Composite courses..

[Bob_Huntley]

Royal Melbourne has one of the best, but not to hijack the Shore/Dunes thread below, think of this.

For those who have played both the Jones renovation and Strantz creation imagine the following. Starting at the Raynor/ Hunter/ MacKenzie par three tenth hole of the Dunes, continue on the renovated eleventh,twelth and thirteenth, include the new par three fourteenth over the rocks and water and finish that part of the journey on the long par five fifteenth. Get transported over to the par three seventh of the Shore and play through to the sixteenth green. Tee off on nember five and finish on the par five sixth hole in front of the half way house.

You would have a par 73 course with every hole having an  an incredible ocean view.

[A_Clay_Man]

Bob, Shhh The Donald might buy you if he knew.

[THuckaby2]

Bob - sounds like something you oughtta try someday... if you haven't already.  Holy moley what a feast for the golf soul such a course would be.

But you know what?  I think you also need to lobby to have that declared an official composite course, to be used in competitions and at other special times.  Of course that means it's going to need a course rating.  Oh you COULD just use the individual hole data to compile such, but you'd want to get it done fresh, no?  I know just the group of guys to help you out there.

Yes, I am shameless.

 

[Brian_Gracely]

Bob,

If you're looking for someone to test out that possibility and report back to the group, I'd be willing to volunteer when I'm in CA in October.  But I think I'd have to insist that #9 Dunes be included, even if that means 19 holes in the routing.  

[THuckaby2]

Bob,

If you're looking for someone to test out that possibility and report back to the group, I'd be willing to volunteer when I'm in CA in October.  But I think I'd have to insist that #9 Dunes be included, even if that means 19 holes in the routing.  

And I thought I was shameless.

 

[Bill_McBride]

In all fairness, a composite course should be walkable without a long haul by cart in between.  Is there a way to do what you are suggesting without a several hundred yard interval?  Just wondering.........

Having never played any of these, I don't know whether the above is possible at Brookline or Royal Melbourne either.  I think you could work it out at Bandon between BD and PD.

I understand the members of Shinnecock and NGLA had a routing where you played 9 holes at each consecutively; a hop over a fence was involved!

[Andrew Summerell]

The 2 courses at St Andrews Beach (Doak/Clayton) have a composite routing. It will work well when finished because each course measures about 6700 - 6800y, but the composite will be about 7200y.

[Darren_Kilfara]

In all fairness, a composite course should be walkable without a long haul by cart in between.  Is there a way to do what you are suggesting without a several hundred yard interval?  Just wondering.........

Having never played any of these, I don't know whether the above is possible at Brookline or Royal Melbourne either.  I think you could work it out at Bandon between BD and PD.

Bill, no carts or extra-long walks are required at Brookline to play the composite course - the longest walk, of about 200 yards, occurs between the composite 9th green and 10th tee, where you have to walk down the length of the short par-3 12th on the original course. I'm pretty sure that no long walks are required at Royal Melbourne, either, but my memory isn't perfect on this score.

Cheers,
Darren

[Bill_McBride]

Darren, I'd love to have a stab at either!

[peter_p]

There are two composite courses for Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes, each starting and ending at a clubhouse with no cart rides. But I'd be willilng to try Bob's layout. It needs a wine bar though.

 Course 1 - Start at the Bandon Dunes clubhouse and play through #7, then switch to Pacific Dunes starting at #8 and continue through 18.

 Course 2  -Start at Pacific Dunes clubhouse and play throough number 7, then switch to Bandon Dunes 8th and continue through the eighteenth.

[Chris Kane]

I'm pretty sure that no long walks are required at Royal Melbourne, either, but my memory isn't perfect on this score.

Darren, the only significant walk on the Composite course is from the 8th green to the 9th tee - from 4E to 17E.  Its a walk of around 200 yards, over the par-3 16E.

Aside from that, most tees are next to the previous green.