Cross-Country Golf

[Duncan Cheslett]

On Saturday my club welcomes in the new season with its annual 'Cross-Country' competition; the pro devises a new course routing connecting all the existing tees and greens in different ways. I'm told that the occasional 900 yard par 7 is only to be expected!

Do other clubs have such competitions, or has 'Elf'n'Safety' consigned such fun to history in most places?

I'm intrigued by what great holes you guys could come up with by the imaginative use of different tees and greens on well-known courses...

[Mark Pearce]

Every Christmas we play a long hole competition, teeing off on the 1st and holing out on the 13th green (the most distant from the clubhouse), then teeing off on 15 and holing out on 18.  Competitors can choose their own route.  The main point of the event does, however, to appear to be lunch and the statutory red wine and port to accompany it.

[Ally Mcintosh]

We don't have such a competition.... But with the choice of 27 holes intertwined on flattish ground, I know that I sometimes do this myself, especially in winter when the rough is cut low...

Very liberating... Great fun!

[PCCraig]

Here in the States I used to participate in a Thanksgiving/late season cross country golf tourney complete with tee prizes of a whole turkey and a bottle of peach schnapps. It was good fun!

[Anthony_Nysse]

When I played Olde Farm in VA, the GM and Golf Pro informed that the memberhsip does something similar to this. They tee of on #2 (southeast part of the property and play to #14 or #15 green. (northwest part of property)

[K. Krahenbuhl]

We used to do it once or twice a season at my course growing up.  We would do it quite a bit when playing the course while it was closed in the offseason.  We would usually just have the winner of the previous hole pick where the next green was.  It made for a pretty good money game.

[Roger Wolfe]

We usually do it twice a year... both right after aeration.  We have a traditional Wednesday night scramble and use the cross country scramble to overcome "aeration depression."  We have a parkland course with a lot of great views.  You have to be careful with the routing.  I almost killed everyone last Fall by having the landing areas of three "cross country holes" all converge at one spot.  Great stuff.

[John Kavanaugh]

Dismal River is the only course where I am a member that I have not done this.  We need to have an evening cross country event during the 5th Major.  Given that Dismal is already cross country golf from the regular tees we may call this transcountry golf.

[Eric Smith]

Dismal River is the only course where I am a member that I have not done this.  We need to have an evening cross country event during the 5th Major.  Given that Dismal is already cross country golf from the regular tees we may call this transcountry golf.

Here's the routing. Draw it up.



I started by thinking of teeing off from the high black tee on 18 and going in reverse towards 17 fairway, but I can't recall if it would be way too damn blind when you get to 16 fwy and look back (skipping 15) and over to 14? This route would culminate at the mighty 10th green where libations awaited at Hookers Corner. I mean if there was going to be a cross country event at Dismal, why not utilize the cross country green there as well!

[SL_Solow]

I recall talking to a caddy at Pebble in the late 70's (before it was as crowded) and he told me that some evenings caddies played cross country.  Imagine some of the holes along the ocean.

[John Kavanaugh]

At the 5th Major we will give every group a map, compass, three dice and an injury waiver then head them off.  With groups teeing off near the first and second green (can not be rolled) you toss the dice and go to the hole indicated by the number of pips showing.  We will need some old school compii since a signal is required to use the app on your phone.

[Joe Bausch]

I am in Paris in some designer's store that I've never heard of that my wife pulled us out of the fricking D' Orsay to get to by the time it closed, watching a year's college tuition go up in smoke for a blouse, 2 pair of shoes, a jacket, a couple of purses and a belt.

Right about now, I'd F'ING KILL to play cross-Oceanic golf anywhere, across anything --just to get the F out of here....

Pay attention while there Shivas and come back to the Land of Lincoln and open up your own clothing company.  Call the threads the Cheater Line Fashion.

[John Kavanaugh]

I am in Paris in some designer's store that I've never heard of that my wife pulled us out of the fricking D' Orsay to get to by the time it closed, watching a year's college tuition go up in smoke for a blouse, 2 pair of shoes, a jacket, a couple of purses and a belt.

Right about now, I'd F'ING KILL to play cross-Oceanic golf anywhere, across anything --just to get the F out of here....

Take her to see Cee Lo Green at La Cigalle this Saturday night.  Call it even.

[John Kavanaugh]

So sorry Danny Kaye, I just got to the first green and it's aeriated. F this.

[Peter Pallotta]

had to comment -- danny kaye?

either john is even more of a dadaist than i thought, or he is calling shivas "Walter Mitty".

jk - remember kaye in the faux robin hood film; and then as the boxing milkman? Boy - he had talent!

[Dan Kelly]

Peter:  I don't give 2 hoots what he calls me, whether it's the Great Gatsby, Walter Mitty, Huck Finn or Little Timmy.

All I know is that this town makes pikers like Disney World and Atlantis feel like the Dollar Store

C'est la guerre!

[Tom ORourke]

I am at a 9 hole course in NJ and once a year we do a backwards golf scramble. We start on the range and play down 9 to the 8th green. Then up 8 to the 1st green. Down 7 to the 6th green, etc. It is a popular event as some of our greens tilt back to front pretty good, and coming in from the other side is murder. Some of our holes actually work better in this direction. We put in some in course OBs to prevent beanings.

[Brian_Sleeman]

I'm at a course where the entire front nine and the 10th and 18th holes are strewn across the same rolling sand dune, and every New Year's Day a gathering plays at least three holes in this style.  The winner of each hole gets to determine which green will be the destination for the next hole, and they play every year rain, snow, sleet, or shine. 

There is talk of beginning a more organized version of the same thing during the regular golf season, and I think it would be a blast.  The shop staff certainly has discussed the best routes from one green to another more than a few times.  I can't wait for the snow to melt so I can try a few of them while traffic is low.