Sounds at a Golf Course

[Jason Topp]

I had the opportunity to play at Olympia Fields last weekend.  One of the interesting aspects of that course were the sounds from the surrounding areas you hear while playing.  An active train track runs along the first couple of holes on the North.  There must be a school nearby because we hear children on recess and a marching band getting ready for that weekend's game.  There were also some sirens. 

Many other courses have sound backdrops that impact the course either positively or negatively.  I loved hearing the bugles and horses hooves of a fox hunt when playing at Woking.  The sound of the ocean is always magic.  The bells at Pinehurst add a sense of place.

On the other side of the ledger, may favorite local public course, Stoneridge, is disliked by others in part because of the sounds from Interstate 94 that mounds and trees only partially obstruct.   The construction and traffic noises present at many of the events in Asia always are distracting when watching on television.

What are some sounds that impact your enjoyment of a course?  Does anyone think about them when selecting a location? 

[Tim Martin]

The high speed Acela train that runs from Washington DC to Boston goes right by some of the outward holes at Clinton CC on the Connecticut shoreline. I will say that it is loud and startling when you first hear it but I was most taken back by the speed it was traveling. It doesn't weigh negatively on the round and is pretty cool if you can catch a glimpse of it.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

The wading birds at Conwy, the Kite at Llandrindod Wells, Buzzards at Wilmslow and Bearded Reedling at Brancaster.

[Bob Jenkins]

The police firing range across the lake from Harding Park is incredibly loud and sporadic, especially since a first-time visitor is not usually expecting it.

[Jason Topp]

The police firing range across the lake from Harding Park is incredibly loud and sporadic, especially since a first-time visitor is not usually expecting it.

That reminds me of a college tournament I played in where some sort of hunting season opened at noon.  We were in the middle of our round and it sounded like World War III had broken out.

[Brian Finn]

When I lived in San Diego, I played both courses at Torrey Pines frequently.  During most rounds, you'd get to hear (and see) fighter jets flying to/from Miramar.  They always kicked it into high gear right as they got over the coastline, which was fun to hear and watch. 

[PCCraig]

As you know Jason T&C sits in the middle of "the city" now. It is bordered by I-94 on it's far NE portion and a couple of busier roads in Cretin and Marshall Avenues. If you play at rush hour the east side of the course can get a little noisy and it certainly isn't ideal. It is fun though on Saturday's in the Fall when St. Thomas has a home football game as the stadium is close enough to hear the band & crowd.


One cool "sound" on a golf course is at Shoreacres in Chicago. That abuts the Great Lakes Navy Station and you can hear people marching/singing through the woods around the course.


Growing up in Chicago there are quite a few courses directly in the flight path of ORD and can get pretty loud when playing. Such as Medinah, River Forest CC, Oak Park, etc. Unlike the Twin Cities plane noise is hard to escape in Chicago...

[Jason Topp]

One course in town has a big Wave pool a ways to the North of it, which makes for some incongruous sounds that I always enjoy for some reason.

[BHoover]

Timuquana CC, in Jacksonville, is located next to the Naval Air Station. You can hear jets, turboprops, and helicopters taking off, flying, and landing all day. Pretty cool.

[Ian Mackenzie]

As you know Jason T&C sits in the middle of "the city" now. It is bordered by I-94 on it's far NE portion and a couple of busier roads in Cretin and Marshall Avenues. If you play at rush hour the east side of the course can get a little noisy and it certainly isn't ideal. It is fun though on Saturday's in the Fall when St. Thomas has a home football game as the stadium is close enough to hear the band & crowd.


One cool "sound" on a golf course is at Shoreacres in Chicago. That abuts the Great Lakes Navy Station and you can hear people marching/singing through the woods around the course.


Growing up in Chicago there are quite a few courses directly in the flight path of ORD and can get pretty loud when playing. Such as Medinah, River Forest CC, Oak Park, etc. Unlike the Twin Cities plane noise is hard to escape in Chicago...

Pat -


When O'Hare switched up its flight patterns two years ago, many courses on north shore now see/hear a ton of plane traffic - both inbound and out.


To clarify for others: that "sound" at Shoreacres is Navy "Seaman Recruits" doing drills, marching, singing. The Commander of the base usually has an honorary membership at SA.


At our course, we hear:


1. Planes from O'Hare
2. Trains from the city
3. Music and parties from the Forest Preserve
4. Coyotes howling
5. Change rattling in my pocket trying to interrupt my opponent's concentration...;-)

[Craig Disher]

At Littlestone skylarks and the little train with its whistle that runs between New Romney and Hythe

[Peter Pallotta]

If you get to the 6th hole at my local course at just the right time, you hear the rumbling and whistle of the 5:10 freight train. You don't hear a sound anywhere else on the course, except as fall approaches, when you get the in-flight calls of canada geese overhead. I'm very fortunate; and the quiet, except for the pleasing sounds of a train and the geese as the weather turns cold, is one of the reasons I play this course more than any other.

[Steve Slotemaker]

Chambers Bay has the train that runs behind and alongside holes 15, 16, 17, & 18 which I quite enjoy.  At times you can also both hear and feel the ordinance testing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord which is about 10 miles away.  And, I thought I could hear the barking of harbor seals at the tee box of 16.

[Thomas Dai]

Nice sounds?

A) The sea
B) Sheep nibbling at fairway grass and contentedly "baaing" as they do so.
C) Chainsaws - to paraphrase  "I love the sound of chainsaws in the morning. Sounds like..............victory."

Not so nice sounds?

A) Outside irritations like road noise, schools at breaktime, construction, funfairs etc.
B) Fountains! Plus music and other similar stuff that was highlighted in a recent thread.

Atb

[Alex Miller]

Playing Rancho Park on a summer weekend you'll hear the pings of aluminum bats from a few little league games going on at the adjacent fields.

[Jon Wiggett]

The railway station around the clubhouse at Prestwick or the Red Kites flying overhead at my place Brahan.


Jon

[Eric Hammerbacher]

Hounds on the 3rd hole at Myopia.

[Bill_McBride]

The police firing range across the lake from Harding Park is incredibly loud and sporadic, especially since a first-time visitor is not usually expecting it.

I've probably played fifty rounds there in my early life. What firing range?   

[Tim Martin]

The police firing range across the lake from Harding Park is incredibly loud and sporadic, especially since a first-time visitor is not usually expecting it.

The Connecticut State Police firing range in Farmington is in earshot of two local clubs and takes a while to get used to.

Playing at Inwood in Nassau County LI there is a constant stream of air traffic from Kennedy Airport. It is crazy how low the planes are that coming in and out of the "5 Towns" neighborhoods.

[Dave McCollum]

We have the local gun club on the canyon rim above us.  The shots sort of echo about bouncing off the rock walls.  The regulars don't notice it at all.  Visitors must be a little surprised.  When the gun club is having a competition, it does sound like a major battle and with the echo effect it seems to be all around you.

[John Connolly]

The police firing range across the lake from Harding Park is incredibly loud and sporadic, especially since a first-time visitor is not usually expecting it.

I've probably played fifty rounds there in my early life. What firing range?   

It's a Police handgun range, straight west across Lake Merced. I've heard it as well.

[Rich Goodale]

One of the beauties of Carne was the sound of silence, particularly in the ampitheater greens.

[Colin Macqueen]

Gentlemen,


There are two sounds that stick in my memory from playing golf in Scotland.
The first is, at Monifieth, the WHOOSH of the wee trains (they look as though they are single carriage beasties) that flit past on the way north from Dundee.
The second, at Carnoustie, is the gentle sighing of the evening breeze through the coarse, tussock grass overlaid with the plaintive cry of an occasional, wheeling gull.
"Seaside Golf"   "Seaside Golf"!!


In Australia it is uncanny how often a kookaburra will have a glorious chuckle just as I set up and before I strike my ball. What do these birds know that I don't!!


Cheers Colin 

[Matthew Petersen]

ASU Karsten in Tempe is next to the football practice field so you may hear practice. Years ago this was whistles and maybe a coach's voice amplified by bullhorn. Now there's a lot of aggressive, loud music in the mix as well.


Then again the sounds are not the only jarring ambiance at that course.

[Dave McCollum]

Colin’s post reminded of ordinary SoCal course we played in a multi day event.  Much of the course is lined with housing.  On the first day I hit my tee shot left near a back yard chain link fence.  There was a big mangy black dog standing there staring at me when got ready to hit my shot.  With impeccably perfect timing, the dog started barking ferociously just as I started my down swing and, of course, I foozled the shot.  For the next three days, somebody in our group hit one in the same spot, the dog repeated the performance, and was 100% effective causing a mishit.  By the third day, I’d whisper to my partner “watch this” just as our opponent started to hit.  Don’t know why a dog would care to mess up a shot, but it was quite clear it wasn’t a coincidence.