What are some things (IYO) every course should have?

[Bump-n-MI]

Some of mine are below:

1. At least 1 drivable par 4.
2. Rangers that actually enforce local club rules concerning slow play.
3. Scorecards with a diagram of the course layout.
4. Some sort of dress code (I'll just leave that one open-ended).
5. 10 minute gaps between tee-times (you wouldn't need this if people maintained proper pace of play).
6. 1 par 3 over 200 yds.
7. Consistent yardage markers (i.e. 200, 150, 100) as I'm not a big fan of searching for sprinkler heads.

[PiKapp23]

I will agree with your list wholeheartedly as well as add the following:

Shoe cleaners on every tee box (on the ballcleaners like many courses have).
A wide range of hole lengths that require players to use all clubs.
Practice green with green speed as close as possible to holes on course.
Consistent 'effective' green speeds (considering slopes on green - more severly sloped green can be slower).
Drinking water available on course.

I'm sure I could come up with a couple hundred others, but I'll leave it there for now and let some other people play.

[M2daRizzle]

water coolers every couple of holes and at least one bathroom on each 9.

[Stacey_E]

Every course should have the ball and clubhead cleaners on their carts. I mean, how expensive can they be?

I'm lucky in that my course has pretty powerful electric carts with clubhead/ball cleaners, fold down windshields, roofs (not all do), cooler bins, fold down rain cover for the bags, 4 large drink holders, ball and tee holders, score card holders on the steering wheels and two large bins in the front that I always leave my sunglasses in. I take these features for granted until I play somewhere without them.

[colin007]

i agree with all except #4.

at some of my local courses i would be happy with water in the ball washers. they have the washers but they are usually bone dry.

also, it would be nice if the tee boxes were level.

[David in FL]

Well, as long as we're dreaming.........a real live caddie program.

[MrKadash]

Easy. A extraordinarily hot, blond haired, blue-eyed beverage cart driver.

[meenman]

Some of mine are below:

Agree with all except #1 - in my opinion a drivable par 4 is just a par 3 you can use your 3 wood or driver on

[RC]

Agree with all the suggestions here, but add every par three tee box should have a sand box and to scoop to fill divots (or something equivalent,) and every cart should have plenty of sand (or sand and grass seeds) in those divot pouring thingies to fill divots. What do you call those? I wish walkers had something to carry to fill their divots.

I also think spitting sunflower seed hulls on greens should be prohibited -- to all you sunflower chewers, please don't leave your hulls on the greens. They are as much a problem for a smooth roll as some ball marks. Coming to think of it, there are some tobacco chewers who spit on the greens as well -- come on, the greens are sacred ground.

[GolfingNewbie]

A starter nazi... If your tee time is 1pm as of 12:55 you are late...

[Big_M]

1) semi-diveable par 4... 300-330 from the tips
2) lots of water coolers or otherwise
3) some bunkers
4) sand & seed at the par 3's
5) good yardage cards, not just on the carts
6) marked sprinklers and 100,150, 200
7) twilight and walking rates
8) walk ANY-F***ING-TIME
9) a short par 3
10) dress code

I'll stop at ten, I have other wishes, but these top my list.

[brettwasbtd]

Agree with all the suggestions here, but add every par three tee box should have a sand box and to scoop to fill divots (or something equivalent,) and every cart should have plenty of sand (or sand and grass seeds) in those divot pouring thingies to fill divots. What do you call those? I wish walkers had something to carry to fill their divots.

After the suggestion of others on this forum, I now carry an empty gatorade bottle that I keep in my bag. Only problem is that I can't get sand until I hit my first par 3. So I guess I would like a sand fill station by the clubhouse or first tee?

I feel every course should have at least 9 holes that offer a high risk/reward through the use of doglegs, bunkers, blind tee shots, and water. The other 9 should be fairly what you see is what you get. Just my opinion though.

[bogeyhitter25]

1. A severe downhill par 3 that requires you to hit either a sand wedge, or lob wedge.
2. A par 6 (just for fun).
3. An island green.

[flanagan]

1. Owners with the fortitude to just say no, i.e., let's not clog the course with fivesomes just for the extra green/cart fee (they do not play just as fast as four) and let's not, for heaven's sake, let people play individual group "best shots" during peak times.

2. Owners willing to read rule number one and not be afraid to say "no"!

I'm just astounded with the trend the last couple years where I live of people that think a Saturday morning round, when the course is busy, should be a foursome playing their own 2 man best shot or a fivesome playing 3/2. Plenty of tournaments around to play in, or go out when the course isn't busy if you want to unwind and have some fun, but otherwise PLAY GOLF!

[cdriver]

Rather than specify any particular layout, I want a course that fits naturally into the terrain. I want the course to be set up for walkers...no long distances between greens and the next tee. I want water at regular intervals. I want a marshall with a gun who knows how to use it on dawdlers. I want a good driving range and practice area. I want a reasonably well maintained course without bare patches where they shouldn't be. I want a designer with an imagination who gives me something to think about and risks to contemplate. I want reasonable greens fees and I would like it to be one of the courses listed on my Skycaddie website.

[uttexas]

1. Friendly staff
2. Drinking water every three holes (especially in the southern states)
3. Broken tee receptacle on every tee box
4. Level tee boxes
5. No blind tee shots, unless you offer caddies, GPS with advice, or yardage book with advice.
6. Yardage markers
7. Ability to walk (this implies short distance from green to next tee)
8. There should be a divot repair tool given to players that don't have one. The starter or clubhouse guy should instruct every player to repair their divot and atleast one other.
9. Sand/seed mix in every cart and on every par 3 to fill in divots

[lumpuckeroo]

100, 150 and 200 yard markers in the the middle of the fairways. My muni has a small plastic stick that is no more then 18" tall in the middle of the fairways for the three yardages, amazing how quickly you can pull a club, weither on or off the fairway, when you can easily spot those distances.

[Dub]

Pace of play enforcement.


Sand bottles assesable for filling in divots.


Clean and cool drinking water every 3rd hole.


Encouragement to repair ball marks.....free tools and signage.


Accurate distances on sprinkler heads.


Good warm up and practice areas for full swing, putting and chipping.


Level tee boxes.