and pace of play is aided by the ease that a 5-footer can be swept into the hole—without removing the fl ag. “We’re teaching that stuff sublimi-
The green tees are just a few yards off each green, while the yellows take hazards out of play.
of Instruction Jim DeLaby and the rest of his staff to tailor a thoroughly thought-out road map with custom scorecards, pars, goals, swing advice and tips on etiquette that beginners pick up as they progress through each tee—Green, Yellow, Orange and Black. “Everything that we’ve done
is geared toward the beginner,” Kaloosian said. “Not kids, not older people. It’s simply the beginner. But you’re playing real golf. It turns into a game board or a video game, where they have levels that they have to ac- complish. It becomes intuitive.” The Green tees are just 10 yards off
the putting surface, and give beginners a miniature golf experience on a real course. (Even the lips of the bunkers have been fl attened so beginners can putt through them.) The wavy Tom
Doak-like greens that average 8,000 square feet feel like the Himalayas put- ting course at St. Andrews. For the lifelong golfer, the expert
Black tees take on fi ve different lakes, range from 82 to 198 yards, and rival any approach you’ll fi nd on Monarch Dunes’ Old Course, Golf Magazine’s Best New Course in California in 2006. (The condition of the Chal- lenge Course is also on par with the Old Course.) But the real genius of the Chal- lenge Course is its game-changing customization. The two-fl ag system lets you decide whether to fi re at easier hole locations with 8-inch cups, or regulation sucker pins fortifi ed by trouble—which also slyly teaches course management. The bigger cups also encourage a more confi dent men- tality and positive thought process,
nally, so it’s a cool thing to see,” Kaloosian said. “It’s there. We’ve thought about it every step of the way.” The Challenge Course is also a game-maker. A college team could host a qualifi er to the orange fl ags, and Old Man Par would be the odds-on favorite. You could challenge your friends to a game of H-O-R-S-E, or you could adapt Wolf, and take odds playing to the orange fl ag, while your opponent goes to the checkered one. The two holes could serve as a virtual handicap, and their scoring averages might be a stroke apart. You could also create your own course by mixing up the sizes of the holes, or the colors of the tees. The Challenge Course allows you to make golf a game, by inventing your own. Who says stroke play has to monopolize golf? The Challenge Course inspires fun backyard-style competition, creativity and camaraderie for everyone. “It’s like apps,” Kaloosian said.
“The fi rst one was made, and then 100 better ones came out. We want to give you a game board, and let you come up with more games. We are going to get some more great ideas that can make it even better.” There are some pretty good ideas
fl oating around Monarch Dunes already.
–K.M. Learn Golf >
Learn Golf Green Fee: $10 (includes putter, 9-iron and balls)
> >
Every green has two cups —an 8-inch hole with a checkered fl ag, and a regulation hole with an orange fl ag in a more diffi cult location.
> Public Green Fee: $12
Website:
MonarchDunes.com/LearnGolf
To see a tour of the Challenge Course and learn more about its setup, visit
NCGA.org/ShagBag.
SPRING 2015 /
NCGA.ORG / 17
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