GolfClubAtlas.com > Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group
Weekday pin positions
Carl Johnson:
Something I heard yesterday. "It is common practice for clubs to put pin positions on the edges of all greens during the week to save the greens for weekend play when the pins will be positioned normally." This had never occurred to me. What is your experience?
Robert Mercer Deruntz:
For the past 30+ years, every club I have played regularly used a pin rotation system that segments different green areas. A couple clubs used 6 and 7 day rotations, but that was quickly changed when enough golfers complained about the same pins on Wednesdays, ect. every week! Quite a few clubs, that have their green slopes accurately mapped out, are generating pin positions through a computer program.
Rob Marshall:
We use a 3 segment system. Pins aren't moved on Monday and Wed.
Definitely don't place them around the edges during the week.
Jim Tang:
The local club I play at fairly regularly (public track) has 7 pin positions that they rotate each day. As mentioned by Robert this leads to the same hole location every Tuesday or every Saturday, which is dumb. Many guys have regular games each week on a specific day and they're getting the same hole location week after week.
The greens at this course have quite a few fingers and peninsulas where flags can be tucked. You'll get three or four of those types of hole locations during any round you play. If you're trying to speed up play this isn't a wise decision but the course doesn't seem to give it much thought.
Matt Schoolfield:
This is a very interesting topic!
I think the obvious solution would be to have, ideally, eight pin locations on paper, but to only use the number of locations as how many days per week the pins are changed, plus one.
The key is how to remember where the pin is moved, so I suppose designing the locations to move in a clear routing is the best idea, but a star pattern should be the best at reducing wear and tear to each section of the green.
This is complicated by the fact that "championship" pin locations, based on difficulty, definitely exist. And they will likely be used more often on Sunday tournaments.
Hmm, yes, if the schedule of tournaments is predetermined, I definitely think using a computer program to output the ideal pin location each day is justified.
What a fascinating subject.
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