November 8. Tee times go on sale to the general public at noon PT today at www.padres.com/thelinks. Entry may be purchased for twosomes or foursomes, reserving tee times throughout the day beginning at 7:30 a.m. Callaway clubs and balls will be provided for golfers to use for this experience.
Pricing starts at $100 for twosomes ($50 per player) and $200 for foursomes.  The cost includes parking, snacks and beverages along the course, limited edition “The Links at Petco Park” hats, and a nine-hole round for each golfer. Upgraded Platinum twosomes and foursomes are also available for $400 and $800, respectively. In addition to the standard package, upgrades will include a limited edition Padres-branded Callaway club for each golfer and tickets to a 2016 Padres game.
For more information or to reserve your tee time, visit www.padres.com/thelinks.

[Kalen Braley]

Talk about your "hard hat" special.  I'd be very afraid to play something like that if any other group was out there..., unless they have protective cages to sit in while other groups are teeing off.  Yikes!!
 
 

[Tom_Doak]

I can't believe they don't have a shot from home plate into the bullpen in center field.  Who the heck designed this course?

[Thomas Dai]

Looks a hoot as a kinda once-off but where are the carts paths? How about using it as a location for a tour-pro event with the pros hitting shots over the seated spectators heads in the dark with tracer type golf balls, maybe get an insurance company to sponsor it?!
atb

[Kyle Harris]

I can't believe they don't have a shot from home plate into the bullpen in center field.  Who the heck designed this course?

This is an all-timer. I choked on my iced tea.

[Matthew Rose]

No kidding..... they missed a great opportunity to use the pitcher's mound as a kickplate for a Redan hole.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

No kidding..... they missed a great opportunity to use the pitcher's mound as a kickplate for a Redan hole.

This is brilliant.

[Paul Gray]

This is allowed in a country with a litigation culture? 

[John Kirk]

The course features gently undulating greens.

[Jaeger Kovich]

I've thought about hitting balls out of a baseball stadium so many times. I think I'd prefer to just tee it up at targets from home plate... You could have upper deck down the line, straight away, line drive into the short porch, hit the facade, over the green monster, etc that sort of thing. You could do it home run derby style rules or play a 9 out/inning type game.

[Paul Gray]

This won't mean too much to many in America but each year my friend and I sit in the upper tier of the Compton or Edrich Stand at Lords at contemplate how much club is required to hit a golf ball through a window in the sacred pavillion. Depending on wind, it can range from a 6 iron to a 2 iron we reckon!

[Tim_Cronin]

Stadium golf at its finest! If only Deane Beman could be there.

[Howard Riefs]

Talk about your "hard hat" special.  I'd be very afraid to play something like that if any other group was out there..., unless they have protective cages to sit in while other groups are teeing off.  Yikes!!

The players don't step foot on the field to play out any holes. They simply rotate from one teeing area to the next. Smart move by the lawyers.

Btw, it already sold out all "tee times" for all three days.

http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/sd/ticketing/thelinks.jsp

[Pat Burke]

Better than a couple recent Major courses

[Pete Lavallee]

Sorry to have missed this, sounds like a great date night. As sorry as the Padres were this year it would have been my first trip this year to Petco Park. Oh well I'm on the wait list, fingers crossed. If you make a hole in one do you need to shoot the house?

[Kalen Braley]

Talk about your "hard hat" special.  I'd be very afraid to play something like that if any other group was out there..., unless they have protective cages to sit in while other groups are teeing off.  Yikes!!

The players don't step foot on the field to play out any holes. They simply rotate from one teeing area to the next. Smart move by the lawyers.

Btw, it already sold out all "tee times" for all three days.

http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/sd/ticketing/thelinks.jsp

So its really just a glorified driving range with a few putt putt holes?  This is getting worse by the minute....
 
I doubt I'd pay $10 for such an event, much less $50...I guess the old saying is true, there's one born every minute.

[Peter Pallotta]

Tom D has already made the best joke on this, but it left me a bit shame-faced. I'm always going on about architects making the "obvious" choice, and then when one does the complete opposite -- i.e. when he totally overlooks and ignores the most exciting potential hole on the entire course -- I complain and think him an idiot! What a crab-apple I've become.

And to be fair, maybe the designer here had environmental restrictions or routing issues that we don't know about, and in fact made the absolute most out of the site he could. (Though I can't help wondering what Dr. Mac would've made out of Fenway Park, or CBM out of Wrigley Field)

Peter

[Howard Riefs]

I can't believe they don't have a shot from home plate into the bullpen in center field.  Who the heck designed this course?

Looks like you influenced a course renovation before it even opened....

"The Links At Petco Park opens with a tee shot from home plate surrounded by a protective tent. Just stepping into the batters box is a dream come true for any baseball fan, but getting to hit a 110-yard shot toward the center field fence?"

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/that-baseball-stadium-golf-course-is-now-a-reality-and-its-amazing


Here's the address to send an invoice for your consulting fee:

Harry Arnett
SVP, Marketing
Callaway Golf Company
2180 Rutherford Road
Carlsbad, Calif. 92008

[Jason Thurman]

I hope this makes Best New Courses for 2015.


If Cincinnati ever does the same, you can count on me to be there. You can also count on me deliberately misclubbing with a 5 iron at the first tee and trying to send one into the river.

[Howard Riefs]

Golf Channel "Morning Drive" story by Geoff....


http://www.golfchannel.com/media/playing-golf-petco-park-baseball-stadium/

[Mark McKeever]

Reminds me of some horrible dreams I have from time to time where I'm trying to play golf indoors but don't have room to swing the club.


MM

[Kalen Braley]

Reminds me of some horrible dreams I have from time to time where I'm trying to play golf indoors but don't have room to swing the club.


MM

I have a similar dream except i'm invited to some exclusive course like Pine Valley or ANGC and then when I get on the 1st tee, the course starts morphing into some crazy setup with obstacles and otherwise to the point that I can't play it....it really sux!! 

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Here are a couple of photos from Callaway and a few notes:

• 1600 golfers will play the Links at Petco over the weekend.
• The event was initially scheduled to run for three days. After selling out within hours, two extra days were added due to overwhelming demand. All tee times are sold out through the 11/9 closing date.
• Each hole features a unique theme and the opportunity to win prizes like the new Great Big Bertha Driver.

[Adam Lawrence]

Reminds me of some horrible dreams I have from time to time where I'm trying to play golf indoors but don't have room to swing the club.


MM

I have a similar dream except i'm invited to some exclusive course like Pine Valley or ANGC and then when I get on the 1st tee, the course starts morphing into some crazy setup with obstacles and otherwise to the point that I can't play it....it really sux!! 

Fwiw I have a very similar recurring dream

[Ed Brzezowski]

Reminds me of some horrible dreams I have from time to time where I'm trying to play golf indoors but don't have room to swing the club.


MM

I have a similar dream except i'm invited to some exclusive course like Pine Valley or ANGC and then when I get on the 1st tee, the course starts morphing into some crazy setup with obstacles and otherwise to the point that I can't play it....it really sux!! 
 
you guys need some Valium