Alternate uses of a golf course

[Mike Nuzzo]

Someone asked me recently of examples where the golf course is utilized for something other than golf.

I suggest St. Andrews Old Course is a park on Sundays and Pebble Beach has the Concours d'Elegance car show.

Would the treehouse share some other examples - they don't have to be as grand...
Any county fairs on a golf course out there?
I can see a potato sack race down the 1st fairway.

Cheers

[George Pazin]

There are a lot of golf courses in mountain areas that are ski resorts when the snow is falling.

[Gary Slatter]

I have seen some courses built with trails for riding horses and many courses have measured jogging/hiking/fitness courses utilizing cart and maintenance paths.  All are on not too memorable resort golf courses.

Cross-country skiing on golf courses is a good way to use clubhouse facilities in some climates. 
Mad River and Sagebrush have good fishing on the course. 

I have seen several courses when all sorts of vegetables or "herbs" are grown at the edge of the irrigation reach, usually around tees or out of play areas. When I was in Greece olive trees that were over 200 years old almost doubled in size after a few years watering.

[Sam Morrow]

How about the course next to the Rose Bowl that they use for parking? I remember years ago seeing a cross country race conducted over the Palm and Magnolia Courses at Disney.

[George Pazin]

Just remembered another - my late friend Eric Knapp's course Pheasant Ridge has an area where they have a fenced in course for paintball, with all sorts of obstacles and stuff. I believe Eric had it built due to one of his children's interest in paintball, but another friend believes it has the potential to bring in some good $$$.

Along the lines of what Sam posts, there used to be a public course abutting Oakmont called Oakmont East that was used for parking during big events. Alas, now it's RIP...

They frequently hold the Pennsylvania state cross country championships on one or both of Penn State's golf courses. One of my best friend's younger brother won there in 1987! Woo hoo!

[Phil_the_Author]

Bethpage used to allow skiing and sledding down the slopes off the first tees of the Black, Red and Green courses up until the  early 1950's.

In addition, they opened the Clubhouse for Friday and Saturday night "singles dances" in the 40's & 50's.

They also built separate football and baseball stadiums that were used by both semi-pro and industrial league teams up until the late 60's.

[Tim Leahy]

How about the course next to the Rose Bowl that they use for parking? I remember years ago seeing a cross country race conducted over the Palm and Magnolia Courses at Disney.

Brookside is the course used for parking and tailgating for the Rosebowl and UCLA home games.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Grazing sheep.

[Mark McKeever]

A course I worked at during high school hosted some archery tournaments during the off season.

Mark

[Niall C]

Historically a lot of the old links courses were used for grazing as Adrian says and a few like Brora still do They were also used for breeding rabbits, drying clothes, fishing nets as well other leisure past times apart from golf. On the Askernish thread Melvyn mentioned the old Oban course which was layed out by old Tom. The course was still in play upto the early 1920's when part of it was used for shinty. The course is now long gone but the shinty pitch is still there and now doubles for rugby and I do recall playing on it once. Hard to imagine I would do something as sacriligeous as play rugby on one of Old Toms creations but then I was much younger then.

Niall

[Michael Huber]

Every year, the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is held at Schenley Park in pittsburgh.  The golf course serves as a parking lot/infield/headquarters for the race, and part of the race track passes through the course.  I know very little about the grand prix but it strikes me as a pretty unique event.

[George Pazin]

Every year, the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is held at Schenley Park in pittsburgh.  The golf course serves as a parking lot/infield/headquarters for the race, and part of the race track passes through the course.  I know very little about the grand prix but it strikes me as a pretty unique event.

I've printed the t's for this the last few years.

Back in high school, they used to hold the Central Invitational (cross country) at Schenley Park, running around the park and the golf course. I don't remember specifically running on the course, though.

[Chris Shaida]

I played on a course in Chennai where the 'alternate uses' included women washing clothes in most of the on-course water, goats and chickens grazing and, if memory serves, a cow wondering around--no fences around the greens either.  We each had about four caddies some of whose job it appeared to be to run ahead and warn the women we were coming and try to shoo away as many of the animals as possible.

[Bill Shotzbarger]

Underage drinking

[David_Tepper]

Golf courses can serve a useful purpose as a green space/firebreak in residential areas that are vulnerable to wild fires.   

[Carl Nichols]

Ski jumping -- Hanover Country Club, Hanover, NH.  (Also used for various escapades with co-eds.)

Fourth of July Celebration, including fireworks -- Bethesda Country Club, Bethesda, MD

Cart jumping and related stupid stuff -- undisclosed course, Hartford County, CT  

[Mark Chaplin]

Wimbledon Common becomes a corporate hospitality centre and car parking for the tennis, I believe they make a very substantial return each year.

[Carl Rogers]

I began my interest in the game as a caddy at Wellesley CC (Massachusetts). 

A very steep grade up to the 17th green was a great sledding and tobogganing run in the winter after a snow.

[Dave Herrick]

My first contribution as a newbie - Musselburgh Old doubles as a horse-racing track.

[Matthew Rose]

Bethpage used to allow skiing and sledding down the slopes off the first tees of the Black, Red and Green courses up until the  early 1950's.

The local country club where I grew up had two very good sled hills on the 11th and 16th holes. Even us non-members would sneak on, no problem, and find 100 other kids there.

Years later I got to play the course as member of my high school team, so I got to see the holes without snow for the first time years after I had sledded on them.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Very nice - underage drinking and cart jumping....

Ty Webb: Let me tell you a little story? I once knew a guy who could have been a great golfer, could have gone pro, all he needed was a little time and practice. Decided to go to college instead. Went for four years, did pretty well. At the end of his four years, his last semester he was kicked out... You know what for? He was night putting, just putting at night with the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Dean... You know who that guy was Danny?
Danny Noonan: No.
Ty Webb: Take one good guess.
Danny Noonan: Bob Hope?
Ty Webb: Ha ha... No, that guy was Mitch Cumstein, my roommate. He was a good guy.

[Ian Andrew]

Uplands (Thompson) plays around a small ski hill.
Lawn bowling / alternate putting green at Onondaga

I've been to a family day where all the races and events are on the fairways - kind of fun - unless your the super.

I've been in a go kart using the continuous path system (superintendents)
I've skateboarded at another before opening (more than a few years back, but the hill was great)
The cart paths are fun on a bike too.

Cross country skiiing....

[Carl Nichols]

Very nice - underage drinking and cart jumping....

At the same time, of course . . .

[Rory Connaughton]

Horse racing - The Country Club
Eventing/Equestrian (I believe Riviera 1932 Olympics?)
Landing strip - Connemara

[Ben Stephens]

Burghley Park Golf Club, nr Stamford, Lincs UK is used as part of the Burghley Horse Trials in early September the course is closed for 2 weeks meaning members play matches against local clubs and play at some local clubs for a reduced fee.

The course is used for caravans and horse warm ups etc. 2 years ago the weather was horrendous and made some parts of the course into quagmire (people, horses and caravans moving) which led to a number of fairways to be re-sodded and it took a while for them to be brought back to play (temporary holes had to be created)

Cheers
Ben

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