Public Road that is in play on a golf course

[Jeff Schley]

San Ganbriel Country Club—the tee shot on the 18th has to clear a relatively busy Hermosa Drive.

I played there twice and vaguely recall that, that was 20 years ago. 

What about Stanford Golf Course hole #1 I believe with the road beneath?

[Wayne_Kozun]

My home course, Scarboro Golf and Country Club in Toronto.  You hit over Scarborough Golf Club Road with your tee shot on 18.  If you hit the fence you get a free reload.  Apparently when the hole was built by Tillinghast the road was just a cow path.




https://goo.gl/maps/HYWfhyTpqoA2

[Thomas Dai]

The original version of the course I usually play, which was then on a common, played over roads 10 times in 9-holes. It then played directly over a mainline railway line. Times change though and so do courses. And once upon a time golf balls were stuffed with feathers, which probably lessened impact damage!


Of course roads are not always surfaced roads and at some places unsurfaced roads cross courses. And then there are footpaths and bridleways to consider as well.


Going back to roads across courses, only a couple of years ago I witnessed a playing partners tee shot fly about  200 yds and then enter a car through the cars rear window. The type of car? It could only really be one sort ..... yip, it was a VW Golf!


Atb

[Sean_A]

Roads don't necessarily have to be crossed to be in play.  One of the "best uses" of a road I have seen is the 8th at Seacroft. The road is integral to the design as driving close to it opens up the green.  Playing safe leaves a blind shot over large mound/dune. 

Ciao

[Jason Connor]

Greg beat me to it; I was going to point out Schenley Park in Pittsburgh.  City owned course in Oakland (and bordering Carnegie Mellon, my alma mater).


There are multiple road crossing, a few a in a gulley, and you have to hit a bad shot to hit the road.


The most interesting / egregious may be hole 2.  First shot parallels the road, the road is right of the fairway.  But for the approach, you have to cross the road at about a 45 degree angle.  They have a chain link fence in line with the fairway so you have to elevate the ball over the road, and presumably traffic, during the approach, rather than skulling it through a car window.


Im sure because it's a city owned course and the city wanted to limit their own liability, there are (or at least when I was there) signs clearly indicating that it was drive (your car) at your own risk through the area.

[Kye Goalby]

Blake,


Check out the Google Earth of Princess Anne CC in Virginia Beach, VA.  I  think, during 18  holes,  you play over public roads 7 times and cross them  another 6 times between holes!

[Matt Frey, PGA]

No. 1 on Malone (New York) Golf Club's East Course plays over an access road. The cars are a bit hard to see from the middle and back tees; they could easily be hit on a mishit drive, push or slice (for a right hander). County Highway 25 (Duane Rd.) runs parallel to No. 2 on the same course and is very much in play for pushes and slices.

Malone - East - No. 1


Malone - East - No. 2

[Sam Krume]

Roads don't necessarily have to be crossed to be in play. 

If thats the case, then the par 5 11th at Epsom, runs the complete length of the hole. Any hooks and its goodnight...I believe the road was originally built for the King, so when travelling to The Derby, it was the quickest route when the Royal Train stopped at Epsom Downs station.

[Ira Fishman]

I am not going to say that this actually happened. But does it count if the course consists of a Par 3 hole where the tee is an empty traffic median, the green is the roof of a garage approximately 150 yards away, and the “road” is the Edens Expressway running from downtown Chicago? It was a really long time ago, and if we did play the hole, I can vouch that we never hit a moving vehicle.


Ira

[Bill Seitz]

Victoria GC in Riverside has you drive over a road on a par 4 hole.

Two holes, actually.  The 7th, a par four, and the 18th, a par five (same road, though).