the ideal sized golf hole ?

[arturo28mx]

I'm a bogey golfer and for me a 6" hole would be perfect. I know it's never going to happen though.

[rehmwa]

2.  Running shots that strike the base of the flagstick squarely would be more likely to drop in the hole as opposed to bouncing away.

3.  The rules could be changed to leave the flagstick in the hole at all times, thereby simplifying the rulebook in several places, and speeding up play with no adverse effects.

I like that this is more of a non-subjective criteria.  Though I wonder if a study could be done to see what size hole really does meet the objective of #2 above.  One would still have to decide how fast is the max 'running shot' that would then fall (some defined percentage of time).  Define the conditions - flat surface, clean edges, type of ball and flagstick.

The only other non subjective criteria I could come up with could be cost and maintenance, pick a stock PVC diameter or something silly like that - but it's not really that big a deal in the long haul.

 

just talk here - I see no compelling reason to change something already standardized and working.  But I like suggestions that might be more objective rather than "bigger holes means we make more shots" which is true for any size hole

Edited October 29, 2015 by rehmwa

[iacas]

I like that this is more of a non-subjective criteria.  Though I wonder if a study could be done to see what size hole really does meet the objective of #2 above.  One would still have to decide how fast is the max 'running shot' that would then fall (some defined percentage of time).  Define the conditions - flat surface, clean edges, type of ball and flagstick.

Why? The ball fits now. You can hit a "running shot" that hits the flagstick and goes in the hole now.

[CR McDivot]

I'm a bogey golfer and for me a 6" hole would be perfect. I know it's never going to happen though.

I sure hope not.

I've played all my life over 4.25" and kinda got used to it!

[inthehole]

I wouldn't mind a mimimal increase in the hole from say 4-1/4" to 5 inch ... the amount of confidence it would instill in short putts would be amazing. especially for those of us who struggle with the 5 ft and in putts.

[Fourputt]

I wouldn't mind a mimimal increase in the hole from say 4-1/4" to 5 inch ... the amount of confidence it would instill in short putts would be amazing. especially for those of us who struggle with the 5 ft and in putts.

Actually, according to something I read some time back, even going to a 6" hole doesn't significantly change the typical amateur's putting stats.   Most of their misses are by more than an inch anyway.

 

Golf is hard... and it is intended to be so.

To play to par one is allowed two, read (2) strokes on the green. Playing a typical hole to par may require 1, 2 or three strokes to get on the putting surface.

Seems to me that 2 strokes to get in the hole from the putting surface is sufficient.

What... you want to change the size of the cup to make it easier? Why not limit a par 3 to 60 yards, a par four to 150 yards, and a par five to 200 yards?

Come on guys, this game would be not worth playing without the challenges she has always presented.

You and I don't agree very often on this forum, but this is one where we do.  I feel that it would be more beneficial if courses would offer a good variety of tees to choose from then manage the course so that players are required to play from the tees that best suit their games.  That has very little to do with length off the tee - a lot more to do with the ability to keep the ball in play and to have reasonable approach shots to the green.  

Sometimes that means that the casual player has no business even carrying a driver.  The hard part is convincing Joe Gorilla that the game can actually be fun when hitting a 5 wood 220 from the middle tees, but in play, over hitting a driver 290  from the tips and in the junk 4 out 5 drives.  I've known players who seem to measure their manhood on how far they hit the driver, and they are not usually my favorite guys to play golf with.

 

[robertford]

As i’m new to this golf community I feel very happy to know this size of the hole.

[Patch]

I am not a course designer, but have had a hand in building a couple of courses.  For the sake of this thread, to me, a 6" hole would probably work. That said, the current size is just fine by me.

Hole size can be any size needed with out actually changing the current hole. Just chalk a ring around the current hole of any size desired. If the ball stops inside the ring,  or rolls over it,  it's considered holed out. Make the ring 6' for all I care. I'mstill using the original cup. 

I went to the practice green the other day before my round. The green was packed with folks putting. Every practice hole had someone on it. I just found a clear area and drpped a yellow ball, and putted balls to that yellow one. Other golfers saw what I was doing and started doing the same thing. After putting to another golf ball, that 4.25 hole looked pretty big. Another mental aspect of the game. 

 

[RussUK]

On 10/22/2015, 5:19:17, iacas said:

Six inches.

But… golf should not ever really be changed, as 4.25 is the perfect size now that we've had it for so long. Six inches would require changes to almost every green out there as more slope would likely need to be added.

They did a trial at Woburn Golf Club using 6 inch holes and the feedback was apparwently very positive to the point of them planning to hold competitions with 6 inch holes. 

I think it also depends on where on the hcp scale a person is. As a high hcp i would be happy with larger holes where as the lower hcp players may prefer the added challenge given by current regulation holes.

I'd like to see it happen on some of the smaller courses such as 9 holers or par 3 courses just to give new players that extra bit of confidence and enjoyment. 

[onthehunt526]

4.25" is plenty of diameter for a hole, if you hit a chip too hard that hits the flagstick and rebounds off, that's just Golf. Your lucky that your direction is good enough to rattle the stick... In some circumstances I think the flagstick may be too wide, usually not domestically, but for the most part it's not an issue. I had people at the course tell me I should take the flagstick out when I putt from off the fringe, because the flagstick could keep the ball from going in. I reciprocate with the line, "Only if I hit the putt too hard.", if you hit the putt so it will roll a foot or foot and a half past (depending on the slope and stimp of the greens), if it strikes the flagstick flush it will go in, it may even go in if it catches it a little off center.

I've seen videos where they played tournaments with a 15" Hole. I think it's more of a gimmick than anything. Golf is meant to be hard. If you can't putt, from 20' hit it closer to the hole... Besides 15-25' putts have a tiny SV, they'd be an SV0 if there was such a thing. And the size of the hole has absolutely nothing to do with it.

As Erik and Dave wrote in LSW, the average amateur has trouble aiming to a hole 6' away! The size of the hole isn't going to change that very much, whether you have a 2" Hole or a 24" Hole (though it would be hard to miss the 24" Hole)...

In conclusion, 4.25" (107 mm) is the perfect diameter of the hole.

[SavvySwede]

Coming from a guy who has cut a couple thousand holes I believe they should increase the size of the hole about a 1/4 inch but then change the rule so that the top of the cup sits even with the playing surface. That way the hole still plays 4.25 and you never have to worry about damaged edges reducing the effective playing size. The hole looks a lot bigger when the sides aren't caved in.

[David in FL]

8 hours ago, SavvySwede said:

Coming from a guy who has cut a couple thousand holes I believe they should increase the size of the hole about a 1/4 inch but then change the rule so that the top of the cup sits even with the playing surface. That way the hole still plays 4.25 and you never have to worry about damaged edges reducing the effective playing size. The hole looks a lot bigger when the sides aren't caved in.

Sorry, I disagree.

I've seen cups incorrectly positioned like that.  What happens in that case is that damage at the edge of the hole is potentially unrepairable and the liner becomes a barrier impeding the ball getting into the hole.

I absolutely agree that it's important for the grounds crew to properly repair and recut pins as necessary to maintain the green.

[Fourputt]

10 hours ago, SavvySwede said:

Coming from a guy who has cut a couple thousand holes I believe they should increase the size of the hole about a 1/4 inch but then change the rule so that the top of the cup sits even with the playing surface. That way the hole still plays 4.25 and you never have to worry about damaged edges reducing the effective playing size. The hole looks a lot bigger when the sides aren't caved in.

This would be a disaster.  It's far too easy to hit the far side of the hole and have the ball just pop back out.  I've seen it happen twice even on properly installed inserts, so for an improperly installed one, the chances of getting screwed by that are greatly increased.  

When holes are cut fresh each morning, they are generally in pretty good shape, even late into the afternoon.  On courses where good maintenance isn't followed, then it can be a problem, but it's one that you just have to learn to live with if that's the only course available to you.  If the course has a tight budget and has the choice of grooming bunkers or cutting fresh holes daily, I'll take the new holes.

[Lihu]

On 10/22/2015 at 11:00 AM, Lihu said:

The main advantage I could see for myself (32-34 putter), is that I can putt more aggressively from inside 8 feet. IDK, how many strokes I could save?

Now that I went from an Adams A7 Series 60 putter from Sports Chalet to a Ping B60-1959 putter, I wouldn't change the 4.25" hole. Doesn't make sense. . .

 

On 10/25/2015 at 8:17 PM, CR McDivot said:

Golf is hard... and it is intended to be so.

Agree, fun and difficult to play. Otherwise, there's no point in playing.