Comments on: A marketing idea for golf courses http://www.cameronstrachan.com/articles/marketing-for-golf-course/ Golf lessons, teachings and insight that makes golf improvement as simple as riding a bike or throwing a ball Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:34:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Cameron http://www.cameronstrachan.com/articles/marketing-for-golf-course/comment-page-1/#comment-678 Cameron Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:37:28 +0000 http://cameronsgolfblog.com/?p=1052#comment-678 @ Gregor: The courses I'm talking about would not suit many golfers. They are close to impossible - if a scratch golfer can't play them what chance does a 15 handicap golfer have? My main point was trying to understand the designers thinking behind certain design features. If the sole purpose was to build an incredibly tough course then I think they'll lose people in the long run - yeah, you'll probably play it once, but I doubt many will return a second time. Thanks for your comments. @ DP: I think you're referring to traditional golf course design. The golf course doesn't have to be super long for it to be tough. I played at Port Fairy earlier this year and it's a classic! Fairly short, but with some wind and small greens a great test of golf. I'm going back later this year for another bash - can't wait. Good golfing, Cameron @ Gregor: The courses I’m talking about would not suit many golfers. They are close to impossible – if a scratch golfer can’t play them what chance does a 15 handicap golfer have? My main point was trying to understand the designers thinking behind certain design features. If the sole purpose was to build an incredibly tough course then I think they’ll lose people in the long run – yeah, you’ll probably play it once, but I doubt many will return a second time. Thanks for your comments.

@ DP: I think you’re referring to traditional golf course design. The golf course doesn’t have to be super long for it to be tough. I played at Port Fairy earlier this year and it’s a classic! Fairly short, but with some wind and small greens a great test of golf. I’m going back later this year for another bash – can’t wait.

Good golfing,

Cameron

]]> By: DP http://www.cameronstrachan.com/articles/marketing-for-golf-course/comment-page-1/#comment-677 DP Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:38:52 +0000 http://cameronsgolfblog.com/?p=1052#comment-677 Cam, We all know that the golf ball is the culprit. When will someone with authority change the balls to limit the distance, i.e. someone with the balls to do it, and not be intimidated by the legal threats from the ball manufacturers. I believe there is a movement to have shorter games of golf which I suspect is partly a result of extra long tough courses taking forever to play. Many years ago Gary Player commented that American courses are quite wide open with little rough so that the large number of players can get round faster. Clearly an appropriate design is to have rough where finding the ball is easy but playing it is difficult (to varying degrees). E.G. trees, bushes etc. with with good ground clearance of the foliage but with plenty of foliage to interfere with the swing - much more preferable than having thick undergrowth which takes up lots of time to search. Places like the Pines in QLD. with multiple close pine trunks making exit from the rough tricky and exciting. Also The Colonial (Paradise Springs) in QLD where the ball goes into water on ~16 holes-no looking! (there is so much water that a gondolier is better than a cart!). Agreeing with you as usual. DP Cam,
We all know that the golf ball is the culprit.
When will someone with authority change the balls to limit the distance, i.e. someone with the balls to do it, and not be intimidated by the legal threats from the ball manufacturers.
I believe there is a movement to have shorter games of golf which I suspect is partly a result of extra long tough courses taking forever to play.
Many years ago Gary Player commented that American courses are quite wide open with little rough so that the large number of players can get round faster.
Clearly an appropriate design is to have rough where finding the ball is easy but playing it is difficult (to varying degrees).
E.G. trees, bushes etc. with with good ground clearance of the foliage but with plenty of foliage to interfere with the swing – much more preferable than having thick undergrowth which takes up lots of time to search.
Places like the Pines in QLD. with multiple close pine trunks making exit from the rough tricky and exciting.
Also The Colonial (Paradise Springs) in QLD where the ball goes into water on ~16 holes-no looking!
(there is so much water that a gondolier is better than a cart!).
Agreeing with you as usual.
DP

]]> By: Gregor http://www.cameronstrachan.com/articles/marketing-for-golf-course/comment-page-1/#comment-675 Gregor Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:02:52 +0000 http://cameronsgolfblog.com/?p=1052#comment-675 Impress your friends with tales of losing 10 balls and 4 putting five times ! Now that's a course you have to play. The features are obviously designed to get people talking, so the marketing people have done their job? Fair enough to warn people, but targeting a unique group might not do much for the courses income. I think any course should be set up to allow different standards of golfer to enjoy. Impress your friends with tales of losing 10 balls and 4 putting five times ! Now that’s a course you have to play. The features are obviously designed to get people talking, so the marketing people have done their job? Fair enough to warn people, but targeting a unique group might not do much for the courses income. I think any course should be set up to allow different standards of golfer to enjoy.

]]> By: Steady http://www.cameronstrachan.com/articles/marketing-for-golf-course/comment-page-1/#comment-676 Steady Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:11:47 +0000 http://cameronsgolfblog.com/?p=1052#comment-676 Hi Cam, I think golf course design has tried to get their own back due to technology. Jack Nickluas said todays golf ball goes way to far. He feels some great golf courses in the states have become obsolete due to the fact that players are using drivers and pitching wedges where he use to use driver six iron.So golf architecture has tried to combat the distance average players get with sneaky bunkering, long rough, triple tiered greens that are very fast and narrow fairways. It's easy to combat the golf ball change, just change the par for the course, if it is 72 make it 70 with 2 par 5's instead of 4 par 5's. You could bring in a local rule regarding par 5's and that is players are only allowed to use a 3 wood off the deck no tee. That would sort the men from the boys. Cheers Steady Hi Cam,
I think golf course design has tried to get their own back due to technology. Jack Nickluas said todays golf ball goes way to far. He feels some great golf courses in the states have become obsolete due to the fact that players are using drivers and pitching wedges where he use to use driver six iron.So golf architecture has tried to combat the distance average players get with sneaky bunkering, long rough, triple tiered greens that are very fast and narrow fairways. It’s easy to combat the golf ball change, just change the par for the course, if it is 72 make it 70 with 2 par 5′s instead of 4 par 5′s. You could bring in a local rule regarding par 5′s and that is players are only allowed to use a 3 wood off the deck no tee. That would sort the men from the boys.
Cheers Steady

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