Endless evening loops

[Jason Thurman]

One of the great things about some club courses is the ability to play a few holes in the evening after work without committing to a full 18 or even 9.

Today I had the good fortune of playing Donald Ross' Idle Hour in Lexington. It has been my favorite course in Kentucky since the first time I played it, and I think it's the most underrated course I've played.

One thing that becomes obvious to a player, even after only two holes, is the high number of routing crossovers. I count six different occasions when the course's routing crosses itself (after holes 1, 2, 5, 9, 15, and 17). There are many occasions when multiple tees and greens are in close proximity and make transitions between different holes feel natural. There are also several holes that tee off near the clubhouse, and several greens near the clubhouse as well. A glance at Ross' original routing in the clubhouse reveals that the ordering of holes has changed completely since the course's inception. On the wall, I imagine the original routing would have flowed wonderfully. Then again, the current routing does too. And I think there are probably four or five other orderings of holes that would work just as well. Realistically, I think you could create about 100 different hole orders for 18 holes that would work just fine.

One of the great things about all these crossovers and all these holes that start or end near the clubhouse is that a player could find almost endless loops to play for those quick evening walks. I truly believe that a player could come up with a different evening loop of between 4 and 8 holes on every day of golfing weather for a whole year, while never walking more than about 100 yards between holes. I can't imagine there's another course that has as many, but what courses might?

[Jon Wiggett]

Jason,

at Howley Hall just outside Leeds the course comes back to the clubhouse on 4 holes the shortened loops would be

1+2,
1-6+2
3-6+2
1-10
1+7-10
11-12+10
11-15
11-18
11+15
11+14-15
11+15-18
11+14-18
16-18
or many of the other combinations such as 1-2+16-18

On top of this versatility it is a pretty good course.

Jon

[Jay Mickle]

Mid Pines…..
……..is one of those multirouteable courses that I can walk and enjoy 18 holes in about 2 1/2 hours when no one is on the course. On those days when I am looking for something less I can play a multitude of routes from 2 to 15 holes. It often feels like I am the only member and all of the fantastic work that has been done was just for my enjoyment.  Mid Pines is a truly special place, especially after 5:00 on a summer evening.
1, 18
1, 6, 17, 18
1-4
1, 6-9
1, 6-8, 18
1-6, 17, 18
1-9
1-8, 18
1-11, 8, 18
1-12, 17, 18
1-7, 12-18
And those are just the routings that I can think of off hand that start on #1

[JimB]

I have always thought Burlingame was a good example

[Mark Chaplin]

Royal Cinque Ports normal quickies are

1-4 then 17 & 18
1-5 & 16-18
1-7 & par 3 13th then 14-18
1-9 & 13-18 known as "missing the loop"

Around the loop

10-12
10-13 then 8 & 9
10-14 then 7-9
10-15 then 6-9

I recently played 10-17 then 3 as a 150yd par 3 from the 18th championship tee and 4-9 a nice peaceful 2.5 hour game.

Driving to the hut is preferred as cutting across is far easier if the course is busy.

[David Kelly]

Prairie Dunes allows you to go:
1-7
1, 2, 6, 7
1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9,
8, 9
10, 17, 18

Most of these holes constitute the original nine.

[Eric Smith]

Prairie Dunes allows you to go:
1-7
1, 2, 6, 7
1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9,
8, 9
10, 17, 18

Most of these holes constitute the original nine.

David,

When I visited this summer I wanted so badly to go back out in the late afternoon for one of these loops, but the heat on that first day (105* at 4pm) just flat out zapped me. At around 7 - 7:30 pm the long shadows on the holes there around the clubhouse were simply breathtaking.

[Andrew Buck]

This is one of the best features of my home course, Deer Park Country Club outside LaSalle-Peru, IL.  Not only the number of small "loops" but the number of times you naturally return to the clubhouse during a round.  

The following tees are an easy walk from the Clubhouse:  1, 5, 7, 10, 12 16.  
The following greens are an easy walk from the Clubhouse:  4, 6, 9, 11, 15, 18.  

I've played each of the following combinations at one time or another

1-4
1-2-3-4
1-2-14-15
5-6
5-6-7-8-9
7-8-9
7-13-14-15
7-13-11
10-11
10-11-12-13-14-15
12-13-14-15
12-13-11
16-17-18

Of course you could tie any of these together since they all return to the clubhouse to make so many it hurts.

The downside of this, members are antsy and think they can start on any of the 6 holes by the clubhouse at any time, which works at times, but not always.

[Jason Thurman]

Just for fun, I tried to figure out how many loops you could have from the first tee at Idle Hour that comprise between 4 and 8 holes.

1 - 6
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18
1, 2, 3, 8, 9
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9
1, 2, 3, 8, 17, 18
1, 2, 3, 8, 7, 4, 5, 6, 9
1, 2, 3, 8, 7, 4, 5, 18
1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 13 (9-13 transition might be a touch over 100 yards, but it's straight through the parking lot)
1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9
1, 2, 6, 7, 4, 5, 18
1, 18, 10, 16, 17, 6
1, 18, 10, 11, 12
1, 18, 10, 11, 15, 16
1, 18, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 6
1, 18, 13, 14, 15, 18
1, 18, 13, 14, 12
1, 16, 17, 2, 6, 9
1, 16, 17, 2, 3, 8, 9
1, 16, 17, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18
1, 16, 7, 8, 9
1, 16, 7, 4, 5, 18
1, 16, 7, 4, 5, 6, 17, 18
1, 16, 7, 4, 5, 6, 9
1, 16, 9, 13, 14, 12
1, 16, 9, 10, 11, 12
1, 16, 9, 13, 14, 15, 18

I stopped at 27 because my head was starting to hurt. Again though, that's only counting loops starting on 1 (and I didn't count all of them). You can also start on 13, 10, or (if you spend some time practicing your short game first) 11. From the rear parking lot, you could also start on 9, 17, or 7. I've never seen a course routed anything like it.

[George Pazin]

There's an incredible variety of them at, you guessed it, Oakmont. My answer to every good thread on here, in case you haven't been paying attention. Just take a look at an aerial, there's an almost infinite number.

[Matthew Rose]

I grew up on a muni that was like this.

It was especially good on summer evenings when leagues were clogging up parts of the course and I could go out alone and seamlessly move from parts of the front nine to the back, and from the back to the front.

You could play:

1-2-16-17-18
1-2-3-4-5
1-17-18
1-17-7-8-9
1-17-7-15-3-4-5
6-18
6-7-8-9
6-7-8-18
6-7-15-16-17-18
6-7-15-3-4-5
6-9
10-11-12-13-9
10-11
12-13-9
12-13-14-8-9

...and start and finish at the clubhouse every time.

[Matthew Lloyd]

This is a great thread.  Growing up this is how I learned to play golf.  After a day spent playing other sports in the summer, I would end my days playing golf at night with my dad after his work day ended.  I remember it being a shock to my system the first time I played a full 18 as my formative years learning the game were spent playing 5-6 holes at a time.  

For all of you who have played northern Michigan golf at the height of summer, you know that you can easily play until 9pm, if not a little later.  So when turning The Kingsley Club into an all-day marathon and trying to squeeze in some additional holes at the end of the day, here are some options:

1-2-5-6-7-8-9
1-6-7-8-9
1-2-3-6-7-8-9 (playing from 4th tee to 6th green)
10-11-12-13-16-17-18

at Scioto in Columbus, OH:

15-16-17-18
1-6-7-8-9
10-11-12-16-17-18
10-11-8-9
1-2-3-7-8-9
10-11-17-18

Neither of these courses are as good as the others mentioned above I'm realizing now that I think about. Some of the combinations above are incredible.

[Steve Lang]

   problem is how many folks you piss off by jumping in on 17 & 18 at XYZ GC when they're trying to finish a round?

[Ben Jarvis]

There are some wonderful loops at Royal Melbourne, which bring you back near the Clubhouse;

1-2 West
1-6 West
1-2, 7-9 West
1-2, 7-10, 18 West
1-2,7-12, 17 and 18 West
1-5 West, 3-4 East, 16-18 East
1-4, 16-18 East

Of course, many of these loops are only possible on a quiet day or on on a late summer evening when you aren't cutting in on other groups.

[Jason Thurman]

I've always felt that the real value of having loops available on a course is precisely to help avoid hassling other groups.

My home course has quite a few greens that can easily transition to another hole. If I'm out practicing on a summer evening, or playing in a twosome, it's nice to be able to jump to a different hole when we're approaching a group in front of us that we'd otherwise get stuck behind or hassle by playing through. What stood out to me at Idle Hour is that it feels like I could jump to one of about five different tees after each hole. Surely one of them would have a clear coast if I was about to get stuck behind a group.