15" Hole - How Much Lower Would Your Average Score Be?

[iacas]

Read this: http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/blogs/local-knowledge/2011/03/players-on-the-w-i-d-e-open-absolute-fun.html

How much lower do you think your average score would be if the hole was 15" wide?

[LeftyTrevor]

I think that ought to be a lesson for everybody on where to practice to lower scores.

[Ignorant]

Just roughly thinking I would sink 8-12 putts more per round, so my round average would be under par. Thus my handicap would be around +2.

But that would not be fun. It is like shooting ducks with M16. Besides I would not be playing any better than today.

[jamo]

I tend to lip out a lot of putts, so I think it would be substantially lower. I think it the improvement might wear off after a while though. It would be a fun experiment, that's for sure.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by iacas

Read this: http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/blogs/local-knowledge/2011/03/players-on-the-w-i-d-e-open-absolute-fun.html

How much lower do you think your average score would be if the hole was 15" wide?

Haha! I agree it would be fun to play once a year, like a scramble, but not all the time as it definitely takes the challenge and skill out of the game. I'd be looking to shoot 18 under par but would probably be happy breaking 60!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by LeftyTrevor

I think that ought to be a lesson for everybody on where to practice to lower scores.

How do you figure? Even the best PGA Tour golfers don't make a majority of their putts from 20 feet. There's only so much ground you can make up. A 15" hole makes even six footers "gimmes."

[jamo]

Originally Posted by LeftyTrevor

I think that ought to be a lesson for everybody on where to practice to lower scores.

I've been to a few golf courses (Island's End in Greenport, NY, and Wyantenuck CC in Great Barrington, MA) that have smaller-than-normal cups. It's really hard. I think that's actually better practice.

[allin]

I would shoot lower, 3-4 medium / long putts and 1-2 of those 6-10 foot lip outs a round.  but not as much as some others, Putting is my only real strength.  The poor putters would receive a much bigger bonus, especially on short putts, you could be very aggressive. I would give up my one real advantage. No thanks.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by jamo

I've been to a few golf courses (Island's End in Greenport, NY, and Wyantenuck CC in Great Barrington, MA) that have smaller-than-normal cups. It's really hard. I think that's actually better practice.

I have this problem at my local golf course. The greens are usually so soft, the holes actually shrink! They are also not very good at changing the holes very often, so there are days when everyone is lipping out like crazy.

[golf4fun12]

this would be so much fun. I don't recall any courses in socal that have had this.

[jamo]

Originally Posted by The_Pharaoh

I have this problem at my local golf course. The greens are usually so soft, the holes actually shrink! They are also not very good at changing the holes very often, so there are days when everyone is limping out like crazy.

Originally Posted by jamo

I've been to a few golf courses (Island's End in Greenport, NY, and Wyantenuck CC in Great Barrington, MA) that have smaller-than-normal cups. It's really hard. I think that's actually better practice.

I should actually modify that post, the smaller holes were at the practice green, not on the course (both are courses that I would highly recommend). If they were on the course the novelty would have worn off pretty fast.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by jamo

I should actually modify that post, the smaller holes were at the practice green, not on the course (both are courses that I would highly recommend). If they were on the course the novelty would have worn off pretty fast.

Haha! OK, I see. I don't mind practicing with smaller holes but it's not a lot of fun on the course itself.

[Johnnyooze]

It kind of reminds me of 5 pin bowling in Canada. It would be fun for an hour of so, but then id want to play REAL golf again. The pics in the article almost look photoshopped lol

[Uncle Peter]

I'd say my handicap would be about a 5 or 10. A 15" hole can't fix my driving slice.

[mck]

Originally Posted by LeftyTrevor

I think that ought to be a lesson for everybody on where to practice to lower scores.

I'm thinking the lesson is more on where people need to pick up the pace on the course

[sean_miller]

Approximately zero strokes for the index, but my average score would be 5-10 strokes lower, but the course ratings and slope would be lower as well. I'd be getting the same differentials and have a similar if not higher index.

[B-Con]

Hm... I think I two-putt about 13 times a round, and probably 6 or 7 of those are from within 20 feet. I'd assume that almost all putts within 20 feet (about 7 paces) are going to be holed if the hole is almost half the length of my putter -- that's just my visual guess based on how far off I seem to miss putts from that distance. So, I'd guess 6 or 7 strokes would come off my handicap. If I were a better approach player and hit greens from farther away, I'd one-putt less often and, with more two-putts, benefit more from a larger hole.

[turtleback]

I think the improvement would be even more that folks think.  It isn't just the width of the cup.  How could you ever miss a 20 footer when you can hit it hard enough to take all the break out and not have to worry about lipping out or jumping over the hole?  The area of a 15" cup would be more than 12 times the area of the current hole.  Everything would change.  Heck, on any greenside chip you be expecting to hole it and most times you would, I think.