Radialish G.C.?

[JJShanley]

My home course has four greens in the vicinity of the clubhouse, with three in an area of around 50,000 sq feet.  I've had the pleasure of playing two golden age courses the past two fall seasons, whose routing includes:

• More than two greens (not just 9 and 18) in proximity to the clubhouse.  (I think I recall my host at the first club telling me that the architect in question liked to place #2 green near the club house to aid convenience in the event of a playoff.)
• At least one instance of multiple greens (but not double greens) in close proximity away from the clubhouse.

I wondered: given an appropriate (probably flat) parcel of land, could an architect lay out a course where the golfer returns to a central area, which contains the clubhouse, every 2-3 holes? 

• Do any examples of such a design exist?
• Would such an out-and-back-and-out-and-back design become boring, regardless of the quality of the holes the architect could build? 
• If so, does that tell us anything about how we prefer a course routed? 
• Do we, for example, prefer a journey across the terrain that returns to the clubhouse after nine or eighteen holes?

We talk a great deal about how a clubhouse can cause a club financial problems when its leaders view it as a way to generate income, but can it exist as the spatial center of the course, as well as a social center?

[Thomas Dai]

JJS,
I've often pondered this one thinking along the lines of a 3/4 flower head with 12 petals (holes) pointing out from the centre and six holes crossing the outer tips of the petals. Each petal and each cross-hole being of slightly differing lengths. The other 1/4 of the flower head being for the entrance road, clubhouse, practice areas, maint buildings etc. Wind and sunlight would angle differently on each hole which would be nice.
Maybe more of an intellectual exercise though, an exercise for pen and paper with some colouring or on a pc rather than on the ground....the ground not usually being regular/consistant enough.
Not sure my words are the most accurately descriptive but hope you get my drift.
Atb

[JJShanley]

Thomas: that's pretty much how I envisioned it.  I did jot something out on a4 paper, but I could only fit in 14 holes or so.

[Mike Hendren]

I grew up on a 3,000 yards 9 holes course that had the following sub-routings with no extended green to tee walks:

8,9 (2 holes)  / par 8
1,4,7 (3 holes) / par 12
1 thru 4, 7 (5 holes) / par 19
1,4, 7, 8, 9, (5 holes) / par 20
1,4,5,6,7 (5 holes) / par 21
1 thru 4, 7 thru 9 (7 holes) / par 27
1 thru 7 (7 holes) / par 28
1 thru 9 (9 holes) / par 36

I keep thinking there's one more.  As for the clubhouse,  pre-fab steel with standing seam metal roof.  Looks like new 46 years later.

Bogey
Men's Club Champion 1974, 1976