Should golf courses have a warm up hole?

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Pulled right from my Instagram feed. 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_BS1pTOLow/?igsh=MXN4ZjJ6d2pmMTZlZw==

I find this idea interesting, in that could a warm up hole take the place of the ubiquitous small bucket of balls I currently hit prior to each round at my home course. Would it be enough to feel loosened up and ready for the actual round? Is this an impractical way to help those that get nervous on the first tee? If one plays the warm up hole poorly, how does that transition to the first tee? What say you?

[GolfSpy_KFT]

I would be all for a warm up hole. The first hole has put me behind the 8 ball so many times this year and then the rest of the round levels off quite well. 

[GolfSpy_BOS]

There should be 1 of 2 things.

1. A free small bucket of balls (20 or so) included for the range with every tee-time

2. A short 90ish yard warm-up hole that you can hit an approach, a pitch (half-way) to the green, and a few chips on to ahead of your round.

2b. Putting should not be needed here, because by default they should have a putting green for you to warm up on ahead of time.

In an ideal world that is what I would want anyway.

[poprocksncoke]

7 minutes ago, GolfSpy BOS said:

There should be 1 of 2 things.

1. A free small bucket of balls (20 or so) included for the range with every tee-time

2. A short 90ish yard warm-up hole that you can hit an approach, a pitch (half-way) to the green, and a few chips on to ahead of your round.

2b. Putting should not be needed here, because by default they should have a putting green for you to warm up on ahead of time.

In an ideal world that is what I would want anyway.

I like this idea

[JayDubbzz]

Intriguing question. I think a small bucket of balls should be good enough personally. If you are picking out targets on the range is it much different than a practice hole?

 

If you just get on the range to smack balls that probably won't get you ready, which I see most people doing. I try to pick a spot I know should be at a stock yardage for each club and hit a few. On the days I didn't have time to do this I can tell by my scorecard my first 2 or 3 holes are higher than normal.

[slash25rc]

I need a warm up 9. I'm historically going 49-39 at my course. 

[cnosil]

2 hours ago, GolfSpy BOS said:

There should be 1 of 2 things.

1. A free small bucket of balls (20 or so) included for the range with every tee-time

2. A short 90ish yard warm-up hole that you can hit an approach, a pitch (half-way) to the green, and a few chips on to ahead of your round.

2b. Putting should not be needed here, because by default they should have a putting green for you to warm up on ahead of time.

In an ideal world that is what I would want anyway.

people show up with no time for the range or putting green.    You also have players that dont want to warm up and just want to go to the first tee to avoid fatigue.  

[GolfSpy_BOS]

Just now, cnosil said:

people show up with no time for the range or putting green.    You also have players that dont want to warm up and just want to go to the first tee to avoid fatigue.  

And those people don’t need to. They can pass right on by.

[bricksandbirdies]

This will probably be a hot take, but with the game drastically growing as it has, and not always necessarily for the better, that would just add more time onto rounds, more work for the groundskeepers, and I don’t believe would necessarily benefit in the long run.

Arrive early enough to warm up properly, pick targets on the range and hit your distances, and take plenty of time warming up on the short game/putting green.

[Nick_Chilelli]

I think for resort style golf courses this would be perfect, especially if you’re using rental clubs that you’ve never swung before. But in all fairness, if you’re warming up properly, then it wouldn’t be needed on a regular golf course. As @GolfSpy BOS said, 20-30 free practice balls on the range would be perfect. Use 10-15 to warm up your swing, then take a look at the scorecard or GPS on the cart or the GHIN app. You’ll know what the first hole looks and plays like, and you can run a simulated hole on the driving range. I do this before rounds, and also in normal practice. Treat it mentally as if you’re playing the actual hole, and it can do wonders for the start of your round.

[silver & black]

15 hours ago, cnosil said:

people show up with no time for the range or putting green.    You also have players that dont want to warm up and just want to go to the first tee to avoid fatigue.  

This is me. I would love a warm up hole. I think that's a unique idea. Given the available land, golf courses should look into. My home course shut down the range due to cost to maintain and not enough revenue from it.

[BC82]

A warm up hole done right could be a good idea but it would be hard to make work. I’d just like to have a driving range where there was always real grass to hit off of. Too many mats in Canada make it hard to get that feel. 

[Bang60]

I'd go two ways with this

First a par three and a par four warm up holes plus Nets, so depending on my arrival time I'd use either or both. Also would be good for practicing when time is short, I think with good practice areas I would improve my golf  

[fixyurdivot]

On 8/23/2024 at 10:47 AM, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Pulled right from my Instagram feed. 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_BS1pTOLow/?igsh=MXN4ZjJ6d2pmMTZlZw==

I find this idea interesting, in that could a warm up hole take the place of the ubiquitous small bucket of balls I currently hit prior to each round at my home course. Would it be enough to feel loosened up and ready for the actual round? Is this an impractical way to help those that get nervous on the first tee? If one plays the warm up hole poorly, how does that transition to the first tee? What say you?

It wouldn't replace my warm-up routine.  I doubt for most it would reduce that first tee nerves... which only show up when the strokes count .

[Gravenor]

On 8/23/2024 at 6:47 PM, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Pulled right from my Instagram feed. 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_BS1pTOLow/?igsh=MXN4ZjJ6d2pmMTZlZw==

I find this idea interesting, in that could a warm up hole take the place of the ubiquitous small bucket of balls I currently hit prior to each round at my home course. Would it be enough to feel loosened up and ready for the actual round? Is this an impractical way to help those that get nervous on the first tee? If one plays the warm up hole poorly, how does that transition to the first tee? What say you?

All of the golf courses I have previously played have a bar - warm up in here with a couple of pints and a flaming sambuca and I promise you'll be as loose as ever.

[Shapotomous]

Our membership includes range balls so i usually allow time to hit  20-25 balls before playing.  I definitely notice a 2 or 3 hole impact to warm up if i dont.  So i would not play a warm up hole over hitting balls.

Its a grass range which is a big plus over mats.  It also has a large sand trap between the practice green and range so you can practice greenside bunker shots, turn the other way and hit fairway trap shots. 

I always love it when courses have range balls avaiilable as part of the green fee.  When picking between courses for our fall trip to OC, MD that can be a deciding factor if all else is close.

Edited August 25 by Shapotomous

[Off Map Oscar]

I've been saying this since I started golfing.  18 is too much for a casual day. 9 isn't enough. Golf outside competition should be 13 holes and hole 1 or Zero is a par 5 warm up that doesn't count. 

Work thru the bag a little. Then start 12 hole play. 

[TheBirdieMasterLOL]

I think that a warm-up hole is a terrible idea. Part of golf is feeling the nerves when you step up to the first tee, plus (and I feel like a traditionalist for saying this), golf courses have always been 18 holes. It’s part of the tradition and the rhythm of the game.

[Bang60]

3 hours ago, TheBirdieMasterLOL said:

I think that a warm-up hole is a terrible idea. Part of golf is feeling the nerves when you step up to the first tee, plus (and I feel like a traditionalist for saying this), golf courses have always been 18 holes. It’s part of the tradition and the rhythm of the game.

I agree golf is 18 holes but think some like me want to warm up first, many times I've arrived just in time to Tee off with my group and 9 times outa 10 had a lousy day much prefer 15-20 mins to calm down and get in a Putt at least but prefer doing my warm up first. At least I then enjoy the day Win Lose or draw

[EasyTempo]

It doesn't seem very practical, however much I like the idea. You have additional maintenance for the course at a time when most are doing everything they can to reduce course maintenance. Most courses have facilities to simulate a practice hole already: A range and a putting green. You're able to simulate any type of hole you want. If a course did put in a practice hole, I would be very interested to see how much use it got. Can you take your cart down it? Do you honor tee times or is it just a free for all with many groups playing the hole? Does the hole lead to the first tee or do you play it and then turn around and walk down the fairway back to the clubhouse? So many questions. 

Edited August 26 by EasyTempo
Misspelling

[Josh Parker]

I feel like this can also be solved with the "breakfast" ball.  I would imagine that it's the initial tee shot most struggle with off the first hole.

I know if I mess anything up, it's the tee shot even after a warmup at the range and hitting several drives well. 

 

[ebenh_3]

I think having a warmup hole would help the game a lot, especially with some courses that doesn’t have a driving range. It would actually allow players to get a proper warmup before going out and playing the true 18 holes

[russtopherb]

No thanks. I can see this getting backed up so quickly that it's not even worth it. I'd rather have a range where you can have multiple golfers warming up at the same time.

[Middler]

Absolutely not. That’s what driving ranges, practice chipping/bunker and putting greens are for. Courses have already invested in ranges, why add cost for practice hole(s)? If you’re not ready on the #1 tee, that’s your own fault. A warmup hole(s) won’t eliminate actual first hole nerves any better than a driving range/practice putting green complex. 

Edited August 26 by Middler

[sp0rtsfan86]

A warm up hole would be a logistical nightmare for the grounds crew especially if they needed to keep it in close to course conditions.

Bigger question for me is how would that prepare me for a round? 

A bucket of balls let's me work through any issues or get one final run through with my swing especially if I'm working on something. A warm up hole would just provide a chance to have one shot. In theory if you could play 2-3 balls it would let you get some on course practice in, but I doubt you'll be able to do that at 9 am on a Saturday.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

From experience, I have played a course with a warm up hole. I liked it because you were playing under course conditions and you were using your ball not some overused two piece range ball. You also were able to get used to a real green. Sometimes the practice green is not the same as the greens out on the course. The old bait and switch game. Granted this was a high end course and there was no backlog of people waiting like horses in the gate waiting for the bell.

The driving range did have decent balls and a good short game area. So they had the best of everything to start your round off. 
I have also been to other courses that didn’t have anything except for a small beaten down net. So you better have come prepared to just play.

You get what you pay for I guess. 

[EasyPutter]

8 hours ago, TheBirdieMasterLOL said:

I think that a warm-up hole is a terrible idea. Part of golf is feeling the nerves when you step up to the first tee, plus (and I feel like a traditionalist for saying this), golf courses have always been 18 holes. It’s part of the tradition and the rhythm of the game.

Technically the R&A shortened the course from 22 to 18 holes in the 1700's so have not always been 18 holes plus there was no standard before that with some courses having as few as 7 holes.  It would have been great to try courses like Prestwick that had 12 after St. Andrews went to 18 holes as 9 is a good play but more would be better and 18 is often just a bit too long for the aging duffers.

[Skrizan]

On 8/24/2024 at 7:59 AM, bricksandbirdies said:

This will probably be a hot take, but with the game drastically growing as it has, and not always necessarily for the better, that would just add more time onto rounds, more work for the groundskeepers, and I don’t believe would necessarily benefit in the long run.

Arrive early enough to warm up properly, pick targets on the range and hit your distances, and take plenty of time warming up on the short game/putting green.

My first thought exactly.  Many, if not most rounds are dreadfully slow these days, no need to add more time.  The people that want to warm up do, and there are those that never do.  I have one partner who shows up last minute, might hit a few putts, and then hits his drive on the first tee without any warm up or practice swings.

 

[peterg2000]

It's all about your mindset going to the the pre-game range session. If you go there to just wack at the basket of balls , it probable won't be very effective. But if you take the time to visualize each shot with the same routine you use on the course as well as taking out your rangefinder and check the flag distances as if you were on course. then this is a lot more effective.  I like to get to the course at least 1h to 1.5hrs before a round to also practice the chipping and sand trap play! 

Pete

[Rico_de_Gallo]

I'm pretty split.

Pros - an extra hole to play and a chance to get mentally ready too

Cons - longer round, and probably make things more expensive

A good chunk of places I play don't even have a range, much less a chipping practice area on the course. A warmup hole would be cool. But if there is room for a warm up hole, I would rather just a a good chipping/pitching area where you can do 75yrd and in shots or bunker practice