Clubhouse Notes

Time Well Spent

GOLF IS A GREAT game, but it oft en requires a large investment of ti me. An 18-hole round played by a foursome will last about four and a half hours. Factoring in travel ti me to and from the course, and the check-in process before a scheduled tee ti me, a golfer probably needs to block off at least six hours for an 18-hole loop. It’s safe to say that a 9-hole round requires setti ng aside about three hours.

I know purists sti ll enjoy a traditi onal 18-hole round on a Par 70/71/72 course, but the ti me commitment likely makes some interested beginners reluctant to try the game. In the past, it’s been diffi cult to ease into golf and try it out, if you will. A newcomer could go to a driving range, but let’s be honest - that can be a litt le dull.

There are many creati ve and fun opportuniti es available to golfi ng newbies who want to give the game a dry run in a shorter period of ti me. Desti nati ons such as Topgolf allow a beginner to take some swings alongside higher level players at a range with food, drinks and an arcade-like atmosphere. Similar to reserving a lane for bowling, a range spot can be secured and a group of players can compete against each other in target and distance contests.

Would-be golfers who want to try the real thing have plenty of opti ons available to them. Par 3 courses provide beginners with a comfortable, aff ordable and less ti me-consuming entry into the game. The Nati onal Golf Foundati on (NGF) in January reported that nearly one-third of the 19 courses that opened in the U.S. in 2021 were Par 3s. The First Call in May reported there was “a net gain of par-3 courses in 2021 for the fi rst ti me since 2000.” The NGF said there are 664 Par 3 courses in this country, with almost 80 percent being publicly accessible, but the organizati on noted some resorts and private clubs are adding Par 3 courses to their faciliti es.

I grew up playing at a country club that had a 9-hole, Par 28 course with holes that ranged in distance from 75 to 278 yards. On a quiet day, a friend and I could play the whole course in about an hour. I ventured on to the course with my parents for the fi rst ti me when I was 9 years old. It’s doubtf ul that I would’ve stepped into the tee box at that age on a longer, more challenging course.

When my oldest son (now 22 years old) was about 10, he played in a 6-hole junior golf league at a municipal course. Players younger than him could play in a 3-hole league and of course, the older ones did a full 9 holes. At the ti me, I remember thinking that a short-course concept could be off ered to golfers who wanted to experiment with the game and fi nd out if they wanted to spend more ti me on the links. This shorter-course approach is happening in some places. The Belmont Golf Course in Richmond, Va., which hosted the 1949 PGA Championship, has been converted into a 12-hole course, a 6-hole Par 3 course and an 18-hole putti ng course. Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green, Fla. is introducing a 6-hole loop with holes no longer than 145 yards that is “designed to be playable for any level of golfer,” according to a post on the resort’s Facebook page. Streamsong will also have a 12-hole loop with holes ranging in length from 125 to almost 300 yards.

In this magazine, we’ve talked at length about how country clubs are providing more family-friendly acti viti es. I’m curious about whether more clubs and resorts will begin off ering Par 3 courses or 6/12-hole layouts as part of a strategy to draw more families to the game of golf. If children have a positi ve experience on a golf course with their parents and siblings, it’s a safe bet that many of them will become adults who parti cipate in the game and share it with their children.

Perhaps more than any other sport, golf has long been perceived as serious, stodgy and set in its ways. The additi onal opti ons now available to both new and experienced golfers is recasti ng the game as one that is more fun, fl exible, accommodating and inclusive. Those types of changes bode well for the future of golf and that’s defi nitely well worth our ti me.

There are many creative and fun opportunities available to golfing newbies who want to give the game a dry run in a shorter period of time.

Phil Keren • Associate Editor

pkeren@wtwhmedia.com