Half-way Houses

[Cal Seifert]

I always liked the Yale halfway house. It is at arguably the best spot to stop for a minute and take a break on the course which is right after the 8th hole. Looking at the 9th green for the first time ever is a great feeling.

[Peter Sayegh]

Thank you, everyone. It seems reasonable to suggest that a dedicated halfway house is more commonly found on private or premium public golf courses.




Could we chat more about the culture and expectations that align with this segment of the game?


Does, or should, a higher-cost golf model correlate with a more immersive golf experience? Is it reasonable for the golfer to assume a leisurely pace of play or an optional extended break between the front and back nines?


I appreciate your thoughts.
Lyne

Hard to be immersive in 5 minutes.

Halfway houses are fine if there is a culture which permits groups to skip it. Which means groups that stop should offer the group behind to play through. That’s how it was when I grew up.

Ciao

Lyne, I refrained from this topic until your latest post.

I've largely been a "true public" player for 40 years growing up on the Jersey Shore and now living in Myrtle Beach. I cannot recall a handful of those courses that offered-much less encouraged-a respite after the ninth hole.
It's a factory mentality at the public level. Trudge on, trudge on, don't stop.
I included Sean's comments to highlight how I was taught and thought about the etiquette in such situations when I was younger. That no longer applies.
I primarily play as a single and paired with others. Inevitably, at least one of my playing partners is indignant if anyone in the group ahead SITS DOWN at the turn-which others have stated-is the clubhouse.
Choke down a dog, guzzle a Gatorade and move on. That's the American Way!

[Tim_Weiman]

GCA community, I'm searching for public golf courses that offer halfway houses for golfers to enjoy a comfortable mid-game break.


While I found a decades-old discussion thread, the focus is primarily on private clubs. I am happy to be directed toward more recent comments if this is available.


Any suggestions or examples would be appreciated.


Thanks for your time.
Lyne

Lyne,


Rec Park muni in Long Beach, Ca used to have a fairly nice half way house near the 8th tee. Unfortunately, it was apparently shutdown some time ago. I was told that was a cost cutting measure.


Really too bad if that hasn’t been corrected. I played the course many times and it seemed every group would buy something, even if it was just a water bottle.


Would be an interesting case to look into.

[Kyle Casella]

Silverado in Napa has a non-descript halfway house on each course that serve the same "burgerdogs" as Olympic Club. They were historically run by members of the same family as the one at Olympic. I am pretty sure you could easily just walk up to the one on the South Course and order a burgerdog even if you weren't golfing.


Cabo del Sol had the famous fish tacos at the turn, always a highlight!

[Ian Mackenzie]

Ive played scores of public courses and dont recall halfway houses being at all prevalent (in the US).


Since, as others have pointed out, the two nines come back to the clubhouse, the halfway house at most public courses is also the same bar/restaurant/snack shack that serves the property overall.


...where you will sometimes see a sign:


"Players making the turn have priority ordering"


additionally, many of these courses have...ahem..."mobile beverage/snack services" via golf cart that are absent from 99% of private courses.

[Tom_Doak]

The Loop, where the turn is at the furthest point away from the clubhouse, has a nice, simple halfway house to the left of the 9th green.  But Forest Dunes, like most of the other "public" courses named here, is really more of a resort.


Is there anything at Bethpage Black?  It seems like there should be, considering how far away it is from the clubhouse.  But I don't remember anything being out there back in the day.

[Brian Finn]

The Loop, where the turn is at the furthest point away from the clubhouse, has a nice, simple halfway house to the left of the 9th green.  But Forest Dunes, like most of the other "public" courses named here, is really more of a resort.

Is there anything at Bethpage Black?  It seems like there should be, considering how far away it is from the clubhouse.  But I don't remember anything being out there back in the day.

Bethpage Black has a small, but well-stocked hut at 6 tee, which can also be accessed (a tad out of the way) while walking down 12 fairway.

Bethpage Red and Green (both of which also do not return after 9) have larger, but similar houses, after the 10th green on Green and on 10 tee of Red.

[Pete Lavallee]

Lyne,


Have you ever played golf in South Africa? There is mandatory 15 minute stop for lunch at the turn. And it’s a full plate lunch not just a snack. Everyone must take the break if if don’t want to eat. It’s customary to buy your caddies lunch too; for a very modest price. Durban Golf Club, which doesn’t have returning 9’s has a very nice modern facility, as does the Links Course at Fancourt. On our one play there we were able to meet Gary Player who was in the group in front of us. It’s a strange custom to wolf down lunch in 15 minutes and then continue playing, but it works for them!

[Jeff Schley]

As anyone who has golfed in Japan, the 9's circle back to the clubhouse and have a 45-60 minute sit down lunch before heading out again.

[Chris Hughes]

The Loop, where the turn is at the furthest point away from the clubhouse, has a nice, simple halfway house to the left of the 9th green.  But Forest Dunes, like most of the other "public" courses named here, is really more of a resort.

Is there anything at Bethpage Black?  It seems like there should be, considering how far away it is from the clubhouse.  But I don't remember anything being out there back in the day.

Bethpage Black has a small, but well-stocked hut at 6 tee, which can also be accessed (a tad out of the way) while walking down 12 fairway.

Bethpage Red and Green (both of which also do not return after 9) have larger, but similar houses, after the 10th green on Green and on 10 tee of Red.

Spot on mate!


Yellow & Blue also have a hut/house that is reasonably accessible both on the turn, as well as before the round.  In a pinch the Red course hut can also be visited after the 15th hole on the Blue course  .

[Jay Mickle]

I have rather mixed feelings about halfway houses. The first is why should anybody need to eat where a round only takes 3 1/2 hours. Yet my second thought is I can remember a six hour round at a resort course and numerous five hour plus rounds where are the only thing to break the monotony of waiting for the group ahead to hit was a sandwich or two from the halfway house.
While some are memorable, like the wonderful and inexpensive fare at Sand Valley, or the variety of Mexican offerings at Stream Song, there is rarely time for relaxation if the course is moving at a reasonable pace. I am a great believer in get on with the game and enjoy yourself with friends afterward.

[David Kelly]

The halfway house at Sentry World is very nice and everything in it is free and comes with your green fee.


There is also the halfway houses at Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes with their Masters-like rock bottom prices.

[Matt Schoolfield]

I have rather mixed feelings about halfway houses. The first is why should anybody need to eat where a round only takes 3 1/2 hours. Yet my second thought is I can remember a six hour round at a resort course and numerous five hour plus rounds where are the only thing to break the monotony of waiting for the group ahead to hit was a sandwich or two from the halfway house.

Full disclosure, I love a halfway house. Primarily because they are a major feature that can be used to give a "sense of places" or "vibe" to a golf course. Tools to set a places tone are few and can be challenging to create. I think of the "halfway house" (even though they have returning nines) at Lawsonia as a good example of this.

Anyway, so, I think another very good trick a golf course can do (if they are operated very well), is to control pace via the halfway house. In the golf-course-as-a-factory model of pace-of-play, there is little a course can practically do to speed up play, but they can do a lot to improve perceived pace-of-play. You see, suppose you have 12 minute intervals, but after the first 9 holes, groups are squeezed together. Unless the whole course is slow, a halfway house is a great way get pace back to their intervals. You order a sausage with a group right in front of you, and it magically takes about 8 minutes to cook, but if there is a big gap in front, it could have been cooked ahead of time... if that happens, and the halfway house knows there's a gap--surprise--lucky for you they already cooked theirs, and the slow pokes are back on the course immediately. In this way, an informed halfway house can correct pace problems in the middle of the round.

The idea may be diabolical, but again, most folks are much more concerned about perceived pace-of-play, and adding a halfway house at known bottlenecks can improved wait times, and strategically placed halfway houses can actually reset pace if they know how much time needs to be added-or-subtracted to different groups to get them back on the correct interval.

[Niall C]

I have rather mixed feelings about halfway houses. The first is why should anybody need to eat where a round only takes 3 1/2 hours. Yet my second thought is I can remember a six hour round at a resort course and numerous five hour plus rounds where are the only thing to break the monotony of waiting for the group ahead to hit was a sandwich or two from the halfway house.
While some are memorable, like the wonderful and inexpensive fare at Sand Valley, or the variety of Mexican offerings at Stream Song, there is rarely time for relaxation if the course is moving at a reasonable pace. I am a great believer in get on with the game and enjoy yourself with friends afterward.

I have to say if it takes 3 hours to do 9 holes then I think I'd be bypassing the half-way house and going straight to the clubhouse to eat and drink properly. I really don't think I'd be hanging about to play another 9 holes if it's going to take 3 hours. I mean where's the fun in that ?


But more to the point, what does stopping and sitting down for 15 minutes do for the rhythm and flow of the course ? I'm not referring to whether it means players/groups are backing up but instead the sequencing and how the player enjoys the course ? Does the 10th hole, or whatever hole comes after the half-way house have to be another gentle handshake ?


Niall

[Lyne Morrison]

Gentlemen I'm late back to this, but I appreciate all the feedback.


I'm familiar with several, and Pete, The Links at Fancourt (which I have played) is a good reminder of the type of specific cultural approach I was looking for - I had overlooked that one; thanks for the input.


I can add another to the mix. The very sporty Furrows at Kingston Heath is good fun - it is supported by a retro caravan and relaxed outdoor 'spike bar'. Recommended.


Cheers,
Lyne

[Steve_Lovett]

Northland Country Club in Duluth, MN has a simple and comfortable halfway house behind the 9th green. It's about as far from the clubhouse as you can get.

[Mark Mammel]

Very nice halfway houses by 10 tee at Royal Dornoch and of course the halfway house behind the green at South America at Carnoustie!

[Jason Topp]

While not a halfway house, I love the little shelter next to the beach on the front nine Barnbougle Dunes.   During my round we were walking into a hard wind for the first 4-5 holes.  It was so nice to take shelter from the wind  for a couple of minutes at a spot with a lovely view of the beach and dunes before beginning the journey back. 

[Craig Sweet]

I like the halfway house at Rock Creek on a blazing hot Montana afternoon.  But, I wonder what they do with the food and snacks at the end of the day?  This is bear country and bears will rip your garage door off to get at garbage, dog food, whatever you keep in there. 

[Wayne_Kozun]

Wasn't Mrs. Forman's the ideal example of this, although I don't know that it was technically halfway.  But, alas, it is no more.

[Michael Robin]

The “Halfway House” at the new Karoo course at Cabot Citrus Farms is really wonderfully placed. You pass it after 2, 6, 11 and again after 17. Each time there was something new to try - coffee and breakfast stuff early, amazing Cabot snack pack after 6, hot dog after 11, then another snack pack to help bring it home after 17. And there are great looks in every direction if you want to hang on the porch there too.


Gosh, CCF is going to be a great place.