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Michael Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
"Ten holes open for play"
« on: March 14, 2011, 08:00:41 AM »
I see on the home page that ten holes of Cabot Links will be open for play on Canada Day. This brings to mind the recent "soft" opening of Old Macdonald.

Even though I am itching to play this course and I live close by (12 hour drive!), I can't see going up there until all the holes are finished.

Is opening half the course becoming more common? Was it ever common in the past? Why is it done? Are there any risks involved?
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Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +3/-1
Re: "Ten holes open for play"
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2011, 09:11:26 AM »
Michael:

Bandon Dunes Resort pioneered the ten-hole opening, or, at least, the formal ten-hole opening where you pay to play a course that's only half finished.  It has been VERY successful there in generating early buzz for the new courses, not to mention defraying some of the costs of grow-in maintenance; so it's not surprising they would do the same at Cabot Links, under Mr. Keiser's influence.

It is not as clear whether it will work.  What makes it work at Bandon is hundreds of golfers booked on the other courses chomping at the bit to get a peek at the latest course; and they open without hiring much in the way of additional staff.  Opening a new course is a much different equation.  However, part of the premise of Cabot Links is attracting drive-by visitors from the summer tourist season on the Cabot Trail, so maybe it will work there.
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Adam Clayman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: "Ten holes open for play"
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2011, 12:09:39 PM »
Michael, Knowing which holes are open, I'd say it's worth it, especially if it's a day rate and one could golf to their hearts content.
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"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

Chris Buie

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: "Ten holes open for play"
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2011, 05:02:05 PM »
This has been done for over a century.  It works fine - especially when you are talking about something on the quality level of Bandon or Cabot.  On courses like that I'm certain that if you played the temporarily abbreviated course twice in the same day you would be more than happy with your experience.
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