Where pins are placed can often cause controversy at clubs. But are there any restrictions on where clubs can put them? And what are the guidelines when looking for ideal spots?
‘That hole location was illegal’. If you’ve never heard that uttered from the mouth of a disgruntled member it will be a big surprise.
Probably not as much, though, as that golfer learning there is no such thing as an illegal pin position. The competition committee can place them wherever they like.
With that said, there are guidelines laid out in the committee procedures of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf to help guide clubs through what can be a contentious part of competition set up.
So let’s consider what you should bear in mind when selecting hole locations for play…
A new competition deserves new holes
“New holes should ideally be made on the day on which a competition begins and at such other times as the Committee requires necessary.”
So says the committee procedures. That begs a wider question – what if a competition is open for more than one day? What if players can enter a competition on a Tuesday or a Sunday? Should you keep the same pin locations in place?
Thankfully for your greenkeepers, this is not the case. It is recommended the committee advises players that the holes and teeing areas will be in different places on each day of the competition.
The key, regardless of which day a competitor plays, is that “all players must play with each hole and each teeing area in the same location”.
Consider the ability of the field and the speed of the greens when setting positions
You’ll have a pace of play drama if you don’t. Are the locations selected too hard for the players? Will it result in a traffic jam? If the positions are too easy, will they fail to challenge those with greater ability? It’s a difficult balancing act.
The speed of the greens is a “significant factor in choosing the location of the hole”, advises the committee procedures. It’s common sense if you think about it. What might be just fine if a putting surface is on the slower side could be troublesome if they are running much quicker.
Avoid areas where the ball will struggle to come to rest
It’s advised, where the slope of a putting surface allows, there is an area of around two to three feet around the hole that is relatively level. This means that putts which are hit at the correct speed stop somewhere close to the hole. Committees should avoid placing a hole on a slope.
Try to accommodate the correct approach shot
While there are no illegal positions, it is unwise to put holes in areas where there is not enough green between the hole and the front or sides. An example given is placing the hole “immediately behind a bunker when a long approach is required by the majority of the field”.
Aim to balance your pin positions
Some think it’s a cliché for six front, six middle, and six back but hole locations should be balanced – and that also means considering the left and right sides of greens.
