For GOLF-PT a golf course is
temporarily configured with red,
white and blue flags at each hole.
Holes are reduced to one-shot lengths
of between 70 and 200 yards. The
red flag marks the start of each hole,
which can be from a tee, fairway,
rough or even a bunker. The white
flag marks the point at which a player
must physically enter a green. The
blue flag marks the hole. Players begin
with three golf balls. At each red flag
there are right- and left-handed clubs.
Time begins at the opening hole when
a player hits to the green. If the ball
fails to remain on the green he re-tees
and tries again. Players run from flag
to flag. Golf skill remains essential
because more time is consumed if
shots to each green do not remain
on the green. In essence, players are
penalized by having to retrieve balls
that do not remain on the green, and
must run around the circumference
of a green if all three attempts fail
to reach their ‘mark’. Putting is still
required to finish out each hole from
the white flag position.
“The concept is to marry fitness
with golf, and to do it in a way that
speaks to the endurance-minded
Marine,” says Richardson. “It was
important for us to make sure that
golf skill was kept a part of the format
and that the set-up was easy and
painless.” Indeed, a GOLF-PT event
can be set up in a matter of hours and
may only need two to three hours of
time to complete as players are sent
off in rapid succession. While GOLF-
PT has some way to go before being
fully developed, the effort is bound
to bring new uses–and users–to the
Military’s golf course assets.
Golf has not yet, and may never
need to, settle on a single version
of the game that can be completed
in the traditional two-to-three-
hour timeframe of most other
professional sports.
But the exploration and
experimentation of alternative formats
of the game does have the power to
attract more visitors and revenue to
existing golf clubs. Whether a 15-inch
cup or GOLF-PT event, a challenge or
horse course, or something completely
different, what works best will likely
depend on the club’s individual
circumstances and market.
•
ASGCA member architects are well
informed about the choices and viability
of alternative formats of golf and share
their ideas and success stories on a
regular basis. They are ideally placed to
consult with clubs about new concepts
that might drive visitors and revenue.
Find a member at
11
The Horse Course at The Prairie Club in Nebraska (top)
and The Challenge at Spurwing in Idaho
Image: The Club at Spurwing
GOLF-PT combines golf and fitness, with participants
trying to complete the course in the shortest time
Image: Lance Cpl. D.J. Wu
Image: Forrest Richardson, ASGCA
Image: The Prairie Club
