Where Have All The Benches Gone?

[Scott_Burroughs]

Mike,

Here's 1 of 2 benches on my home course (this is 11th tee,
other is on #6), Wake Forest GC.  This bench is normally off to the side.


This shot was taken atop the bench at the 4th tee at Wild Horse:

Since we went to "walking only" on all tee times before noon,
we've put benches on The Ocean Course.

How has the reaction been among players who may not have
known ahead of time?  Any cartballers get nasty about it?  "I
spend several hundred dollars and ....."  Any who 'saw the
light' after the round?



I have the same problem as Wayne sometimes, if I sit down,
my back can stiffen up.  This especially happens if I sit on
the ground vs. a bench with a back.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Mike,

I'll tell you why they are missing. After Mike Strantz finished
the Shore course some misguided soul on a committee
thought that the benches and ball washers disturbed the
aesthetics of, or were a distraction from the stunning look of
the new venue and eliminated them.

The club has an active Walker programme yet no provision is
made for them to take rest while waiting to tee off. Riders
have their own ball and club washers on the carts.

Bob

Bob,

I guess they're right, that bench is a real eyesore:  




Here's a bench on #16 at Salem CC:


#15 at Forest Creek (North):


#10 at Tehama:

[Jerry Kluger]

My new home course which is a private members owned club has benches on nearly every hole - but they are at the members tees - those strong enough to play the championship tees don't get benches.

[Garland Bayley]

I think memorial benches are a great idea. Might prevent so many #$% memorial trees.

That picture from the Shore course was just begging for a stone bench. Think how many memorials could be chiseled into a stone bench!

I am afaid the Dr. of the Redan would not approve of most of the benches in Scott's post. He would be singing
Where have all the back rests gone.
...
Long time in my waiting room.

[Andy Hughes]

Scott, pity, that MPCC picture would be lovely without the bench....And if they could maybe do something about the wind, so those trees didn't have to lean like that.

[bbarkley]

Cypress Point - 12th Tee




Red Sky Ranch - 10th Tee

[Craig Sweet]

I was playing Old Works a couple of summers ago...nearly 8,000 yards long, and at the time, a totally useless course if you rode in a cart (had to leave the cart on the path and walk across Jack's 100 yard wide fairways)....and in this part of Montana it gets into the 90's quite easliy in August...when I realized there was not a bench in sight....so I asked the dude I was with, what's up with that...and his reply was "American Golf Co. has figured benches add 15-20 minutes to the average round, so they removed them to speed up play."

It made sense to me.

[Garland Bayley]

I was playing Old Works a couple of summers ago...nearly 8,000 yards long, and at the time, a totally useless course if you rode in a cart (had to leave the cart on the path and walk across Jack's 100 yard wide fairways)....and in this part of Montana it gets into the 90's quite easliy in August...when I realized there was not a bench in sight....so I asked the dude I was with, what's up with that...and his reply was "American Golf Co. has figured benches add 15-20 minutes to the average round, so they removed them to speed up play."

It made sense to me.

That is so pathetic. I have played there with people using a cart that walked farther than I did walking and carrying. Remove the carts and they will speed up play tremendously.

[Craig Sweet]

Garland..yeah, I walk it everytime I play...it's way easier and faster....however...I guess they now do the 90 degree thing and allow carts out onto the fairways....the lack of benches on a course with even a little natural beauty to gaze at while you wait for others, is crazy....besides, I bet heatstroke would make for a nasty lawsuit!

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

Since we went to "walking only" on all tee times before noon,
we've put benches on The Ocean Course.

How has the reaction been among players who may not have
known ahead of time?  Any cartballers get nasty about it?  "I
spend several hundred dollars and ....."  Any who 'saw the
light' after the round?

We make sure that everyone knows before hand.  It really works out pretty good.  The times after noon fill up fairly well with cartballers leaving the morning times for the walkers.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Since we went to "walking only" on all tee times before noon,
we've put benches on The Ocean Course.

How has the reaction been among players who may not have
known ahead of time?  Any cartballers get nasty about it?  "I
spend several hundred dollars and ....."  Any who 'saw the
light' after the round?

We make sure that everyone knows before hand.  It really works out pretty good.  The times after noon fill up fairly well with cartballers leaving the morning times for the walkers.

Has it been well-received, or are the tee times easier to come by in the morning?

[Dan Moore]

[mike_malone]

 A recent comment from one of our older members--



        All of my friends are benches now !


   

[Joe Hancock]

We have a picture of our grandsons in that same set and backdrop....all those Walmart stores are alike....

 

Joe

[PCCraig]

Reviving this old thread instead of starting a new one.


There has been a bit of heated discussion at my home course recently regarding benches. There was a bit of an effort to de-clutter the golf course this spring. I think they ended up leaving 9 benches out on the course. We have a older classic course with very limited walking between holes. The majority of the benches were left out on the back nine on holes where you would assume a tired walker would need them more. I would guess 60% (maybe 70%?) of the rounds at the course are walkers.


Anyway, just curious to hear what people think on the subject. If it's a majority walking course, are benches on every hole necessary? Or are benches generally just eye clutter?

[Ira Fishman]

On a walking courses, benches on holes where there may be a wait (Par 3s primarily) are a good thing.  Not only for the group waiting but for the group ahead--if the group ahead is playing at a proper pace, having to look back at me stalking around the tee is not fair to them.  Our course unfortunately does not subscribe to my views. I assume because of ease of maintenance issues.


Ira

[Robert Emmons]

This has happened at my course too...1910 Emmet...new green Chair wants to DECLUTTER...no benches, no trash cans, no ball washers....really silly

[Thomas Dai]

...new green Chair wants to DECLUTTER...no benches, no trash cans, no ball washers....really silly

Suggest some more decluttering.....by getting rid of the position of green Chair. You might even save a reserved parking space as well!
atb

[Kalen Braley]

If everyone just took a cart you would have bench, ball washer, and trash receptacle that followed you everywhere!! 

[Peter Pallotta]

A lost Cole Porter lyric, recently discovered:

In olden days a lack of benches was looked on as something wretched,
Now Heaven knows - Anything Goes
And the golfers too who once liked shade and breeze now just chop down all the trees,
They want Ballyneal - Why not just Steal?
Courses are plain today
It's the way, they say
Clutter's passé, hurrah
Let me just play, away
When Doak and Coore today
Keep it clean, then hey
That just must be the way!
And so it's clear the benches, they must go
We're not in Hicksville, we're
Chicago
There's plenty of dough - Anything Goes!

[MCirba]

Brilliant...too funny, Peter!   

[PCCraig]

This has happened at my course too...1910 Emmet...new green Chair wants to DECLUTTER...no benches, no trash cans, no ball washers....really silly

Why do you think it's silly?

[Niall C]

I was thinking the same thing. I would love someone to de-clutter my course.


Niall

[Keith Grande]

Seawane has adirondack chairs at most of the tees....I'd be afraid to sit in one lest I fall asleep

[MClutterbuck]

For an old course, with its history and customs, I guess any removal of benches or other non-natural elements has to be carefully considered.


For a new course, my preference would be to have as few man made objects as possible. This includes minimalist signage.


One interesting observation came out of our recent trip to Scotland. We did not need to clean our balls. Fantastic how firm and fast leads to no need to have ball washers... (of course even with muddier courses I dont thing there is a real need to have washers when you can carry a towel).