Hole Numbers of the Best Holes

[Jay Cox]

JJ's opening hole thread got me thinking:  What hole number produces the most great holes?  

For simplicity, I used the Golf Magazine top 500 holes list as a sample set of great holes.  Here's the breakdown by hole number:

1 - 13
2 - 25
3 - 28
4 - 28
5 - 20
6 - 30
7 - 27
8 - 14
9 - 26
10 - 20
11 - 26
12 - 20
13 - 20
14 - 33
15 - 31
16 - 36
17 - 46
18 - 57
Front Nine Total - 211
Back Nine Total - 289

The "big finish" effect is one I expected.  I think the relatively low numbers near the turn are the most interesting.  Perhaps these holes get saddled with the indifferent land around clubhouses to leave the best land for the closing holes?

I'm tempted to try to remember how to do statistics, and figure out what the probability is that this distribution (or various parts of this distribution) is random.  I'll have to build up the energy, though.

[Jim Johnson]

Interesting post, Jay.
While I'm not surprised with the low number for the hole #1, it makes me wonder what an architect is thinking about for the first hole when he designs the course; perhaps some GCA's could chime in on this question.
Myself, if I've heard about a course and am in the area but for one reason or another can't golf that day, when I drive into the parking lot for a "look see", the first place I go (unless I stumble into the 18th green just out the car door) is over to the first tee. For some reason this is the place I want to go to get a grasp on, of what this course is all about. Not the 9th green, not the 10th tee; nope, I go to the first tee box.
Do architects simply want to get the players off to a quick start, by designing the #1 hole to play benignly?
JJ

[Mike Nuzzo]

I'm going to pay special attention to the 13th from now on.

As the Naffer is on his honeymoon....
Triskaidekaphobia
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/opinionfreeman3.html

[paul cowley]

...hole number eight surprises me as i try when possible to balance the nines in case one started play at # 10...or for whatever reason the nines are reversed.

[Jay Cox]

Redanman --
Ask and you shall receive.

Breakdown by par (hole number - par 3s - par 4s - par 5s -- note that in the list there are 125 par 3s and par 5s and 250 par 4s):

1 - 1-9-3
2 - 7-17-1
3 - 10-10-8
4 - 9-13-6
5 - 3-14-3
6 - 6-18-6
7 - 7-15-5
8 - 5-5-4
9 - 5-12-9

10 - 6-11-3
11 - 8-9-9
12 - 8-8-4
13 - 5-9-6
14 - 6-16-11
15 - 7-15-9
16 - 10-15-11
17 - 18-16-12
18 - 4-39-14

The Par 3 13th holes are Muirfield, Crooked Stick, Devil's Paintbrush, Wild Coast (SA), and Penina (Portugal).

Jay