Executive Courses?

[SloopDanB]

Wondering what your thoughts are on Executive Courses. 18 or 9, either one. I'm really starting to prefer 18 Hole Executive Courses over Regular, Championship sized courses. Cost and pace of play are the main reasons. I still love to play a normal sized 18 now and then, especially if that course has some history or significance. I've been playing golf almost 20 years, I'm well past my prime, and I just can't stand being out there for more than 3 or 4 hours. Thoughts?

[David in FL]

My 83 year old dad lives on one and plays it, and another, twice a week.  He couldn’t do that on a full-size course.

I enjoy playing both when I visit as a good opportunity to work on iron play.  As an added benefit, his group of golf buddies consider me to be “that young flat-belly who hits the ball so far”.  

...my golf buddies call me popop.  

Edited May 8, 2019 by David in FL

[AlDena]

I have one walking distance from my house. They do a senior deal (60+, no membership) for golf, cart, and a sandwhich/drink for $24. Usually the crowd and conditions are good on a weekday. I'm home in 5 minutes.

[Shindig]

When I was just learning golf (literally, before I even signed up for TST, which I did pretty early in my golf lifetime), after work I went to an executive course in El Segundo.  I'd hit the range, play the course, practice things, and eventually even took some lessons there.  It played a big part in my learning of golf.

I like them, but all other things being equal, I'd rather play a full length course.  I have the time and inclination and the difference in time doesn't do much for me.  But I definitely enjoy it when I get to play one. 

[Piz]

The closest course, to me, is a par 61 executive course.  It isn't easy to shoot par there and, in fact, I never have.  One hole is haunted and another is just plain bad.  Aside from that...it's challenging and fun to play.  That's all I look for in a golf course...pace of play aside.

[HJJ003]

Executive courses like regular length courses can be great or they can be crap. If you enjoy it, play it. 

[tehuti]

3 hours ago, AlDena said:

I have one walking distance from my house. They do a senior deal (60+, no membership) for golf, cart, and a sandwhich/drink for $24. Usually the crowd and conditions are good on a weekday. I'm home in 5 minutes.

Which course is that?

4 hours ago, SloopDanB said:

Wondering what your thoughts are on Executive Courses. 18 or 9, either one. I'm really starting to prefer 18 Hole Executive Courses over Regular, Championship sized courses. Cost and pace of play are the main reasons. I still love to play a normal sized 18 now and then, especially if that course has some history or significance. I've been playing golf almost 20 years, I'm well past my prime, and I just can't stand being out there for more than 3 or 4 hours. Thoughts?

My favorite local courses are a 9 hole exec course and an 18 hole exec course. But primarily because I can play a round in a reasonable time frame. 

[commishbob]

I played one regularly in west Houston, the Bear Creek Challenger course. It was a par 66, 5000 yards give or take. It was the host course for the regional Special Olympics tournament when I was a SO golf partner. Lots of great memories. Hurricane Harvey had it (deep!) underwater and it has not re-opened (at least the last time I checked).

[boogielicious]

My wife and I play a 9 hole course near our cottage in the summer. They are fun and give you extra practice at par 3 holes. There is a misconception that par 3 holes are the easier holes on a full size golf course. Being able to do a bunch of them is good practice.

[HJJ003]

10 hours ago, commishbob said:

I played one regularly in west Houston, the Bear Creek Challenger course. It was a par 66, 5000 yards give or take. It was the host course for the regional Special Olympics tournament when I was a SO golf partner. Lots of great memories. Hurricane Harvey had it (deep!) underwater and it has not re-opened (at least the last time I checked).

Fellow Houstonian here. Yeah I played Challenger with My wife (then girlfriend) 7 or 8 years ago. Yup, still closed from what I heard. Heron Lakes off the beltway got so much better when Swanson bought it up, though I hear it is for sale again. 

[billchao]

There's one county owned executive course near me and my experiences there are not great. Their maintenance budget isn't as high as the full sized courses and it shows.

Rounds weren't actually any faster because there were usually novice players out playing and you had to wait for the green to clear on almost every hole. Not my cup of tea.

[mcanadiens]

12 minutes ago, billchao said:

There's one county owned executive course near me and my experiences there are not great. Their maintenance budget isn't as high as the full sized courses and it shows.

That's our story here as well. Our executive course, Kittyhawk Falcon Course, which is a pretty stout bastard of a course, gets the shaft on the maintenance. Bunkers are usually crap and dead spots develop on the greens that would not be tolerated on the regulation courses.

On the other hand, it's usually not crowded at all during the week. Great place to knock the ball around when you get off mid-afternoon. 

[David in FL]

Like any other course.  I’ve seen them as well maintained as the best private club, and those that aren’t good for much more than grazing goats.

[IowaGreg]

We have a nice public 18 hole course that also has a nice executive 9 hole right there also.

 

 

[Shindig]

11 hours ago, tehuti said:

My favorite local courses are a 9 hole exec course and an 18 hole exec course. But primarily because I can play a round in a reasonable time frame. 

Lake Forest and Newport Beach?  Trying to think of other executive courses near you.  Perhaps there are more I should check out when I'm down there next?

[onthehunt526]

5 hours ago, boogielicious said:

My wife and I play a 9 hole course near our cottage in the summer. They are fun and give you extra practice at par 3 holes. There is a misconception that par 3 holes are the easier holes on a full size golf course. Being able to do a bunch of them is good practice.

Par-3s are not the easiest holes on regulation courses. That's actually a very common misconception. Par 3s are usually rated 15-18 because the stroke average difference between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer isn't as large as it is on a 450-yard par 4 or a long par 5. 

That being said, executive courses are a great way to enjoy the game. Because it takes less time to play and they are a lot of fun.

[tehuti]

1 hour ago, Shindig said:

Lake Forest and Newport Beach?  Trying to think of other executive courses near you.  Perhaps there are more I should check out when I'm down there next?

I like both of those. But I am actually talking about Brea Creek 9 and Birch Hills - also in Brea.

[gbogey]

15 hours ago, HJJ003 said:

Executive courses like regular length courses can be great or they can be crap. If you enjoy it, play it. 

Exactly - Used to live near one that was just as good as any course except more par 3's and less par 4's (although both 5's were short)