Safe to Hit Signals

[Fore_Man]

on a blind hole

Couldn't quite figure out where to post this... so please move if you feel it's better suited elsewhere...

On the course I call home... The Overlook in Hollis, NH- there is a semi blind shot on the 6th hole. Lots of hitting into people, and lots of time spent guessing if it is safe to hit which results in slow play....

Aside from a bell to ring- do any people have any ideas or things they've seen on other courses that would signal it is safe to hit?? I'm trying to come up with some suggestions for the course.

thanks guys!

[shotmark]

Many courses in England have wooden towers by the tees on holes which are blind due to being played over a hill from the tee. I've even heard of a course in Scotland that has a giant periscope serving the same purpose.

Obviously these ideas won't work if the hole is blind due to a dogleg in which case a bell is probably the only option.

[TourBound3617]

we have a wooden box with a little tv in it that shows the fairway that you can't see. It has a red line going across at an angle and says "Hit only when group ahead is past red line."

[Fore_Man]

in order to hit safely on this hole, the only real option is to walk/drive 3/4 of the way up the hole.

anybody seen any signs or flags that the previous group changes from red to green signaling the fairway being cleared?

[shotmark]

Problem with flags would be how would they change back to red having been changed to green by the previous group?

[mdgboxx]

In that order:

Periscope

Bell/Buzzer

Platform....Nobody wants to walk up and down 40-60 steps of a staircase leading to a platform in the middle of nowhere.

Although the camera suggestion takes the cake hands down.

[mdgboxx]

[quote name='shotmark' date='09 July 2010 - 03:31 PM' timestamp='1278703870' post='2565201']
Problem with flags would be how would they change back to red having been changed to green by the previous group?
[/quote]


+1, the group ahead could be chipping to the green from 50 yrds out while the flag is still green for the following group!

Dangerous to say the least.

[Fore_Man]

would a post in the ground work? If placed in visible area, the group could remove post when in fairway, them replace it once they leave? hmmm.... keep the ideas coming.. great suggestions so far. Looking to go to the clubhouse with many options.

[mdgboxx]

[quote name='Fore_Man' date='09 July 2010 - 04:02 PM' timestamp='1278705734' post='2565265']
would a post in the ground work? If placed in visible area, the group could remove post when in fairway, them replace it once they leave? hmmm.... keep the ideas coming.. great suggestions so far. Looking to go to the clubhouse with many options.
[/quote]

If the post is 100 yards from the green, who do you think will be willing to go BACK to turn it around again when they leave the green to signal to the following group that it's safe?

Flags and posts are really not a good idea, IMO.

[SpinMill75]

I've played at a few courses that have periscopes that offer a look at the green to see if all is clear. They work great as long as the maintenance dept. keeps the mirror clean.

[Solutions Etcetera]

#14 at my course has a low tee to an extremely elevated fairway (you can't even see the gold and red tees from the whites) and have a mirror on an 18ft pole at the back of the tee box, with some pavers in the ground at the 'right spot' in which to look up at the mirror to see the fairway. Works pretty well, lower maintenance than a periscope.

[KYMAR]

was playing a month or so ago on a hole that goes steeply down hill about 210 out. We wait til the guys in front are clear by at least 5-6 min. I tee it up first, I hit a baby slice, just right of the fairway but certainly playable, as i follow the line of by ball to the ground, i see a cart from the group coming back at me, yell fore and just miss these guys. I get to my ball and see I'm stuck behind a tree, only play is a wedge out to the fairway. So we sit there and wait and while we are, i hear those noise and then WHAM, guy behind me hits my cart with his drive. I get out and look, the black support bar holding up the canopy directly behind my head has this obvious ball mark on it. (think the grandstand where Van De Velde left his mark, as it were) Seriously, an inch in either direction and I'm lobotomized by Nike mojo. It wasnt really the guy behind me's fault, we were waiting for a while for the green to clear they had to assume it was safe. But as the OP said, there is a certain frustration waiting in a Tee box wondering if it's safe to even consider hitting, A bell is the least that can be done. Especially with the advancements in drivers these days that make reaching guys at 295 downhill so much easier. The video system sounds elaborate, but i bet i could hit radio shack and home depot and have it up and running within an hour for about the cost of 2 billable hours from an attorney. Interesting topic OP

[daverain1]

Richter Park in Danbury CT has a big mirror on a pole. They also post a ranger on the hill on weekends - speeds play because he waves you out and helps find stray shots

[dlygrisse]

I occasionally play a course that has a driveable par 4[s] [/s]that has a green that is blind. There is a mirror on a tall phone poll that allows you to see when it is clear. another hole on the course has a bell you ring that allows you to tell the group behind you that all is clear.

[Buzzkill]

[quote name='daverain1' timestamp='1290052136' post='2796157']
Richter Park in Danbury CT has a big mirror on a pole. They also post a ranger on the hill on weekends - speeds play because he waves you out and helps find stray shots
[/quote]

We have an electrical stop/go post on one of our blind holes. Once you tee off you hit the signal post which turns red. Down below the blind spot near the green is another signal post which you press the button once clear from hazard area and the tee box signal post will turn green letting the golfers know it's ok/clear to hit.

[billybaroo]

I played a course out in central MA that uses a motion sensor aimed in the FW. if someone is out in the FW there is a red light, otherwise a green light..or something like that.

[Hateto3Putt]

The video system sounds elaborate, but i bet i could hit radio shack and home depot and have it up and running within an hour for about the cost of 2 billable hours from an attorney. Interesting topic OP

 

It's only a cinch if a power supply is available at both the monitor location and the camera location.

 

I played a course yesterday that had an old propane tank hanging from a pole that you would hit with the provided steel pipe-on-a-rope. It actually made quite a loud gong.

 

I've seen all of the above mentioned warning systems in action, they're only as good as the people who use (or don't use) them.

 

[mrpibb7781]

[quote name='daverain1' timestamp='1290052136' post='2796157']
Richter Park in Danbury CT has a big mirror on a pole. They also post a ranger on the hill on weekends - speeds play because he waves you out and helps find stray shots
[/quote]


Yeah I've played there and seen that. Seems pretty effective. The rangers do a great job on the "trouble holes" Like little elderly crossing guards. Ha HA.

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='Fore_Man' timestamp='1278701948' post='2565131']
Couldn't quite figure out where to post this... so please move if you feel it's better suited elsewhere...

On the course I call home... The Overlook in Hollis, NH- there is a semi blind shot on the 6th hole. Lots of hitting into people, and lots of time spent guessing if it is safe to hit which results in slow play....

Aside from a bell to ring- do any people have any ideas or things they've seen on other courses that would signal it is safe to hit?? I'm trying to come up with some suggestions for the course.

thanks guys!
[/quote]

There's a course in SOCA/Orange County that has a Par 4 with a blind tee shot. To facilitate pace of play they installed a tall periscope (like the short ones used at some tournaments) so those standing on the tee can look in the periscope and see if those in front are clear. It works well too. I can't image it costs much either.

[Pitch'n'Putt]

I've seen the bell, and the light with buzzer. Both of these work fine provided the group ahead remembers to ring them... if not you are left waiting. I course I used to play in Maine on our HS Golf team had a persiscope, which worked quite well and I've played courses with a "lifeguard" type tower that was also effective.

[bubbagump12]

have that same problem, but we just use a bell and it works fine but you need a huge sign at the tee box for it to work or people wont ring it.

[MadGolfer76]

We had a blind par 5 which was reachable in two shots, so there were always a bunch of weekend hacks sitting around in the fairway waiting for the green to clear before flailing fw's 240 yards off a down hill lie. Lots of hitting into groups on that fairway. Anyway, the course installed a stoplight post so players could hit the red light after they teed off and then the green light after they passed the 100 yard mark. All that happened was that it slowed play to a halt. Mating turtles moved faster, and it was a point of complaint for most regulars. The kicker was that most of the older players (or newbs) wouldn't even bother to change the light to green, so many groups would have to wait for it to clock out after 10 minutes.

One night (I kid you not) a bolt of lightning struck that evil stoplight and blew it back to hell, so members went back to using common sense; we parked one person at the bend, exchanged places when it was the "watchers" time to hit, and moved on.

[bubbagump12]

lightning can be crazy out on the course. was playing one day and a t-storm was moving in and as i walked off a bolt of lighting hit a sand trap 200 yards ahead of me, and i thought traps were the safest spots to be, the trap was messed up. so i decided to check the weather from there on in.

[Vindog]

I know this thread is old, but at the Scottish Highlands course in Salem, NH there are two boxes; one on the tee and one in the fairway. Push the button on the box after you tee off and the light turns red. Push it again after you have cleared the fairway and the light turns green...okay for the next group to tee off. works great.

sometimes bells don't work as well I've found

[Fore_Man]

[quote name='Vindog' timestamp='1309954918' post='3368359']
I know this thread is old, but at the Scottish Highlands course in Salem, NH there are two boxes; one on the tee and one in the fairway. Push the button on the box after you tee off and the light turns red. Push it again after you have cleared the fairway and the light turns green...okay for the next group to tee off. works great.

sometimes bells don't work as well I've found
[/quote]

good to see this thread is still going. Thanks for all the great ideas.

Same issues on the hole still... always a guessing game. I have not brought fourth any of the above mentioned ideas, but maybe realizing this post is still alive will motivate me again as every time I play the hole someone always says ' i wish there was something...".

Yeah, I'm not sure i like bells... neither would the neighbors that are in the few houses that line the hole. Would need to be another option.

[dirtytrees]

I played a course wtih a modified traffic light, button on the tee for red once you've hit and button on firway for green once youve gone, best idea when used properly and functioning, but If its your first time at the course ( ahem...like me) you might forget to press the button in the fairway...But im not the first fool as there is a sign by the green and next tee box

[markg603]

[quote name='Fore_Man' timestamp='1309958096' post='3368460']
[quote name='Vindog' timestamp='1309954918' post='3368359']
I know this thread is old, but at the Scottish Highlands course in Salem, NH there are two boxes; one on the tee and one in the fairway. Push the button on the box after you tee off and the light turns red. Push it again after you have cleared the fairway and the light turns green...okay for the next group to tee off. works great.

I've played this course and this system works flawlessly. BTW, the second button is (obviously) located in the safe zone in the fairway. I just wanted to clarify that.

[sabram]

Spook Rock in Suffern, NY has a mirror posted high on a post. You stand on the tee facing away from the fairway, look up and see the fairway in the mirror. Here's a photo

 

 

Elie in Fife Scotland has a WWII sumbarine periscope mounted on a tripod.

 

Bunker Hill near Princeton NJ also has a persicope

 

Sunningdale in Berkshir, England has a platform that you walk up a few steps to see over the rise.