USGA decides to go to 8 inch holes!

[iacas]

if I were to incorporate a stupid rule it would be a stroke penalty for dropping your ball when fishing it out of the hole

That's stupid, and I'm not sure why you bothered to post it. How would you practice putt or chip?

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one.

I think you missed the point.

[pjsnyc]

That's stupid, and I'm not sure why you bothered to post it. How would you practice putt or chip?

LOL, it is stupid. I figured this was the stupid rules thread, so forgive me if I'm wrong.

As for the analogy, I don't think I missed the point. I aced it!

[hurley9192]

we did a tourney at our club with 8 inch holes and the scores were pretty low...about 6 strokes less per round. It would definitely change the par and rating calculations.

Hogan would have been a big proponent because he hated the putting aspect...said there was too much emphasis on it. This would negate it, but how would you measure par if you plan for 2 strokes per hole on the green? It wouldn't automatically be one stroke either.

[sonicblue]

I find missing putts to be the least reason for pace of play. As was said, it's play in the fairway, poor usage of carts, not preparing for your shot while someone else is hitting, searching for wayward drives...... If anything, I see people hover and hover over putts forever, then when they miss, they rush the next one and tap it in, so all you'd save is the five seconds for that tap-in. It's not like people would hole out every 40-footer.

[sonicblue]

we did a tourney at our club with 8 inch holes and the scores were pretty low...about 6 strokes less per round. It would definitely change the par and rating calculations.

6 strokes, among what players? Single-digits like yourself? Not a scramble, I presume? In a scramble, I would be the wider hole would lower scores by 12-15 strokes!

A wide hole, and I'd easily drop 4-6 strokes per round, as I often miss putts by just 1-2". However, I've played with plenty of people who never get within 2" of the cup, they finish most every hole with a 6" tap-in.

[iacas]

Hogan would have been a big proponent because he hated the putting aspect...said there was too much emphasis on it. This would negate it, but how would you measure par if you plan for 2 strokes per hole on the green? It wouldn't automatically be one stroke either.

Did you read anything I wrote above? I've spoken to this very thing several times already.

The experiment was tried in Hogan's day. The better putters made even more putts: the average and bad putters didn't make nearly as many "extras." A bigger hole simply widened the gap between the good and the average putters. And common sense, if you think about it for a little while, would back that up. Good putters, when they miss, don't miss by much. Bad putters miss by more.

[mellojoe]

Now, I have read a TON of threads on this forum, and the number one complaint I hear from you guys is

You know what would increase pace of play better than changing the fundamentals of the game?

Hit off of one tee closer. If you are a #1 tee, step up to the #2. If you are usually off of #2, step up to #3. Stick to the rules of the game, but give yourself that extra 30 to 50 yards. You'll still have just as much fun, but you won't need as much club for your approach shots. You still get the fun of your driver off the tee, but you'll get the opportunity to relax and easy swing into the green. Then normal putts. I saw a great article on this once, and I'm digging to see if I can find it right now.

[Crafty]

Making the hole 8 inches wide would make five foot putts basically tap ins. You hardly ever miss a five,six, or seven foot putt by more than a couple of inches. It would just make the game too easy.

Think about it on the tour as well. Thos guys can shoot 65 at any time. Making the cup 8 inches would make 59 an everyday score.

Making an eight inch cup would also cuase people to be overly aggressive when putting since the target is so big. When people miss they have an eight or nine footer left. Which would slow down play.

Overall dumb idea IMO.

[pjsnyc]

Just curious as to who chose the 'undecided' option and why

[The Rambler]

...communism could right now still be in force in Russia.

The government they have right now is pretty close to it, especially with Putin at the helm.

[Stuart]

No I don't support it. Putting is very difficult. Its the most difficult part of the game for me. I would feel kind of cheated if they did that. One of the reasons I got hooked on this game is because it wasn't easy. I'd have to imagine that the game would be considerably easier if they did this. I lip out at least 3 putts per round.

[ApocG10]

ok, I realize how old this is. But wow, I cannot believe this was ever even talked about, yet considered a good idea by a few. What a horrible, horrible idea.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by ApocG10

ok, I realize how old this is. But wow, I cannot believe this was ever even talked about, yet considered a good idea by a few. What a horrible, horrible idea.

There is a course in Atlanta that implemented this. Other than that - thankfully - I don't believe anyone else actually incorporated 8 inch holes?

[vo-man]

We don't need bigger holes.....Just make the greens all level!

[ApocG10]

Originally Posted by vo-man

We don't need bigger holes.....Just make the greens all level!

That may be an even worse idea, or at least as bad.

[jshots]

I've often wondered if putting is too difficult, almost unreasonably difficult. Even pros don't really make that many longer putts, and I feel like when someone really goes lights out with an incredible round, that they are often just getting lucky that their putts are dropping.

For example, I have days when I am putting well, but I don't make ANYTHING. Burning the edge by and inch or so on a bunch of putts. On the other hand, I've had days where it just seems like all of those I might have missed by an inch go in the hole. Most "good" putting days are somewhere in the middle of those 2. It's not that my putting improved, I honestly believe that it just accounts to luck.

Then on the other other hand, I have BAD days putting, where I miss by a lot more, rather than inches, its feet. If the hole were to be a few inches wider (8 is excessive), then my bad days might improve ever so slightly but not much, and my good days would improve a lot and more accurately reflect how well I putted rather than just having to get lucky and have putts drop. That is my theory.

It wouldn't be making it easy I don't think, but it would more accurately reflect how the player was putting for the day. I would love to see someone do some kind of study on this.

[David in FL]

Goog grief. By that reasoning, Why even bother with a hole at all? Let's just say that if you put it on the green you're deemed to have holed out. That oughta increase the pace of play even more! If people don't want to play golf, they should just find another way to occupy their time......

[logman]

It's an interesting idea, It'd make double bogie obsolete, and may even turn me into a scratch golfer. maybe I'll just bring my own cup with me and drill my own hole, put, then replace the turf.

No, how about this, all golf courses are supplied with 18 holes, varying in size from 2.5 inches to 18 inches. The holes would be covered with a plate so golfers would not know the size of the hole until the pin was removed for putting. Course managers would put the holes on the hole the felt like. Could be fun!