Should golf courses have a warm up hole?

[GforeNick]

Living in new england where space is limited we are often lucky to get a range, never the less a full on practice hole. Sadly i've had to get very comfortable getting warm with a practice green (chip and putt) and a single breakfast ball i give myself off the first tee when a range is absent. I definitely feel this impacts me up until about the back nine where i will get a bit more warmed up and figure out the feel of the day.

Would love to hear any techniques people have for warming up in a similar situation. Perhaps one of the orange balls on a whippy stick?

[Jawmusique]

For me, one hole is not enough swings to warm up.  I think a warm up bucket of 20 balls is great.  I think something that would be cool is to have a stretch/warm up place (room?  spot on the range? somewhere else?) that has stuff like the club with the ball on the end, resistance bands, etc.  Maybe by the first tee makes sense?

 

[GforeNick]

14 minutes ago, Jawmusique said:

For me, one hole is not enough swings to warm up.  I think a warm up bucket of 20 balls is great.  I think something that would be cool is to have a stretch/warm up place (room?  spot on the range? somewhere else?) that has stuff like the club with the ball on the end, resistance bands, etc.  Maybe by the first tee makes sense?

 

Agree here and love this idea. Low barrier for a course to get some warm up equipment, a hitting net, swing tempo tool, etc by the first tee , especially when they would be looking at building a new hole or range.

The small cost of these would be a disproportionate benefit to golfers at course without a range

[Bang60]

On 9/6/2024 at 2:50 AM, OhCanada1954 said:

Players were not required to hit range balls or play the warm-up hole. This sometime led to tee time confusion and definitely required additional communications between the Pro Shop and the first tee (Hole # 1) starter. By including the extra staff time required to maintain the extra hole and extra marshals to keep players adhering to their tee times, of course, the green fee costs were very high relative to other nearby courses. As an aside, this course also had a par 6, 700 yard hole on the back 9. My opinion is that all the extras, including the high green fee cost made this unique design not a feasible option for most players or courses.

Most of my golf was played in Sydney and one rule I loved in Australia was if you were late for your T time you were scratched, if someone else hadn't taken your spot the ranger could take you to join your group but that was dependent on if he/she was close to the club house guys got the hint be on time and you still paid or you couldn't play at that club any time  

Practice was always before T time UpTo you

[GolfinWdbry]

On 8/24/2024 at 7:03 PM, fixyurdivot said:

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 .

100% agree. I have a routine on the range before rounds, usually feel pretty good getting to the first tee, then hit a horrible first shot. Certainly not a mental block there

[RetiredBoomer]

A warmup hole would be counterproductive to me.

I almost always have a great first hole.
It isn't the hole, either, because it also applies to shotgun starts and to different courses.
And mind you, I go straight from breakfast in the clubhouse to the first tee.
The practice range denizens don't know my name or recognize my face.

I must be pretty close to a scratch player on opening holes--
but it doesn't take long to get pear shaped after that.

[Rasmaniandevil]

If they have a driving range, no. If not, they should definitely have a hole where you can practice. That sounds like a really good addition, honestly. 

[bsimms42]

A free breakfast ball for the 1st would be ideal. Get that first duck hook out of the way compliments of the clubhouse. 

[Bang60]

11 hours ago, bsimms42 said:

A free breakfast ball for the 1st would be ideal. Get that first duck hook out of the way compliments of the clubhouse. 

In my Sunday morning 4 we decided that we all would hit One ball off the First which was a practice ball only the number of times that practice ball was unbelievable straight down the middle and the second ball was so Crappy 90% of the time so often that after the 3rd Sunday we went back to the normal program  

[MountainManJeff]

On 8/24/2024 at 5:59 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.

I think you're spot on.  I have a casual game with my buddies after work and I know that the first hole or two are going to be warmups because I'm racing to get there after work and racing to get in 9 before the sun goes down. 

However, when I do have time (i.e., about an hour for a proper warmup, stretch, range balls, and some tempo putting), that first hole isn't nearly as difficult.

[Shankster]

Black Bear in Vanderbilt, Mi has a warm up hole.  At least it did when I played it.  Highly underrated golf course in general.  New ownership apparently this year, so who knows what condition it is in.  Last I played it was probably 2016.

[Jawmusique]

On 9/8/2024 at 10:44 AM, RetiredBoomer said:

 

The practice range denizens don't know my name or recognize my face.
 

A practice ranger stranger. 

[MountainManJeff]

15 minutes ago, Shankster said:

Black Bear in Vanderbilt, Mi has a warm up hole.  At least it did when I played it.  Highly underrated golf course in general.  New ownership apparently this year, so who knows what condition it is in.  Last I played it was probably 2016.

Is the warm up home part of the course or is it separate?

[Shankster]

10 minutes ago, MountainManJeff said:

Is the warm up home part of the course or is it separate?

It’s on the routing.  It’s Hole 0, on your way to hole 1.  It’s a short par 3.  

[Shankster]

I think this was it.  It has been a while, looks like it is optional.

[Shankster]

Got it figured out.  Red is the warm up hole, and #1 is Green.  Couldn’t remember which way the routing went, but it’s there. 19 holes of golf, it was actually quite cool.

[Bandrews]

I recently went on a golf trip to Ireland and noticed the common design of the courses was having a welcoming first hole (I.e. “Last Easy” at Ballybunion). I thought this was a fun way to open rounds with a hole that was welcoming to start the round. Beyond an inviting first hole, no I don’t think a warm up hole that doesn’t count on the card should be a thing… golf is supposed to be a challenge! 

[PAR_lene]

Absolutely need a warm up hole.  All the nerves are on the first tee.  

[CPP]

Well if you don't have a driving range, or a practice putting green , maybe a free ball off the first tee and some putting on the first green.   But for established courses you are talking cost for construction, irrigation and maintenance/care for this "warm up hole" which I feel would get passed down to the customers if the course even has the land for it.   But like one person noted, this could also slow down the round if not managed for time.

 

Interesting concept.

[BMDubya]

Very interesting thread. I’m torn really. I usually arrive early enough to hit somewhere between 5-10 balls, and roll putts. If it’s a course I play regularly or somewhat am familiar with, I usually only hit as many balls as I think I’ll need on the 1st hole, maybe the 2nd hole also. I usually try to play the first couple of holes, on the range. That usually is enough for me. The course where our men’s league is, has no range & a small practice green. Which is a real struggle! They do have room, where you could hit balls out into a field, which a lot of players do pipe a couple of drives out there, because holes 1 & 10, are both par 5s. As far as a warmup hole, I just can’t see the courses getting on board with it. For all the extra work & fees involved. 

[RemingtonR]

Definitely need a warm up hole. Many courses around me don't have a range so jumping right in I can definitely feel a difference once I loosen up after the first or second hole.

[KC Golf]

I think a decent sized practice area with 140-150 yard shots possible is the best option since it allows all players to practice their various shots.

[cburins]

Just saw this thread and it reminded me of a course I played for a tournament at the beginning of the season. I played Coppinwood in Goodwood, Ontario. This course has 3 practice holes, unfortunately I wasn't able to play them before the tournament. 

I think the first tee shot is one of the hardest shot in golf (especially in a tournament). I think its would be great to have a practice hole to get you into golf mode and get the nervousness away, but I imagine adding 1 more hole to a course would cause a trickle of effects that wouldn't have a big enough payoff for the course.

I'd imagine this would add more to greens fees and be more work for groundskeepers, also would definitely hinder pace of play and length of the round. 

I think driving ranges are more than enough to get into the mindset of playing and its also how you attack the round mentally. 

Coppinwood is also a private course, so paying for a private membership makes sense but for public golf course I just don't see the need for it. 

 

 

[Hacker60521]

No warm up hole. I can only see it making pace of play worse. I’d much prefer a small bucket of balls (20-30) and access to a well kept practice range to warmup. 

[WillRowland]

Once upon a time a long, long time ago ( I’m 75) I recall a famous old school architect say;  good courses starts off with an easy par 5 for the player to warm up.

[JB2334]

I'm happy with 15-20 range balls before my round. I generally don't like playing somewhere that doesn't have a driving range or some sort of way to allow for a few practice shots before the round. While I wouldn't hate the idea of a practice hole, it would probably just drive up the cost of the round, and you know the guy who birdies the practice hole is going to start complaining that it should count toward their score...lol.

[braincramp]

On 9/19/2024 at 8:18 PM, WillRowland said:

Once upon a time a long, long time ago ( I’m 75) I recall a famous old school architect say;  good courses starts off with an easy par 5 for the player to warm up.

They definitely didn't listen to that guy when they built my home course. 

[jthornton86]

Interesting one, I always play my best golf when i have a chance to hit the range first, understand what is going on with my shot shape that day (20 handicap so can be a big miss one way or the other) 

Often i only have a hitting net to warm up on and although i can get a feel for strike, no idea really on the shape of the shot. 

The other week whilst waiting for a playing partner we decided to "warm up" and play 1,2&3 taking us back to the first as a warm up. Played some of my best golf for those 3 holes, then when it came to teeing off on the 1st properly had my worst round in 3-4 months. 

I think for me, other than the range and getting properly warmed up nothing seems to prepare me for a round.