18-hole courses you could play with just 1 club and 1 ball

[Mark Pavy]

Imagine playing TOC with one of these "1" clubs.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1626277825/the-drutter

[Bill_McBride]

I think you could play a bunch of my courses with one club and one ball.

The only one I've actually tried it on is Old Macdonald.  I played a bunch of holes there one night using only my old Ping one-iron. 

How did the bunker shots go?

[JMEvensky]

Imagine playing TOC with one of these "1" clubs.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1626277825/the-drutter

Might fit better at Sherwood.

[Chuck Glowacki]

One ball, one climb is one of three events at the Sag Harbor Golf Club member guest. The other two are best ball (2 man teams) and best ball backwards (5 man teams)' yes the course is played backwards, tee up adjacent to 9th green and play to 8th green and so on.  One club is the last event and usually has about 40 guys teeing it up at the same time playing the same hole.  What a blast, of course this is after drinking beer ALL day.  Most fun I have ever had playing golf.

[Mark Pearce]

In a couple of weeks we have our annual "Long Hole" competition.  It's a better ball one club competition played over two composite holes.  One teeing off at the first tee and holing out on the 13th green (the furthest point of the course from the clubhouse), the second teeing off on the 15th and holing out on 18.  Winners manage to play it with one ball!

[Tom_Doak]

I think you could play a bunch of my courses with one club and one ball.

The only one I've actually tried it on is Old Macdonald.  I played a bunch of holes there one night using only my old Ping one-iron. 

How did the bunker shots go?

Luckily when I was younger I got to watch Seve Ballesteros demonstrate up close how to play an explosion shot with a 1-iron, so I can actually get out of a bunker unless I'm up against a steep face.  The main thing is, you try harder to avoid the bunkers!

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Sunnehanna; its firm and fast setup and terrific design allows for numerous play options, even with one club.

[Bill_McBride]

I think you could play a bunch of my courses with one club and one ball.

The only one I've actually tried it on is Old Macdonald.  I played a bunch of holes there one night using only my old Ping one-iron. 

How did the bunker shots go?

Luckily when I was younger I got to watch Seve Ballesteros demonstrate up close how to play an explosion shot with a 1-iron, so I can actually get out of a bunker unless I'm up against a steep face.  The main thing is, you try harder to avoid the bunkers!

No kidding!   That's cool to get out with a long iron.  I took three in Strath last time over with a 56* sand wedge!

[John Kavanaugh]

Yesterday Sweetens Cove proved to be a perfect venue for one ball and one club.  The lack of rough and tight chipping areas made a one iron an acceptable choice for every shot.  The only bunker I found was when I went through two groups at once by teeing off from nine tee to one green. For me, most fairway bunkers can not be reached with a one iron and most every green had some form of backstop to control your ball on an approach.  The only water in play is on six which can be avoided if you throw greed out the window, or just don't want to lose a ball.  36 holes, one ball, one bunker, one birdie with one very special club.  A Scratch Golf custom Don White grind 17 deg "one iron".  I'm surprised I threw that plug in considering they charged me to play.  $35 for all day, come on man.

[Jon Wiggett]

I would imagine most courses played off the daily tees with a 7 iron would fall into this category for a low handicapper. The original quote about TOC was that you could play it using only your putter which was maybe true once but doubtful now.

Jon

[Tyler Page]

I think I could play Elie with one ball and a six iron and probably score pretty well.

I actually learned to play the game with only a 6-iron, a wedge and a putter at Washington Golf & CC, a little Donald Ross track outside of DC.  I'm not sure I have ever actually recreated the joy of carrying three clubs under my arm with a couple balls and tees in my pocket and zipping around in 2 and a half hours (when I was learning, I only went out in bad weather when the course was empty).

 I would be willing to bet that on certain courses (shorter ones with lots of bunkers), a 10-handicapper could score better about 25% of the time playing with just such a limited number of club options.  To Tom's point, I think you end up being more cognizant of the dangers of being in the bunkers.  You also end up having to hit a lot of punches and chips that have a very consistent swing motion, and thus manage to avoid some of the mis-hits and places where strokes pile up for non-scratch players.

[Steven Blake]

Wolf Point

[Mark Pearce]

Elie is an excellent example, though you'd need to be sure to select a club capable of getting up the hill on the first!

[Jason Way]

Any course without a lot of really deep native right off of narrow fairways, and no lengthy forced carries. Pretty easy to do this at Kingsley if you can get past the second hole.

And don't forget 9 Bill.  Whatever club you choose, you better be able to feather it on to 9 green.  You'll die of old age before you get up and down with a 5 iron on that green. 

[Jason Way]

I think you could play a bunch of my courses with one club and one ball.

The only one I've actually tried it on is Old Macdonald.  I played a bunch of holes there one night using only my old Ping one-iron. 

Old Mac would have been my choice too.  That seems like it would be crazy fun.

[Alister Matheson]

Brora.

[John McCarthy]

There should be a timed one club ball hawk competition.  Stand on the first tee with a club and no balls.  Then go have to beat the bushes for a lost ball, run back to the first tee, away you go.  Lose a ball?  Go find another. 

Of course if there is betting involved there may have to be some pat-down searches to make sure no one is keeping a ball in their pocket.  Or, if held on one of the prison courses or in Wisconsin, a cavity search.