8" cups question Cancel The title field is required!

1. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   1/10/2017 12:01 PM

   A couple of questions, our pro shop has questioned me about having a few events, mainly tied into our junior programs, and maybe a league night, using 8" cups.
   
   First question is any preference over Standard vs. Par Aide? Biggest thing I noticed was Standard has metal cups and Par Aide has plastic. Guess I'm wondering how well the plastic Par Aide cups hold up, although, it might be cheaper to start this way and if it takes off we could switch to longer lasting metal cups?
   
   Anybody that is using these in leagues or Junior set ups, how many are you putting out? We have briefly talked about going maybe 9 holes at the most, or possibly par 3's. Just curious about others ideas? The Pro shop has acknowledged that setting up all 18 could be a burden on us, and being careful not to disrupt normal play.
   
   We kind of hit on the idea of introducing some fun nights or events, after talking about how much our superintendent chapter had on a Top Golf visit. Not something we would regularly do.
   
   Thanks!
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
2. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   1/10/2017 12:01 PM

   Mel,
   
   We have some of the 8" cups we use for special league days. At most we may do 6 total for 18 holes. You'll need the cup cutter to go with it, which is the 8" round turf plugger from Par Aide. Takes 2-3 plugs to make the hole, but the cup goes right in. We either do first thing int he morning before the event, then change right after, or right before we go home for the day in the afternoon for an evening event.
   
   You may also want to look into the larger 15" cups. We do a chapter event at a 9-hole RV park each year that uses these. Play front 9 with standard cups, back 9 with the 15" cups. Lots of fun and really speeds the round.
   
   http://paraide.com/ParAideProducts/GreenArea/PuttingCups/tabid/186/p/15-inch-cup/Default.aspx

   
   
   
   
3. Craig Moore

   

   0 posts
   
   1/10/2017 8:01 PM

   From experience:
   Make sure you have your best man doing the cups esp. when putting the plugs back. Returning those plugs is a challenge; the centers settle/sink or they are easily scalped if left high.
   If you leave them and mow over them make sure your operator straddles the cup with the reel. The edge of a reel can dip into the cup damaging the bedknife edges if not straddled.

   
   
   
   
4. Dennis Kling

   

   0 posts
   
   1/11/2017 7:01 AM

   Melvin,
   
   We utilize the 8" cup for our junior golf program which goes on our 9 hole par 3 course here in Loveland, Colorado and it is usually just a one day event to make it fun and different for the kids and this is generally at the end of summer for the kids before they go back to school. We have a 9 hole mini snag course that we utilize the 8" cup all the time and it makes it fun for the beginner golfer. We have the metal 8" cups and have used them for 5 years with little to no issues. Just put a coat of fresh paint on the inside and we are good to go each season. It is kind of pain in the rear changing out the 8" cup but not that big of a deal. Anything to make the game of golf fun for beginners to help them get introduced to golf is a positive move in the right direction.
   
   Dennis

   
   
   
   
5. David Brandenburg

   

   3 posts
   
   1/11/2017 6:01 PM

   Mel,
   
   We have been having big cup events for more than 30 years. Started with a donated home-made set of stainless cups and a cutter. I have been on board for 20 years and we have six 18 hole events a year. I can put in or take out big cups as fast as I can change the little cup.
   
   I leave the little cup in because most days we have public play not using the big cup. For us our checked flags are for every day and the big cups have solid flag colors.
   
   We switched from our deep stainless cups to Par Aides plastic big cup 2 years ago and love them. So much easier to put in because they are not that deep. I still use our home-made cup cutter but we also have the Par Aide one.
   
   We put the 18 plugs in labeled rubbermaid type containers and store the plugs in the shop or shade for the day. It is important that the plug and all the dirt goes back in the same hole. We then pound the plug with a large tamper and water the plug. Once in great awhile a plug will rise back up but we alert mowers and cup changers to check them for a couple days.
   
   We put most of the big cups in the corners of the greens but a few are in the middle. When we have back to back events and have to mow over the big cups the mower and rollers have to be careful where their wheels are in the morning.
   
   When I started here I thought this was the dumbest thing in the world but reluctantly went along with it. Now our two biggest events each year are big cup scrambles with one a double shotgun and the other a 27 hole shotgun.

   
   
   
   
6. Brent Venenga

   

   0 posts
   
   1/12/2017 9:01 AM

   We also do about the same thing as David. We have at least 6 18 hole big cup events per year and all are full. I use to not like it also but have just gotten use to it.

   
   
   
   
7. Jeffrey Sexton

   

   0 posts
   
   1/21/2017 7:01 PM

   Works well in late spring. In the fall our roots seem too short and the large plugs don't hold together very well.

   
   
   
   
8. Aaron Jeffery

   

   0 posts
   
   1/22/2017 8:01 AM

   Mel,
   
   We use the 8" cups roughly 2-3 times a year for various outings (18 hole scrambles typically) and we use them on every hole, plus one on the putting green. In my experience with these things, I've found the plastic cups to be very durable - 3-4 years in and they still look brand new, so I wouldn't waste the money on the metal version. I would, however, find a way to get a shorter flagstick; not the traditional 8' you may use on your course throughout the year. We've found that, on a windy day, the taller flags do not stand in the hole, they simply fall over. The ones you can buy are quite pricey for the amount of use they get, so we just took 18 of our older sticks (3/4" tapered), cut them to 48", and slid our tournament flags over the top - at the time they were $42 a stick.
   
   As for the process, we tag each plug with the hole number, isolate each plug to a piece of plywood roughly 12"x12" and save all the soil that was removed from the hole. We also use a tee/paint dot to denote the forward facing part of the plug. These things are a pain to deal with, so anything you can do to make that process easier is highly recommended.
   
   Aaron

   
   
   
   
9. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   1/23/2017 9:01 AM

   Thanks for all the reply's, and mentioning some of the logistical items I would not have thought of. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on my winter order and actually came across the plastic Standard 8" cups.
   
   I do like that idea of using shorter flag poles and flags for the 8' cups. I will look into that still. We now use the 7.5" flag poles, would always go with 7' because I wasn't tall enough to hold the flag on the 8' poles, plus they would really show how "straight" (not) my cup cutting was.
   
   Kind of excited about how this all works for us this season.
   
   Thanks again!
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
10. Nicholas Daak

    

    3 posts
    
    1/25/2017 10:01 AM

    David Brandenburg, CGCS said: Mel,
    
    We have been having big cup events for more than 30 years. Started with a donated home-made set of stainless cups and a cutter. I have been on board for 20 years and we have six 18 hole events a year. I can put in or take out big cups as fast as I can change the little cup.
    
    I leave the little cup in because most days we have public play not using the big cup. For us our checked flags are for every day and the big cups have solid flag colors.
    
    We switched from our deep stainless cups to Par Aides plastic big cup 2 years ago and love them. So much easier to put in because they are not that deep. I still use our home-made cup cutter but we also have the Par Aide one.
    
    We put the 18 plugs in labeled rubbermaid type containers and store the plugs in the shop or shade for the day. It is important that the plug and all the dirt goes back in the same hole. We then pound the plug with a large tamper and water the plug. Once in great awhile a plug will rise back up but we alert mowers and cup changers to check them for a couple days.
    
    We put most of the big cups in the corners of the greens but a few are in the middle. When we have back to back events and have to mow over the big cups the mower and rollers have to be careful where their wheels are in the morning.
    
    When I started here I thought this was the dumbest thing in the world but reluctantly went along with it. Now our two biggest events each year are big cup scrambles with one a double shotgun and the other a 27 hole shotgun.

    b
    
    I absolutely agree with everything you have said. I can actually cut 18 big cups faster than small cups. Leave little ones in for quick turn around. We usually have big cups for corporate events. As soon as event is over we just move pin back to little cup and back open for daily play and replace big plug in morning. I have done it enough, that I just combine any extra soil together and can do a really good job judging what I need when replacing.

    
    
    
    
11. Gerald Beierschmitt

    

    0 posts
    
    1/27/2017 6:01 AM

    Anyone every use them for a couple of days after aerification to cut down on the whining?