[Phil McDade]

Looking back on some past threads I've done, I fondly recall this one:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41510.0.html

and remember it as a fun course to play. More importantly, for this discussion, it struck me as a nearly ideal course in which one can learn how to play the game of golf.

What are the characteristics that should make up a course where one learns the game? Not -- where one learns how to become a single-digit handicapper, or where one learns to appreciate how a links course differs from a parkland course, or similar such exercises. But more along the lines of: You've just decided to start playing the game. You're more interested in actually playing a course, rather than spending hours on a driving range. You've got more enthusiasm than skill. What should the course include -- and perhaps more importantly, not include?

Here's my list:

-- It should encourage walking (by that I mean, it should be a pleasant, not taxing, walk).
-- It should be really difficult -- in fact, near-impossible -- to lose a golf ball.
-- It should offer plenty of room to hit a wayward shot and still recover.
-- It should be of reasonable length, or allow play at reasonable length.
-- It shouldn't be overly bunkered.
-- It should provide interesting green complexes, because recovery shots that are 50 yards and under are some of the most enjoyable shots a beginner can face.
-- It should provide reasonable green speeds, but highly contoured and sloped/tilted greens are fine, and even encouraged.

I learned to play -- at a late starting age (early-20s) -- at a 9-hole par 3 course much like this. The course wasn't repetitive, because the par 3s varied in length and character, and I recall using everything from 9-irons to fairway woods off the tees. The greens were small targets, so recovery shots from off the green were common. Yet it had few penal areas (save for OB hard by a few holes), little in the way of bunkering, and a creek easily avoided that run through the middle. A course I've played dozens of times and enjoyed -- my father-in-law's 9-hole home course in his small hometown in Minnesota -- also has many of these attributes.

Thoughts? Childhood reminiscing encouraged. Better yet, links to photo threads of such courses encouraged even more.

[Connor Dougherty]

Can't help but read this and think TOC...the bunkers are rather deep for a beginner, but the fairways are wide enough and the contours are interesting enough that it's the perfect place for the beginning golfer. It also allows the beginner golfer to use his imagination to hit shots. Only he may have the courage to play 11 with a putter the same way Alister MacKenzie so fondly referred to the way the eden could be played.

In the states, I would think that Old Mac has to be up there. Many of the same characteristics that you mentioned, although the same problems with deep bunkers. Isn't that why they invented the hand wedge? 

[Brent Hutto]

I learned to play on a course with no fairway irrigation (although it was added a few years after I took up the game) and with teensy little pushup greens. Mostly pitched from back to front, very old fashioned. I think small greens are good for beginners as long as their surrounds are a combination of fairway and manageable rough rather than deep bunkers or water hazards. It takes the pressure off putting (i.e. beginners don't get discouraged by 3-putting and 4-putting a lot on faster, larger greens) and it emphasizes fairly simple chipping and pitching short game shots. When you're shooting 105 on a course like that we're talking one or two greens in regulation and some kind of short-game shot on the majority of holes, many of them very straightforward.

[Jason Thurman]

In light of Connor's post, I think you should add a few other requirements:

* Not too crowded: Most of the beginner golfer's I've played with would rather not have to worry about waiting to hit shots or having groups behind them waiting. They also get a bit self-conscious about hitting with onlookers.
* Inexpensive: No beginner is going to pay over 100 quid/bucks every time they play.

Personally, if I'm introducing them to the game, I always start beginners off on executive courses.

[Howard Riefs]

Phil -

Spring Valley immediately jumps to mind. It meets most all requirements, particularly "shouldn't be overly bunkered."

[Phil McDade]

Howard:

One of the courses I had in mind.

Last time I was out there, the local high school team from nearby Antioch IL was getting ready for its season -- the coach was a real good guy, and clearly had a pretty wide range of ability among his players. But that's a course that can test quite good players without being overly strenuous on youngsters learning the game.

[Connor Dougherty]

Jason, I agree. Most beginners don't want to have the pressure of playing fast or want to pay a lot of money.

The Links Trust sets up these unbelievable deals for locals at St. Andrews (i.e. for students at the university, it's 180 quid for the year to play all St. Andrews Links Trust courses and Kingsbarns), so in the winter playing without a crowd at a cheap is more feasible.

Up in Eugene is a 9 hole course called Laurelwood, and it would also be a great course for beginners. It has really shallow bunkers and promotes many of the strategic principles that we all call for on here. For a beginning golfer, where getting out of a bunker is a new concept, this is a tremendous course. Greens are impeccable too.

Edit: Niall informed me that credit should be given to the Links Trust for the deals so I have made the edit here in the original post.

[Josh Tarble]

One thing on the course I played growing up was an all or nothing carry. It was only about 75 yards, so very manageable.  I think  shots like that...if very limited are great because of the joy that comes from executing a safe shot. 

[Doug Siebert]

-- It should encourage walking (by that I mean, it should be a pleasant, not taxing, walk).
-- It should be really difficult -- in fact, near-impossible -- to lose a golf ball.
-- It should offer plenty of room to hit a wayward shot and still recover.
-- It should be of reasonable length, or allow play at reasonable length.
-- It shouldn't be overly bunkered.
-- It should provide interesting green complexes, because recovery shots that are 50 yards and under are some of the most enjoyable shots a beginner can face.
-- It should provide reasonable green speeds, but highly contoured and sloped/tilted greens are fine, and even encouraged.

I mostly agree, except I'd say it should have very few bunkers.  Definitely, absolutely without a doubt there should be ZERO fairway bunkers, and maybe half the holes would have one greenside bunker that doesn't have much of a lip.  No more than one on the course that completely covers the front of the green.

I'm not sure about highly sloped greens.  Beginners always seem to have a real problem with the whole concept of break, and I see them either aim directly at the hole or if they allow for break allow a fraction of the actual break.  And even if they have an experienced player telling them where to aim, they have a terrible time with feel, and are equally likely to hit a putt halfway to the hole as they are half again past it.  Greens that are too contoured would lead to too many 4 putts, and nothing takes away a beginner's joy of hitting a few shots and getting an actual par putt as walking away from his par putt with his usual triple.

I agree with Josh about having an all or nothing carry somewhere.  The course I learned on the summer after sixth grade (after having played maybe twice on dinky nine holers and 2-3 times on a University owned semi-maintained closed course in the year or two previous) had a 257 yard par 4 where you drove over a big pond.  You had to hit maybe 120 yards to carry the whole thing straight at the green, but you could bail out to the right (conveniently also the place where a beginner's slices would miss) and hit as short as 40 yards.  I remember being pretty proud of myself when I finally dared to try taking it over the long way and making it!  I'm pretty sure I still have in a box somewhere the ball I made my first par with that summer - lucking in a wedge from 25 yards on a 325 yard par 4

[Niall C]

Connor

Re the local rates at St Andrews, I believe credit should go to the Links Trust, not the R&A.

Re a good course to learn, I would think the most important ingredient would be time. Time to play around without being chased from behind would be more important than anything. When I think of when I played as a kid at my local course, during the summer me and my pals virtually had the course to ourselves. Nowadays you can't move for old retired codgers who don't take kindly to their daily game being held up or delayed.

Re hazards, I kinda disagree with most in that whatever level your at surely you relish the challenge even if you fail most times. Clearly a 175 yard carry over water might be pointless but some kind of bunkers, even if they are shallow would raise the blood pressure and excitement levels somewhat.

Niall

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