Interesting Routings: Courses that return to clubhouse multiple times

[Kevin Pallier]

There's the old "out-n-back" routing as well as the classic "9th and 18th" returns.

What good courses that you know return to the clubhouse multiple times (ie: > 2)?

By that - I mean come within 100 yards or so.

[Kevin Pallier]

Shinnecock Hills returns 3x = 9th, 13th amd 18th

[Kevin Pallier]

Oakmont returns 4x I believe = 9,11,14,18

[Brian Ross]

Old Town Club returns 3 times (Holes 3, 9, and 18).

[Scott Warren]

There's the old "out-n-back" routing as well as the classic "9th and 18th" returns.

What good courses that you know return to the clubhouse multiple times (ie: > 2)?

By that - I mean come within 100 yards or so.

Pymble GC in northern Sydney has as good an arrangement as you could ask for to this end -- the 1st, 7th and 13th tees are clubhouse-adjacent.


That allows a three-tee start on busy competition days and ensures that what Pymble GC loses in golf architecture (hilly, tree farm, too-small site), it makes up for in post-round clubhouse atmosphere with 12 players finishing their round every 10 minutes.

[Bill Seitz]

Blackwolf Run River returns to the clubhouse three times, but interestingly not after the 9th.  It comes back after the 3rd, 14th, and 18th.

[JJShanley]

Rolling Green (Flynn) has its 2nd3rd, 9th, 14th, and 18th near the clubhouse.

Warren (C&C) has its 6th, 9th, 15th, and 18th near the clubhouse.


EDIT: I've been away from RG too long.

[Thomas Dai]

Courses that come back to the Clubhouse too often have downsides as well.
Folks jumping-in on another tee instead of at the 1st would be one. I've seen a few on-course and in the bar shouting, agro etc sessions over this over the years.
And when there are several holes near the Clubhouse there are early morning issues for the greenkeeping team as it takes much longer to prep the course when early morning players jump-in early from numerous tees ... and then what happens when the early morning jumpers-in come round to the 1st tee ....
atb

[Ben Stephens]

Flempton - a nine holer with 3 x 3 hole loops that come back to a tiny quaint clubhouse - is a hidden gem in Suffolk 10 miles away from Mildenhall that Tony Muldoon and I played last year.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Most courses on really compact sites have 3 or more greens near to the clubhouse. It takes a bit of skill to make these routings feel like adventures.


Case in point is Strandhill with the 5th, 10th, 12th, 15th and 18th all coming very close to the clubhouse. But the land is so varied that the course still feels like you don’t know what is coming next.


Surely a course like Merion (compact site) also has 3 or more near the clubhouse?

[Bill Shamleffer]

Pine Valley, 4th green/5th tee is close enough to head to the bar after 4, and come back out.


Algonquin Golf Club (St. Louis); 2nd green & 16th tee, each very close to clubhouse.


St. Louis C.C.; 4th green, 13th Green & 15th green each also very close to clubhouse.


Never had any issues at Algonquin with people jumping onto 3rd tee or 16th tee.

[Tom_Doak]

Tara Iti has 5, 7, 9, and 18 greens all in close proximity.  I was worried it wouldn't work if the clubhouse got too big, but it turned out perfect.


Riviera has 2, 9, and 18.  For Merion, 13 green is close, but 10 green (the other close one) is across the street.


I don't believe too many top 100 courses will have this feature though.  It's rare for a topo feature you want to use multiple times, to coincide with an ideal location for the clubhouse.  The two things kind of compete with each other.

[Pete_Pittock]

Did the ODGS route near the clubhouse for match play reasons  such as the 15th or 16th for completed matches, or rhetoric 2nd for extra hole matches  shortening the walks in?

[Rob Marshall]

Oak Hill East. 9,13,18

[Terry Thornton]

Royal Adelaide 3rd tee is closer to the clubhouse than the 1st tee. 5th and 14th tees not far away also

[Mike_Trenham]

I would say you need 4+ greens close to the clubhouse to be unique. I can think of many with 3.



Saucon Valley Old -Herbert Strong #2,9,12,18
Reading Country Club- Alex Findlay #6, 9, 16, 18

[Bernie Bell]

Rockville Links passes the clubhouse after #4, and there is a "two-thirds way house" after #12, also within reach with a slight detour along #15 in an emergency.

[Jeff Johnston]

It’s a while since I’ve been there but I’ll throw in Rye - 9,18 and from memory the house is not far off the back left of the 5th green. I think once or twice our group played the 5 hole loop before early lunch then full round.

[Tim Fitz]

The subject of Ran's most recent interview (The Bev) returns to the "clubhouse" four times.  7 & 9 are both located north of 87th street, but both return to the pro shop.  15 & 18 are both located close to the clubhouse south of 87th street.  The ability to complete a two or three (or six of seven) hole loop when you need it to finish a match (or just need more golf) is fun.

[Ben Hollerbach]

Mimosa Hills


Within 100 yards: 3, 9, 13, 18
Within 200 yards: add 5 and 12

[David_Madison]

Mid-Pines - #5 tee is close to the clubhouse.


Finley (UNC-Chapel Hill's course) - you hike from the 11th green past the clubhouse to the 12th tee

[Phil Carlucci]

Montauk Downs goes back to the clubhouse at #3 -- in fact #3 green is probably closer to the clubhouse than 9 and 18.
The walk from #3 to #4 tee takes you through the driving range.

[Kalen Braley]

I recall The Renaissance Club having several holes that returned near the clubhouse from watching The Scottish Open last year...

[Tom_Doak]

I recall The Renaissance Club having several holes that returned near the clubhouse from watching The Scottish Open last year...

It does!  Originally, the 3rd, 5th, and greens all came back to the clubhouse [in addition to the 18th], and the 15th was pretty close.  That was deliberate so that if we were able to build new holes out by the Firth someday, we would have an easy way to throw out either two holes [4-5] or three holes [1-2-3] from the routing to fit in the new loop.


But even though we weren't given permission for three holes of equal length out by the Firth, the client wanted to remove the original loop of 1-2-3, because they were further back in the trees and less "linksy".  So the new plan starts out with old 4-5 getting you back to the clubhouse at the 2nd green, again at the 5th [former 8th], and again at a new 15th hole that's closer to the clubhouse than before, plus the 18th.


Then they renumber everything for the Scottish Open, and it's impossible to keep the numbers straight!   

[Sean_A]

I recall The Renaissance Club having several holes that returned near the clubhouse from watching The Scottish Open last year...

It does!  Originally, the 3rd, 5th, and greens all came back to the clubhouse [in addition to the 18th], and the 15th was pretty close.  That was deliberate so that if we were able to build new holes out by the Firth someday, we would have an easy way to throw out either two holes [4-5] or three holes [1-2-3] from the routing to fit in the new loop.

But even though we weren't given permission for three holes of equal length out by the Firth, the client wanted to remove the original loop of 1-2-3, because they were further back in the trees and less "linksy".  So the new plan starts out with old 4-5 getting you back to the clubhouse at the 2nd green, again at the 5th [former 8th], and again at a new 15th hole that's closer to the clubhouse than before, plus the 18th.

Then they renumber everything for the Scottish Open, and it's impossible to keep the numbers straight! 

Having five easy starting points and their resulting boozer loops is one of the most impressive aspects of RC routing.


Ciao