I think John Cullum's assessment of the 14th as a "five shot hole" is on the money. I also agree with Brad Swanson's comment that it is "ambiguous," Tom Doak's that it's "awkward" and "very difficult" and Bob Crosby's that it's "maddening." In summary, these gentlemen - no Johnny-Come-Latelies, have described attributes of a great golf hole in my sophomoric opinion.
Pete Lavalee, who played as solid a round of golf as I've witnessed in a while on Sunday, accurately pointed out the challenge the second shot poses from the inevitable hanging lie off the tee. There's so much room left there, with a turbo-boost to boot, that only the best player can - and in fact would either bother trying to - hold the ball up the right-hand side for a relatively simple pitch. The penalty for failing to do so is indeed an awkward uphill third at a bad angle.
The fact that the fairways bunkers are ugly step-sisters to those found elsewhere on the course visually enhance the hole's brutality. It works on me - in five rounds there I recall a single par, one bogey and three doubles.
Borrowing the slogan from a strip club's billboard, Cuscowilla is home to 17 beautiful holes and one ugly one.
I like the ugly one.
Mike