From a very reliable source - 6" golf cups
 

On El Santiago and Sandhill exec courses, 6" cups will be added to the greens on a trial basis soon.

Why?

What a shame...dumb down.... How about a windmill too?

A trial.

Boo! :rant-rave: But on the plus side, we don't play there anyway. Maybe they'll also add a clown and windmill for your putt-putt enjoyment. :a20:

Just who is it that wants TV to be a golf laughingstock?

The developer certainly can't be blamed for this.

One of the most ridiculous ideas I've ever seen. How does it quicken play? You'll still have people out there playing like they are the only ones on the course.

Golf in general is a very hard sport to master and develop skills. It has been said that golf is loosing many players due to the frustration of playing well and they are considering many ideas on making the game more attractive to novice golfers and keeping them in the game for a long time.

My wife and I have been golfers for 2 years and truly enjoy the experience so I have very little experience to comment on this subject.

I agree that the long time golfers will be very vocal against enlarging the holes to keep the game pure, but on a trial basis for a more enjoyable experience for novice golfers, why not. Just don't schedule tee times on these two courses if you feel that it will adversely detract from your golf experience.

I only took up golf just this past year. I did it for the reason it is a hard game involving hours of practice and time. Since no longer working I wanted to learn something new. I quess it's fair to give this 2 hole size idea a shot.

While they're at it move the tee boxes up 20 yrds
Turn the greens brown Oh wait the greens are brown

Here is the reliable source, from golfthevillages.com
Beginning in June, based on an emerging and growing concept in the world of golf, and request from some residents, we are going to offer a trial period of 6 inch golf holes. The trial period will consist of implementing the 6 inch hole on both the El Santiago and Sandhill Executive courses.

The normal golf hole will still be cut, with the additional 6 inch golf hole available to anyone that wishes to give it a try! The intent is not to replace the regular golf hole, but provide additional options to our residents. After the trial period, we will evaluate if and how it can be incorporated into our golf program.

Many of the comments confirm what I already know----people dont like change even on a trial basis.

In baseball that is why you have the designated hitter in the American League and no such thing allowed in the National League. Purist concept.

Give it a trial.

If your foursome decides to play the regulation hole and a tee shot goes into the 6" hole...is it a hole in one, 1/2 a hole in one or an unplayable lie? :confused::sigh:
If it is considered to be a hole in one will there be an asterisk in Thursday's sport's section? :o
And...will gimmees be extended to 2 club lengths?

I assume that most experienced golfers would request Level 3 and 4 courses.

Therefore offering a trial on a Level 1 course (El Santiago) and a Level 2 course (Sandhill) would seem to make sense.

If the idea is to speed up the game, then remove the sand traps on those two courses………or better yet, all level one courses. It's not the size of the hole that slows the game down, it's the hazards and golfers playing from the wrong tee boxes.

Why would it be any different than cheating today? It's a game of honor. If you were playing the regulation cup and it went in the six inch cup you are just kidding yourself that it was a hole in one. Go ahead and hang the newspaper declaration on the wall. Anyone that could live with that I don't want to play golf with.

Gimmees - WOW. Need I say more. Ask a bunch of golfers what inside the leather means. After you get through that confusion then asked yourself is there any part of a putter that has a defined measurement across types of putters, grips, etc. Oh well at least there is an attempt to measure with the putter method. How about the old boy method - Oh I'm feeling good on this hole so you can have that gimmee. Oh I'm having a rough hole I didn't give you that put.

Speaking only for myself I have played golf long enough that my game is not seeing any major improvements. I am lucky enough to live here in The Villages and play golf anytime I desire. I play 5 times a week on average. It has become more of a social event for me Vs. the challenge of the game. A little variety may help me regain some interest in the game.

I'm willing to give it a try and accept what the majority decides.

I thought the goal was to make the game more appealing to newbies, not to speed up the game? :confused:

I've only played golf for a year. I like the challenge of the "normal" holes.
But I'm not opposed to trying anything new.

The hole that you are not playing should be deemed to be "Ground Under Repair" and the appropriate rule would apply. It is not a hole in one since that is not the hole that you were aiming at.
Extending automatic "gimmees" (which, except in match play, should never be given in my opinion anyway) would certainly help to speed up play.

Conceding putts, or any shots for that matter is a perfectly acceptable and legal part of match play.

I think that you make a very valid point. What my experience has shown me, and this is backed up by NGF data, is that better players get to the greens fairly quickly and are slow on and around the greens. The exact opposite is true for higher handicap players. They take a long time to get to the green and the chip and putt very quickly.
If objective of enlarging the hole is to speed play, then it should be done on the more difficult holes and for only single digit handicappers.

Seriously!

It is legal in Match Play but most of us are playing Stroke Play which does not allow conceding putts. However, since none of us are professional golfers and we're just out playing a friendly game (I hope), reasonable gimmees should be encouraged just to keep the game moving along. Remember the local double par rule.

USGA: Our Experts Explain

Since we've devolved to talking about slow play, let me throw out a few of pet peeves...mulligans, hackers giving other hackers lessons on the course, and folks loitering around the green after finishing the hole.

What local double par rule? Doesn't happen with anyone I golf with, though on many occasions I wish it did!:bowdown:

According to The Villages Good Golf Guide under the section on Play Ready Golf:

"Playing any hole after double par, please pick up the ball and proceed to the next hole."

My feeling is that they put the cup in the green for a reason and that is to put the ball in it. I concede nothing. You sink it or take a stroke. No gimmees unless you are double par!!!

z

zcaveman thanks. "seriously" as Sheldon says, "sarcasm"? Sorry I said it. Of course I know you can concede a putt in match play. The point was why would you care if the hole was slightly larger as an experiment on two of our 32 executive courses (I'm not 100% sure of that number) if you partake in the gimmee game. I think 99% of the audience caught that. I agree with you put the ball in the hole if your a purist. Ever notice how the gimmees get shorter the higher the stakes are. From my own experience I would have missed a fair share of those gimmee putts (and it wasn't match play) thus I can't be a purist. If we want to beat the technicality horse I believe it is not legal to report a score for handicap if the ball did not go into the hole. Now I'm guilty of not following the thread. Goodnight.

I don't play match play on executive courses. So no gimmees. I like El Santiago. When they add the 6 inch cups I assume they will keep the 4.5 inch cups. Two cups on a green will be confusing! HOWEVER, if they do have both cups, at the start of the game we will state which cups we will play. The other one is off limits. Simple rule!

I am not a purist, but I like to hear the ball plunk into the cup. Also, too many golfers miss short putts because of the gimmee rules that they play.

Z

Close....heard there will be 2 cups per green. one standard and one 6". :22yikes:

Again golf lost 5 million players n the last 10 years so those business people in the golf industry want to stop this exodus and then add numbers. The complaints were it cost too much, takes too long and is hard to master.

Taylormade sponsored an event a month or so ago in Greensboro, NC inviting some professionals Sergio Garcia etc. they cut 15"holes to experiment.

Enter TV with its Ready golf which isn't so ready and for some not golf.

Cutting 6"holes is going to work but it going to make some people feel better.

On the executive courses many players utilize the Callaway rule and thus do a in the pocket after 5-6 strokes. It also explains why the gimmees and the mulligans. I won't take a mulligan because in Scotland it means three but then I will pick up if I am 3-4 strokes and not finished. I will accept a gimmee.

However if a player also plays championship courses often than doing the mulligan and the gimmees is going to weaken his game

I suspect if a golfer plays a course with a 6"hole and a 4 1/4"hole he has to designate which hole he will use for that round. I also suspect that if a ball goes in the non designated hole its a free life and certainly not a hole in one.

Frankly as a purist I am saddened by the industry's willingness to dumb down this wonderful game.

Six inch cups, this is a ridiculous idea. What's causing the loss in golfers is the green fees charged not the difficulty or hole sizes. Also, I guess if you are aiming for the smaller hole or vice versa you can count a hole in one if you accidently hit the wrong hole. Stupid is as stupid does. Want to get better at golf, get off the couch, shut off the computer and smart phone and get out there and practice. Sometimes I think The Villages is going you know where fast.

6 inch
 

who is making the decision, and who can we provide input to

What is next? Windmills and Clowns???

The obvious problem with this topic as with many are the individual preferences of people. some are purist, some only social golfers. So the adage focus on your game rings true. I don't do do-overs, i abhor gimmees but will relent to keep with fast play and again for the benefit of fast play follow the in the pocket Callaway rule (double par). the problem is you hurt yourself when your playing championship courses were many retain a handicap

Not sure...
 

if giving the option of 2 hole sizes on 2 courses is a precursor to the fall of TV's. Seems a bit overly dramatic. Perhaps more people will play if they do give the option of using a larger hole...no way for you to know till they try it.

As to lowering the green fees bringing in more golfers....sure, but then they'll have the championship courses filled with people who aren't there to play golf, but to have a social outing.

The experiment is only on ONE Level 1 course and ONE Level 2 course.
There are still over 30 Executive golf courses available for purists.
I doubt this small experiment is going to end up causing anyone much angst.

The AGA, and by extension, GMS. Good luck with the input.

Emotions aside…….

How is the enjoyment/satisfaction/score of player "A'" impacted by the size of the hole player "B" uses?

Except for the times when a group of players choose to adopt certain "playing rules" for their round, (which could include the cup to use during this experiment), playing a round of golf is between each individual player and the course.

Golf has recognized and provided for differences in player's skills/abilities for decades without impacting the "integrity" of the game.

In my opinion, the hole-in-one talking point is the weakest of the opposing arguments as the majority of holes-in-one are more related to luck than to skill. Especially when compared to birdies, eagles and double eagles.

Finally, based on a recent article in the Daily Sun the two courses will only have the experimental 6" cups, no 4.25".

Don