par 3 course Archives • GolfStinks

An Entirely New Approach To Executive-Style Golf Courses

September 13, 2016 | By Greg D'Andrea | 4 Comments

Can the Pointfive ball change the future of golf? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

The time it takes to play a round of golf these days is borderline ridiculous. In many cases, five hours is the norm (sometimes 6) and that just doesn’t fit into the 21st-century lifestyle. But one company, Pointfive is trying to help. You see Pointfive has concluded that in order to speed-up play, you should play a shorter-length golf course.

Recently, I’ve written about playing a 12-hole course to help hasten your round. But Pointfive is referring to golf courses of more the “par 3” or “executive” variety. Unfortunately, the thought of an executive-style course doesn’t really appeal to me. And if I had to guess, it doesn’t really appeal to many others either.

One major issue with these types of courses is you can’t hit all your clubs – especially your driver. Limiting the number of clubs you can use tends to diminish the game for many golfers – myself included. But this is where Pointfive comes to the rescue.

Pointfive manufactures limited distance golf balls. In fact, these balls travel just 60 percent of what normal balls travel. That may not sound like much, but on an executive-style golf course, it brings your entire bag of clubs back into play.

Pointfive adds a twist to the golf ball sleeve (photo by Greg D'Andrea) — Pointfive adds a new twist to the golf ball sleeve (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

The good folks at Pointfive sent me two free sleeves of their Hy-Flyte golf balls and I put them to the test this past weekend on a local executive 9. Now these are 1-piece balls that actually float, so they are a bit lighter than your typical golf balls. As such, my first inclination was to test them on the putting green, but I noticed no notable difference – their roll and lag was like that of normal balls.

Moving on, the first hole was a 100-yard par 3 – a distance where I would typically hit my 56-degree wedge (sand wedge). But with the Hy-Flyte ball, I hit my 7-iron and was nearly pin-high. My 7-iron averages around 160 yards, so in this case, the 60 percent distance of these balls is fairly accurate.

There were also a few holes on this course around 300-yards long. In each case, I hit driver off the tee and landed around 110-yards from the center of the green. This would put my driving distance at around 155 yards (normally I’m about 260 with the big dog). Again, this holds true to the 60 percent distance of these balls. In addition, the flight pattern and trajectory seemed mostly on par with what I would expect to see.

By the end of my round, I knew these golf balls would entice me to play more executive-style courses in the future. The Hy-Flyte balls truly gave me back my entire set of clubs on a course where that normally wouldn’t be the case. What’s more, I felt satisfied despite finishing in just under 2 hours flat (even with a wait on most tee-boxes).

Admittedly, it was a bit strange hitting a 7-iron from around 100 yards out – at least initially anyway. And if you are a newbie where most tee-shots are flubs, it might be best to play regular balls – after all, you need all the distance you can get!

But for those in search of a quicker round, yet reluctant to play a par 3 or executive-style golf course, these balls just might be the solution.

What’s interesting is Pointfive also highlights the economic and environmental impact of their golf ball. On their website, the company points-out that with increased popularity of their ball, there will be demand for a new generation of golf course. One that is 60 percent scale and “requires minimal water and chemical usage; are much more affordable to build, maintain and play; and require only 40-70 acres of land.”

Can one ball drive the golf industry to thinking on a smaller-scale? It might be a stretch, but I believe everyone understands the game needs to get quicker, cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Let’s face it, the majority of us are recreational golfers and we are certainly looking for quicker and cheaper rounds. Hey, crazier things have been proposed (giant holes anyone)…

For the here and now, Pointfive’s Hy-Flyte golf ball will allow you to play shorter-length courses with a full-length course experience. Your options for golf on a tight schedule just got a whole lot better. And for me, that’s innovation enough.

Five Ways To Have More Fun On The Golf Course

August 18, 2015 | By Chris Chirico | 3 Comments

As a golfer, I know how the game can look to a non-golfer: Boring. I’ve heard it time and again from my non-golfing friends. They wonder how I can chase a little ball around the course all day. Of course, they’re just watching the game on TV. Hey, I’m bored by that also. I don’t watch golf on TV either. I’d rather just go out and play myself. But what if you are a golfer and the game seems to be getting a little stale to you? Maybe you need a few things to spice your game up a bit. Why not give a couple of these a try?

1. Put a little money on it – Nothing makes a game a little more interesting than a friendly wager. Maybe you throw down a few bucks on the round? Maybe you’re feeling a little more daring and you go a few bucks per hole? Maybe not…so you play instead for a round at the 19th hole. No matter what you play for, there’s no questions that a golf bet makes your round much more interesting.

2. Play a game other than your normal 9 or 18 – Most of us golfers go out and simply play our normal game with routine scoring. Is that getting a little tired? Especially if one guy in your regular foursome is constantly beating the rest of you? Try a little something different – play a different game. How about a skins game? Or maybe you could play a round of best ball? Maybe you just want to stick to your regular game, but your tired of your buddy wiping the floor with the rest of your foursome. Why not take your handicap into account? After all, getting beat every time you play can certainly suck the wind out of your sails. Leveling the playing field a bit certainly makes the game more fun for all.

3. Ride the new guy – Call me a jerk, but I find it quite entertaining to poke a little fun at the new guy as he stumbles through his first time doing, well.., just about anything really. So why not incorporate that into your round? Think about it – you’ll be doing the game a service by introducing it to someone new. But at the same time, you’ll be laughing your way through the round as your new golfing buddy learns the rules, both of the game and of etiquette. He or she will leave their bag on the wrong side of the green, forget their putter in the cart or have to play the rest of the hole with their pants around their ankles for not reaching the women’s tee on their drive. OK….maybe not that one or your round might be over much earlier than anticipated. But you get what I mean…

4. Leave some clubs in the trunk – Want to try a little something different out there? Play with only half of your clubs. It’s a little something my stinky golfing buddies and I have tried a couple of times. Granted, it’s a game better suited for a short or executive course, but fun nonetheless. Choose either five or seven clubs, plus your putter, and see what you can do. The fun starts when you have to decide which clubs you choose to exclude. Wait until you get to that first time you would use your six-iron, only to find out you didn’t bring it along. Fun? Well, I can understand how that might be questionable. Good luck!

5. Step outside of your comfort zone – Are you the type who plays the same course or two all the time? If so, then you are severely missing out. Half the fun of golf is the variety that it offers from course to course. Do you play a muni on a regular basis? Well once a year or so, go treat yourself to a higher-end course. Maybe go try out a par-3 or executive course. Ever play golf at night? Now there’s something different. In golf, different is fun!

Look, if you’re not on the course to have fun, then either you’re a PGA pro, or you’re doing it wrong. It’s become our mantra here at GolfStinks – Golf is a game, you should have fun playing it. If you take the game too seriously and get angry when you don’t play well, you need a change in your mindset. Let me help – The sooner you accept that you will never be a pro golfer, the sooner you will begin having fun. The sooner you accept that you stink at this game, the sooner you’ll have fun playing it. If you’re that type of golfer who gets angry at every poor shot, slams your club into the ground or tosses it into a lake…you need to rethink the reason you’re out there. Not only are you not having fun, but you’re ruining it for the people who are playing with you and around you.

Again, it’s a game. It should be fun. If it’s getting stale to you, then maybe you need to switch it up a bit. Put a little wager into your round. Play something other than your standard scoring. Introduce someone new to the game. In the end, just do what it takes to make sure you keep giving yourself a reason to be out on the course. And for crying out loud, have fun!

The Contradictions of Golf

July 28, 2014 | By Chris Chirico | 2 Comments

Next to a chess match, golf just might be the slowest moving sport going. Or maybe it just feels that way when you’re watching or playing it. But the funny thing about that is, every golfer is in such a hurry to get their round finished! I hate playing with people who are in a rush. I just want to scream my head off at them – What’s your rush? Aren’t you enjoying yourself? Don’t you want to spend some time out here with your buddies? Did you make other plans? You know we were golfing today and we always grab a bite to eat after the round…did you really make other plans so now you’re going to bitch and moan the whole round about how you need to leave? You know what…next time just stay home!

But golf is full of this type of behavior. If it’s not the speed of the game, it’s the level of play or the cost of everything associated with it. What do I mean? Here….let me explain.

1. The speed of the game. As explained above, golf is a slow moving sport. We are all aware of that going in. So why in the hell is every golfer in such a hurry to finish? Why do you make a 9am tee-time and then make plans for the early afternoon? You know there’s a good chance you won’t be done in time. And if you are done, you’ll be cutting it awfully close. Everyone understands there is no rule saying your round must be completed in four hours, right? You all know that time was just made up by courses so they can squeeze in as much golf as possible in order to make as much money as possible, right? Obviously, no one wants to be stuck behind someone who is just so deliberately and unnecessarily slow – bad golf is tolerable, slow golf is not. But as long as that person has the common courtesy to let a faster group play through, then what’s the issue? We need to go into these rounds with a more relaxed, laid back attitude. It will make your round so much more fun. If you’re in that big a hurry, play nine or play an executive/par=-3 course.

2. The competition in the game. Most of us golfers are just out there for fun. The majority just plays for no reason other than they simply enjoy playing. We’re not pros, we’re never going to be pros and we accept that. We don’t care. The game is more fun when that reality is accepted. But it bothers me when I hear the people who claim this mindset, but in the next breath they are going on about how their lessons have helped lower their handicap to a level better than the next guys. Seriously? I thought you were out here for fun. Why do you care if you have a better handicap than your buddy? I’ve made the comparison before, but it still rings true – I didn’t hire a batting coach when I played beer league softball. But I played softball for the same reason I play golf – for fun. So why would I spend a stupid amount of money for lessons in something I’m never going to take any further than my local track?

3. The cost of the game. Unless you’re rich or incredibly well-off, the cost of this sport is something all of us take into account. We all know by now that you can take a $50 pair of shoes, slap some spikes on the bottom, and now they’re $100 golf shoes. Many of us will not treat ourselves to a nicer course because of the price. Some golfers feel like they don’t belong there because they’re not good enough to play a course like that (which is a ridiculous way of thinking by the way). OK, I understand that. But don’t complain about the cost of the game when you show up in your $60 polo shirt, using your $120 putter to tap around a ball that came out of a package which cost you $40 for a dozen. You can spend one-third of that on all of those things, and next thing you know you will have the money to play that nicer course!

I’m not saying all golfers act in this manner, and I get why some do. I understand why someone’s handicap means something to them. I get that people feel like anything more than four hours is too long to be golfing. And I understand that people have places they would rather spend their money than on a golf course. I just find the contradictions amusing. Oh well…one more thing I love about this sport!

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Thoughts on Executive & Par 3 Courses

July 2, 2014 | By Greg D'Andrea | 2 Comments

Do you play par 3 and executive golf courses? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

I don’t really play executive (or par 3) courses. In fact, the last time I played one, it was 2007. I’ve been pretty forthcoming in the past about these length-challenged courses (see HERE), but perhaps I’ve sold them a little short (pardon the pun).

In these tough economic times and (perhaps more importantly) with slow play alarmingly rampant, perhaps we should revisit the idea of sneaking in a few rounds per year on a par-27 (or par-32) course. After all, they are cheaper to play and your round goes much faster.

Yet when I recently learned one of the nicer courses near me was all booked for the weekend, I declined their offer to play their new executive course instead. What gives?

Well, not being able to use your driver still bothers me. And even though par 3’s play into my strengths, I feel there still needs to be a nice mix of holes (especially with some par 5’s mixed in).

But I want to know what you think – and to that end, we have two polls for you below. First, tell us how often you play executive-style courses and then, tell us if you would be interested in playing them more frequently.

Hey, maybe we can kill two birds (slow play and price) with one stone here.

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Why Par 3 and Executive Golf Courses Make Me Uneasy

July 22, 2010 | By Greg D'Andrea | 13 Comments

Tashua Glen - Par 33 (photo by Greg D'Andrea) — Tashua Glen – Par 33 (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

In my post last week, I made a rather strong statement that I could be playing at either St. Andrews or some pitch n’ putt somewhere and it wouldn’t make much of a difference to me. I went on to explain that it doesn’t matter where I play…that once I strap the old clubs on my back, my golf pilgrimage begins.

That statement was, for the most part, true. Yet of the hundreds of golf courses I’ve played in my lifetime, an extremely small percentage of them were of the executive or par 3 caliber. You may be wondering why. Why would this self-procliamed lover of all golf courses – a man who has played all the public 18-hole courses in his home state for the sheer fun of it (good ones and bad alike)…why would he have something against par 3 and executive courses?

I’ve pondered this question myself from time-to-time. And to tell you the truth, the truth hurts. You see, the reality is, I’m a bit particular…well, OK – call me anal. I’m like this about most things in my life and golf is no exception. Move a notepad on my desk and I move it back to its exact original position; when I read a book, I must read all the reviews on the inside flap, the editors note and the acknowledgments; and if you book a tee-time at a course where par is less than 69, my universe is thrown out of whack somewhat.

No par 5’s?? Par for the course is 54??? How am I supposed to test out my new driver???? *BAM!* Universe out of whack, planets misaligned, etc., etc. The last time I played a “short” course (I actually had to go look this up) was July 21, 2007 – three years ago. Before that? Your guess is as good as mine.

I can tell you that three years ago I acquiesced because of my playing partners. Stinky Golfer Tom and I were playing with our dads – both of whom are in their 70s. Tom’s dad had grown fond of a 9-hole, par 33 course that had recently opened up in our area and suggested we all play there.

Par 33. My mind instantly imagined windmills and a clown’s mouth. Why? I knew this wasn’t putt-putt golf, but I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve turned into a golf course profiler…I should be ashamed of myself! Of course the place was great (see photo at top). And true to my post from last week – once I teed-off, I was very much enjoying myself – as if the course was much more grandiose.

But I haven’t been back since. And I haven’t played another par 3 or executive course since either. I know if…er, when I do again, I probably will still enjoy myself once I’m out on the course. But as far as when that will be? Hmmm, perhaps talk to me again in another three years.

An Entirely New Approach To Executive-Style Golf Courses

Five Ways To Have More Fun On The Golf Course

The Contradictions of Golf

Thoughts on Executive & Par 3 Courses

Why Par 3 and Executive Golf Courses Make Me Uneasy

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