12 Hole Golf - Tom Mackenzie

Why 12 Holes?

Throughout my career, we have been making courses longer. At the same time, the game has become slower and slower. Countless conferences have been held looking at every aspect that could be the cause from professional televised golf to course set-up. No one has found the solution, probably because there isn’t one with eighteen-hole courses.

How often do you play and you feel like you have peaked at the 12th hole? Have you played with new golfers for whom nine holes is too much? Do you pop out before work or dark and play a few holes- not eighteen or nine?

When we first started talking to 360 Golf about their 12-hole with two loops of six concept, it struck so many chords. The game can be so much quicker for the many of us who are time-poor. The two loops format fits much better around family life and for those whose fitness batteries no longer charge as fully as they once did.

An opportunity also exists to tackle design weaknesses by reducing the number of holes and creating more room for nature to make the course more attractive than ever. No one is suggesting that all courses should have 12 holes. This venture sees that there is a niche in the market which offers quicker, more relaxed and family-friendly golf for those who want it.

The New Golf Experience

Our design philosophy is unashamedly traditional with a deep appreciation for the ground game- being able to play running shots. This offers a far greater variety of shots and shotmaking and makes the game a little easier for those who find the game hard enough already.

At Farrington, our vision focuses on creating extensive closely mown, well-drained and irrigated green surrounds. People will be able to use putters, rescue clubs, lob wedges- almost any club in the bag. They will often be dug down using the underlying rock formations to create random humps and hollows. These will be the hallmark of the new course. Greenside bunkers will still be used but in tandem with the closely mown surrounds.

Grassy hollows will also be used as fairway features alongside drive bunkering to test the longest players the most while giving shorter players a little more space.

Quality Surfaces Through Investment In Infrastructure

A key part of the business model is quality and the revamped 12-hole course will have state-of-the-art irrigation installed with drainage added to the wet areas. This represents a substantial capital cost, which only a new approach like this can afford. This will allow key playing surfaces like the greens, their approaches and surrounds and tees to be irrigated efficiently and uniformly. The green staff will have the infrastructure to deliver top-class playing surfaces.

Sustainability

Responsible use of water on the course is a priority with the new irrigation system delivering water from individually controlled heads in increments of a second. Great attention is being paid to creating the best growing conditions to ensure that every drop of groundwater is used responsibly.

Dovetailing with that is the creation of extensive new habitat areas across the course where levels will be lowered to the bedrock allowing surface water to soak back into the aquifer. This helps to recharge and replace the water being used and intercepts it before it reaches local streams and rivers. These areas will also become rich habitat areas. In golfing terms, these will be designated as penalty areas and will replace many of the obviously artificial butyl-lined lakes.

In the quest to reduce inputs across the course further, there will be investment in electric mowers, some of which may be autonomous. These will replace the fleet of diesel and petrol machines over time.

During the course reconfiguration, as much of the local soil and turf as possible will be harvested for re-use, without compromising standards. The R&A Sustainable Agronomy team are advising on this. They also look after all of The Open Championship courses.

A New Era For Golf

This move to 12 holes is not intended to be a golfing revolution, but it is an important moment in the evolution of the game. It is accepted and anticipated that some golfers will find this concept hard to accept, but are confident that many will enjoy what will be offered. That is world-class, family-friendly golf that can be played quickly, which is hardly revolutionary.