Local Rule Establishing Drop Zone

[Golfingdad]

FWIW this course is typical new Colorado construction, not really a resort course because it's not a vacation destination but plays like one. I avoid these types of courses because they are silly layouts with a bunch of misplaced for lack of a better word(s) ESA type areas that only serve to make the course visually interesting because in it's natural state CO is mostly arid. Most of the courses in that part of the city are like this, anything built post park style era in CO is pretty much not what CO really looks like.

Honestly I am surprised that area in question is not marked ESA, we have A LOT of that here on modern courses, and the courses are always mismarked or vaguely marked. They should probably just red/green stake it if it is blind from the tee. It's a freaking pace killer for all the reasons it's confusing in the OP. I don't remember this hole but I've see this stuff all the time. You could hit your ball in that direction and have no clue where it really landed. You also see a lot of strange DZ's and local rules here. I play one course with a DZ on the green side of a hazard of par 3's with nothing but water between tees and greens and a couple have DZ's on both sides of yellow stakes. Legit or not there to prevent people going all Tin Cup. I've seen people hit two, three balls into the same pond when they don't use the DZ. Nobody wants to watch somebody take a 10 on a par 3.

Funny, you could replace all of your "Colorado's" and "CO's" with "California" and "CA" and the post would be equally accurate.

There are so many courses around here exactly like this.  And more than one of them have par 4's or par 5's with a blind tee shot over a hazard and a DZ on the OTHER side of the hazard.  I don't care that it's not within the rules, I appreciate that they do that for the same reason - pace of play.

[Dave2512]

Yep and honestly if I was playing with someone and they wanted to use the DZ I would be happy about it even if it cost me a dollar or whatever rather than watching them kick in the tall stuff for 5 minutes. There are a few holes around here I play very conservatively just to avoid the hassle of ball hunting and the resulting big number. It sucks but it is what it is. My former home course had an abundance or red/green stakes around areas like the one in the OP and it still didn't keep people from going in there. Drop and move on. I've seen people hop fences to hit balls next to natural gas wells, it's insane. Amazing what people will do. I don't sweat a stroke here and there because it's not like I am playing great golf or anything. A couple penalties is the difference between something around 80ish and a little higher 80ish. It's ugly golf any way you slice it.

[DeadMan]

The funny thing is that I would agree with you about a lot of the courses like that in Colorado, but I really like Fox Hollow. Fossil Trace is a course that falls into a similar category, and I hate it. With Fox Hollow, there are really only 2 holes that are tricked up like this (maybe 3). I don't really mind that challenge so much, but it gets tiring when it's every flipping hole like Fossil Trace.

[Golfingdad]

I've seen people hop fences to hit balls next to natural gas wells, it's insane. Amazing what people will do.

Well, we now have had at least two people in this country in the last several years hop fences to retrieve ball caps under roller coasters only to find out the hard way that the "danger; keep out" sign attached to that fence wasn't a joke.

So, it shouldn't be that surprising how stupid some people can be.

[Dave2512]

Yeah that hole is pretty lame, bunker next to hazard

[saevel25]

There are so many courses around here exactly like this.  And more than one of them have par 4's or par 5's with a blind tee shot over a hazard and a DZ on the OTHER side of the hazard.  I don't care that it's not within the rules, I appreciate that they do that for the same reason - pace of play.

I've never been on a par 4 or par 5 that has had a drop zone before.

Well, we now have had at least two people in this country in the last several years hop fences to retrieve ball caps under roller coasters only to find out the hard way that the "danger; keep out" sign attached to that fence wasn't a joke.

So, it shouldn't be that surprising how stupid some people can be.

I bet you are talking about the guy recently at Cedar Point.

[Golfingdad]

I've never been on a par 4 or par 5 that has had a drop zone before.

Two local courses I play occasionally (one of which we had an outing at) have them.  Talega here in San Clemente has one on the par 5 15th hole, and Arroyo Trabuco in Mission Viejo has one on their Par 4 16th hole.  Both blind tee shots (or nearly blind) over a creek to the fairway and coincidentally, both also have LWH running the entire right side of the hole as well.

I bet you are talking about the guy recently at Cedar Point.

[Dave2512]

My parents club has two par 5's with green side DZ's. One is all water carry, about 200 yards from the tees to the fairway. The other is a long par 5 with a 100 yard pond in front of the green. Both DZ's are right next to the cart part heading towards the hole. I see guys play from the most forward men's tees on just that hole with the pond to carry from the tees. Quite a few of these types of courses have combo tees to keep people out of trouble on challenging holes. It's weird because par changes for some of the holes. Par 5 rom back tees par 4 from up tees, it's like they just make shit up. Pretty much necessary to keep uber-serious 90's/100's golf guy from spending twenty minutes to hole out.

[DeadMan]

Yeah that hole is pretty lame, bunker next to hazard

-- Daniel

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 Rogue Pro 3-PW  SMS Wedges - V-Grind (48, 54, 58) Putter

 

[Dave2512]

Fairway bunkers don't bother me either but it looks like it's tight over there. Do you drop in the bunker if that's where the ball crossed the margin?

[DeadMan]

Fairway bunkers don't bother me either but it looks like it's tight over there. Do you drop in the bunker if that's where the ball crossed the margin?

No, there's room. And the odds of being in the hazard by the bunker over there are extremely slim. I've never seen it. To get to the bunker from the men's tees, it's about 290, if I remember correctly. About 250 from the senior tees. It's really tough to go into the hazard by the bunker over there. That area isn't play with your second shot absent a terrible chunk. I think I've been in that bunker once off the tee.

It's really not as bad as it looks. It's a wide hole. For long hitters, you hit a 3 wood off the tee there, and only a really wild shot results in a penalty. The second shot is actually very straightforward. If you can avoid trouble off the tee, it's a par or bogey no problem.

[Dave2512]

Really don't remember it, last time there a drunken scramble. I don't play down there much. If I have to go south of Brighton I get grumpy.

[ColinL]

Honestly I am surprised that area in question is not marked ESA.....

It could only be marked as ESA if  some authority e.g.  a local authority, a government agency has placed a restriction on entering it for environmental reasons.

[Dave2512]

It could only be marked as ESA if  some authority e.g.  a local authority, a government agency has placed a restriction on entering it for environmental reasons.

Yes that is how it is supposed to work. However here things are a little strange. I have lived here my entire life and saw what these course were built on. I play a course with an bunch of ESA that was a field we once tore through on motorbikes it was nothing but dust and trails. I assume to make the courses built in fields visually appealing and probably due to gvmt red tape quite a few are required to build some habitat type areas. And some of it is nothing more than long prairie grass that is next to a mucky area. Courses are often mismatked here. I see red/green stakes ten feet from operating gas wells on a slope where there will never be water or anything besides bugs and weeds.

[jsgolfer]

I've never been on a par 4 or par 5 that has had a drop zone before.

I bet you are talking about the guy recently at Cedar Point.

Cedar Point rocks!