Opening Tee Shot Nerves..

[Steve Lapper]

Bob:

 I'm not "dissing" Riviera...in fact I LOVE the place and played there last week. I just find the specatating opening shot at Bel-Air much more pressuring.

Brian:
 
    I've had the "Rock (his newest dervitive nickname)" a few times and all of those count among my favorite rounds anywhere ever. He is an 18 hole comedy show with non-stop "truths" that leave all of us in stitches. His lines about the club throwing on 14 and the certain Asian gentleman he "miscrubed" are just screamingly hilarious....great stuff to make the day go by with a smile. Thanks for reminding me.

[Brian_Gracely]

Prestwick.  

They have no practice field and the first shot is usually a long-iron that CAN NOT be missed right (wall, railroad track).  Then throw in that depending on how many "looseners" you've had before the round, you might be looking at one, two or three balls.  If it's three, try and hit the middle one  

[ChasLawler]

I doubt anyone has been there, but the first tee at Pinecrest Golf Course in Idaho Falls, Idaho literally sits right under the porch to the clubhouse. A few locals hang out there fairly regularly and aren't afraid to make a comment or two - both before and after you hit. If anyone ever happens to be passing through Idaho Falls, I highly recommend they check out Pinecrest. It's literally surrounded by strip malls, gas stations and fast food joints, but you'd never know it once you pull into the parking lot. For under $20, you'd have a hard time finding a better deal.  

[ForkaB]

I agree with Prestwick, but not with Royal Aberdeen.  The latter is a great opening hole, but not very intimidating.  Too wide and no space for hecklers (oops, fellow competitors) to watch you up close and personal.

I'll have to throw in my normal homer vote--Dornoch.  I've seen drives go into the grounds of both of the hotels on the left, onto the 18th green on the right, through the windows of the clubhouse and once on the 2x8 foot strip of grass between the proshop and the steps up to the Royal Golf Hotel (he had to play it, and DID, as that was not OB at that time).  There is, of course, the famous story of the Chemist who drove backwards about 40 yards up against hte fence of hte tennis courts.....

All this with two widnows--one to the side overhanding the tee and then the big picture one at the front to watch as you trundle up to your ball.  Plus the adjacent putting green full of fellow competitors AND the good possibility that once you get up your nerve and your swing thought straight, you will be halted in mid swing in order to let a car full of holiday makers pass to the beach on the public road that crosses in front of the tee........

[Cory Lewis]

Bethpage Black

There are at least 25 people standing around waiting to tee off and some of them like to critque every tee shot that is hit.  It's one of golf's great settings in my opinion.  You have to get nervous because of the course and the people.

[Pete Buczkowski]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the old #1 tee at the Banff Springs.  Right up against the castle to a tight looking fairway across the Spray some 75 feet below you.  It was still a tough tee shot as #15 with the onlookers.  I really envy all of you who are attending the summer outing and can play the original configuration.

[JDoyle]

At NGLA we had about 20 caddies staring at our backswings and glaring at the cart we were using.  Talk about a cold sweat!    I wanted to use a couple of loopers but it was not my call.

[Dan_Callahan]

I've always had a tough time with Yale's #1. There always seem to be about 20 people standing around the tee box watching, and the forced carry over the lake gets me swinging too hard, resulting in a pop up that hangs up on the steep slope of the fairway. That leaves a blind, 200-yard second shot, and inevitably my ball is resting among 200 geese and their ankle-deep turds. It's a nice hole, but one that I tend to butcher.

[TEPaul]

Speaking of nerves on a golf course, I always went through something I figured was uniquely me. I was always nervous and sort of keyed up in a tournament until I hit a bad shot and then the nerves that day and round were completely over and done with no matter what.

I figured that oddity was only me but to my amazement when Adam Scott was asked after his win last weekend if he was nervous during the round (even at the end!!) he said he wasn't at all--that he'd gotten over that after he hit a bad shot and bogied the first hole!!

Anyone else have a problem of nerves like that that's completely alleviated when they first miss a shot?

I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now too because heretofore I didn't remotely have one damn thing in common with Adam Scott but it appears now I do!  

[tomgoutman]

Baltusrol, Upper and Lower--lot's of people watching (although not difficult shots)

[Doug Siebert]

I'll go along with Brian Gracely for Prestwick.  The tee is right next to the clubhouse, and you have people standing around, people coming in on 18 to your left, and the last time I played there, people watching out the window of the effing train standing on the tracks.  Good thing its only a mid iron aimed well left so its hard to screw up, if the best line required a driver along that wall that'd be the hardest hole in the world without question!

I found Troon's first to be a bit nerve wracking when I played there in '91.  They had their championship tees open, but you had to have an 8 or less handicap to play them.  I happened to be exactly an 8 at the time, so availed myself of that opportunity.  Once I was standing there ready to play and felt the eyes of the starter, my caddie, and a couple other groups waiting to play upon me I started to wish I hadn't been so bold!  Luckily I was able to make a respectable play.

As far as TOC, the first time I played there I was very very nervous, even though I'd selected a 3i wanting to avoid the trouble jutting out to the right if I pushed it.  But I hit one of my purest opening tee shots ever, hitting it further than I thought possible with that club, and the got a smile and a "VERY well struck, sir" from the starter that I'll remember forever.  The second time I was not nervous in the slightest.  Been there, done that.  I hit about 2 inches behind the ball and hit my 3i about 175 off the tee.  No one complemented that one, but at least no one laughed

[Phil_the_Author]

Two examples for very different reasons.

The first tee at Bethpage Black. The SIGN! Everyone who has ever played there knows the sign and the warning. It is also at a spot where a large number of people gather to watch people tee off. It is not uncommon for the average person to have twenty, thirty or more people observe as they try and hit that tee shot. That's a gallery for many on some of the tours.

The first tee at Pinehurst #2. When last I played it, the starter, in telling me that I was up to play, first informed me of the course record and that he hoped one of us might break it! Talk about playing with your head.

[David Kelly]

The 10th at Crystal is intimidating because of the people in the grill being only about 15 feet behind you.  I felt like a long backswing might break the window.

Riveria is intimidating for me because so much is going on around you - people on the putting green, people walking back and forth along the path behind you, golf carts whizzing by, etc..  Plus any first hole where OB is at all an issue is intimidating because you never want to tee it up twice in these situations.  

[SPDB]

Brian - What was greater in number, your putts for 18 holes, or the amount of times Rocky referred to you as "Pro"

[Dub_ONeill]

How about Hoylake when you are the second member of the group to tee off and the first member has just come completely over the top pulling the ball dead left across the putting green and nearly through the windows into the bar.  Between those watching from the clubhouse, the putting green, and the caddies that is pressure.

[Mike Benham]

At times, the first hole jitters isn't about where you are, it's who you are with ...

Example, the first tee at Rustic last weekend, paired with the esteemed Mr. Moriarty, a persimmon toting Scott Clem and America's Guest, Tom Huckaby.  

I'm thankful that it was a 7:00 AM tee time, so the usual throng was still either clearing the sleep out of their eyes or still on their first eye-opener ...

[Donnie Beck]

I have always feared snap hooking one off the 1st tee at NGLA and taking out a window in the clubhouse!

[Phelps Morris]

I thought the 1st at Royal Portrush was pretty intimidating...

O.B. stakes on the right (and the left?, can't remember if that was staked off or not), a howling wind plus a peanut gallery of caddies providing swing critiques...

A poor guy in the foursome in front of us topped his drive and the snickers began...

To furthermore add to the nerves, this was the first swing of the trip as we arrived tired and sleep-deprived only minutes before our tee time due to seemingly endless travel delays...

RPM

[TEPaul]

Brian:

One of the most interesting things to consider about your trip to PV is what perhaps may be the greatest honor of all--that they gave you Rocky Carbone. I've no idea how many times I've been down there over the last twenty years or so but never once have I gotten Rocky. Frankly, I can't figure out whether that's an honor or a curse!  

Do any of you guys know the caddie Schmitty? Now he's a trip, maybe not in the same outrageous humor league as Rocky but Schmitty is in a league of his own. Schmitty is PV's in-house poet--little ponytail and all! He has a poem for every hole. He apparently communes with the Indians (the ones who were there many hundreds of years ago). And when he's not communing with the Indians or reciting his poetry for you he's one great caddie!!

The thing I love about PV's caddies is there's this general aura about them like they've basically seen it all---and I'm sure that's because they have!

[Gerry B]

1st tee at Merion when the patio is filled with the lunch crowd. Have been on "both sides of the fence"- prefer teeing off at 8 am and then watching the afternoon groups tee off in front of a tough crowd.

Cypress -except no one is ever there and the local rule - hit 'em  until you like one makes it easier.

Felt comfortable at Pine Valley the first time - and hit one down the middle.With Schmitty as  your caddie how can you go wrong.


Bethpage 1st tee can be intimidating - tough crowd -but not the same as it is public and there are many players who do not belong on that course in the first place - that is why the rounds are so long. Would love to be 1st off one morning.

The most intimidating 1st tee for me was the 1st time I played Chicago Golf Club - played with a member who I had just met and the club pro was in our foursome to add to the pressure.
Steve Melnyk (who was in town doing the Western Open that week for ABC) was in the only other foursome at the club that morning. I insisted his group tee off first out of courtesy
(but really out of fear).

I almost had an anxiety attack. It all worked out in the end.

Funniest 1st tee story ever:

Staying at the Lodge at Pebble Beach a few`years ago -my room and balcony overlooked the first fairway. Having breakfast on the balcony watching the various groups tee off. Some guy slices his tee shot - I immediately hit the deck -the ball hits the glass door  - ricochets around and actually ends up in my breakfast tray.

The golfer who hit the tee shot walks up the fairway - I immediately ask him what club he would use out of an oatmeal lie.

The guy was mortified -I was getting stomach pains from laughing so hard. So were his friends.

 

[Tommy Williamsen]

Plainfield in NJ is a tough first shotter as is Quaker Ridge (near the proshop and caddies).  Philly Cricket Club (old) is also pretty intimidateing, although not as bad as 18 at supper with everyone on the deck or on the grass.

[Tommy Williamsen]

My favorite first tee shots happened at Merion and NGLA.  I have a friend who is a shrink.  On number one at NGLA he hit a hook toward our hosts black Mercedes 500SL which was parked below the clubhouse.  Crash--we hear the ball hit.  It hit the small green electrical box from where he hit it on the green and five putted.  At Merion this same shrink hit it 10 inches behind the ball.  
Since we were playing the back tees at noon in early June the veranda was full.  The ball ended up in the rough about twenty feet infront of the ladies tee.  Three more shots from the knee high rough and he was on the fairway and bowed to thunderous applause.

[Jason Mandel]

Merion is certainly special.  When I played there we were the last "official" group to tee off that day, so the Veranda wasn't too crowded, only a few on lookers.  

I think Pebble was more more nerve recking for me.  It was a sunny morning the tuesday of Open week at Olympic, so Pebble was quite crowded.  I was so nervous all week, because it was still relatively early in the golf season for me, and I had just cut my senior week in high school early to go on this trip with my dad.  We played Pac. grove back nine the afternnoon before and I couldn't hit the ball to save my life.  Even on the practice range that morning I still could not put a good swing on the ball.  

So when we got up to the 1st tee, and the caddie said that I didn't need more than a 3 iron, i couldn't have been more relieved, especially with the crowd looking on.  I hit one somewhere down the left side of the fairway, and one of the greatest walks in golf had begun!

jason

[Wayne Freeman]

  I agree with a lot of the courses mentioned.  It's mostly about the nervousness of playing a great golf course- so Riviera (you sure don't want to snap it left),  Bethpage, Merion, Baltusrol, San Francisco, Olympic, and Pebble all rank right up there.  I think two of the toughtest first tee shots are Winged Foot west and on the other side of the pond, Muirfield.  Both require very long and straight tee shots, and in the case of Muirfield it looks like you're trying to put in on a bowling alley into a stiff breeze.  

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Riviera may be a birdie hole, but only after a great drive.  I find it hard to believe that there is a harder opening drive.  Billy Casper will certainly attest to that--since he began the final round with a couple shot lead and left the hole several shots out of the lead!  The tee shot is always right to left or left to right wind from at least 50ft of elevation to a 25yrd wide fairway.  A couple other tough opening holes are at Cota de Caza, Chart Hills, Plandome, and Meteconk.