Unreasonable Pin Placements
 

Over this winter I have noticed some pretty unusual and, frankly, unfair pin placements. Many have been within 4 or 5 feet of the fringe and often they have been on steep slopes at the same time. Most have been on the executive courses but I have seen some on the championship courses as well.

Today (3/26/16) I played Escambia and 8 of the 9 pins were near the fringe and most were up on steep slopes as well. We all had problems with the very sharp breaks, having the ball run way past the hole or coming up just short. While there’s no excuse for missing a putt, no matter the situation, but then again, there’s no excuse for unreasonable pin placements either.

One day a few months ago I played golf with a fellow who worked as a starter. We were having to deal with similarly difficult pin placements and he told us that the staff who place the pins are not golfers. I would hope that their superiors would be, at the very least, familiar with the game and pin placements. There should be guidelines for all the golf courses for reasonable placement of the pins.

We’re not pros playing for the big bucks. We play for recreation and fun. The unreasonable pin placements take some of the enjoyment out of the game.

I always think sand traps, water and trees are put in unfair places.

Besides, moving the cups to all areas of the green is good for the greens.

Enjoy the journey.

When you encounter situations like this, contact the facility manager/pro at the country club responsible for the executive course you are on and let them know. They will investigate and have the hole position changed if they agree. Unfortunately, it won't help you, but those playing later will thank you.

This happened to us at Roosevelt #9 one day when the hole was cut at the top of the false front. Putts that were short would roll back of the green and putts from above the holed would roll off the green unless they went in. Putts from either side would roll off the front of the green if they missed the hole. We contacted Havana and they changed the hole. They also contacted the contractor to let them know about the hole position.

Heheh. The fact is...pros would never play pin positions like many we face. USGA has guidelines/rules and many local pin placements would not meet them.

But I don't worry about it. I think it's so they can just keep the locations moving and keep the greens in better shape. Sometimes I just chuckle a little, maybe give myself a bit longer gimme than usual, and move on. :)

If all pin placements were in the perfect place where would be the challenge.

There's perfect, then there's playable. The vast majority are just fine. A few...not so much. :)

So true
 

Where would the fun be if everyone scored the same. Agree completely with you.

I agree on the pin placements but one thing bothers me more and that is the domes around the holes caused by improper hole cutter removal. Watch any pro golf and you'll see the hole on a flat even surface where the ball does not make a severe turn just as it reaches the hole or it goes in and out or rims around. This raises all our scores significantly.

How in the world do pin placements make everyone score the same???Challenge?!? I must play a different game than you do. If all pin placements were at the bottom of a funnel, golf would still manage to humiliate and demoralize me. Must be why I love it so much! :icon_wink:

... and if all were in the worst place, like 8 of 9 today, where's the enjoyment? Just a difference placement of 3 or 4 feet would have been just fine.

If all the placements are in the easiest locations, you still wouldn't see everyone score the same.

I agree. What stood out to us today was that 8 of 9 were bad. One or two is a challenge but 8 takes the fun out of the game.

Thanks. Good to know. :coolsmiley:

For all who remember back 12 -15 years the same thing we have all encountered here in TV golf courses, that is stupid pin placement ,not tough not easy but stupid on the side of a hill on the green happened to Payne Steward in the PGA Tournament. It cost him the Tournament. He complained & the PGA agreed& since then both the PGA & the USGA have adopted rules on where a pin can & can not be placed & they can no longer be placed on slopes that could be used for Down Hill Sking. I believe it is called a Stemp Meter. True at the time Steward missed his putt all the other players had to hit the same cup, after that indecent the placement of the pin was defined. I played Okeechobee yesterday & encountered 5 or 6 stupid pin placements 3 or 4 foot from the edge & a couple on the side of a hill. It would be nice if the people who place the pins were given a heads up on where to place them & where not to place them.

OP, I agree there should be "supervision" by somebody who knows USGA rules regarding pin placement and perhaps more important supervision on the cutting and placement of the cup. We deserve better for the good of the game. The Pros should provide instruction and routinely monitor the courses for pins and holes that are not in compliance.