[Chris Munoz]

Just want to know what you guys think are some of the great short par 4s in the northeast....I have 3....15th at North Hempstead CC, 5th at The Meadow Brook Club and maybe the 7th at The Shelter Harbor Golf Club, haven't played it but after looking at it for 4 months I have to say, it is a risk/reward par 4....

Chris

[Geoffrey Childs]

Chris

Here are a few that I think are pretty good.

8th at Pine Valley (see Rans review)
15th at Fenway )see Ran's review)
4th at Seawane (maybe Jason Blasberg will chime in)
8th at Easthampton
1st at Philadelphia CC
15th at Split Rock (great green)

[Willie_Dow]

Geoff -

You have no idea what a great par 4 #1 at Philadelphia Country was when it was #16 !

Willie

[Gerry B]

here are a few of my faves to add to the list:

6 and 13 at Myopia Hunt Club  - imho 13 might be a prime candidate for one of the best holes that is rarely talked about

3 at Fishers Island - pt 1 of one of the best 3 hole stretches in the world

6 at Ridgewood ( center) - the 5 and dime

10 at merion east and I like 8 as well -in fact i like every hole on the course

8 at pv- agree withy messr childs - a strategic gem- and 2 greens thrown in to add to the excitement

2 at NGLA

4 at the country club when it is in its composite routing

13 at salem

15 at atlantic city - some may disagree but some great options off the tee imho (too bad about the insects on a hot day)

7 at baltimore cc - five farms east ( i stretched the southern border of the northeast to include timonium, md)

5 at friars head

[Wayne Freeman]

Brae Burn, around the corner from The Country Club, in Newtonville, MA. is an old Ross course that hosted the U.S. Open in 1919.  It has some cool short holes, notably #2, but also #15.  
    For a bunch of fun and a feel for how golf was played in the very early 1900's try to play the remaining original Open course at Philly Cricket ( 9 holes).  The short par 4's there are a kick especially with the postage stamp greens.  

[Evan_Green]

#6 at Winged Foot West

[wsmorrison]

Bill Dow,

I found a letter to the membership of Philadelphia Country Club dated October 24, 1969 (you were still a member then, right?) detailing the reasons why the first green wasn't working any longer (one reason because it was so small that increasing play and the foot traffic were beating it up, I think the real reason was it was too hard for a 1st hole, even at a bit over 300 yards) and the plans for its expansion.  I'll fax it to you if you've got one up on the point.  Or I'll scan and send you in an email.

Originally, the 1st green at PCC was a mere 32 feet across!  That must have made for some interesting play from the left fairway as the entire length of the far side of the green was bunkered.  Man, you would've had to put the ball on the right side of the fairway to play the length of the green rather than the width.  That was a really high demand approach.  Much better as the 16th green than the 1st.  There must have been a lot of delays on the tee waiting for people to stop going back and forth.

[mike_malone]

 I am mystified at the characterization of #10 Merion East as a great short par 4. It seems to me that the only reasonable shot is straight into the fairway which leaves a little pitch to a receptive green.

      I think it may be the weakest hole on the course.

[Dan_Callahan]

Of the newer courses, the 15th at the TPC River Highlands and the 5th at Wintonbury Hills are both very good risk-reward type holes (although there is far more risk involved with hitting driver at the TPC than there is at Wintonbury).

[wsmorrison]

Mike,

The green is drivable and the reward comes with a high risk, that is taking over the very deep fronting bunker with a bunker and Ardmore Avenue right behind the green.

The easy pitch you refer to is from the center or from the right; it is not so from the left.

I prefer a 3 wood to the right or a 7 wood in the center.  But you can hit everything from a 5 iron to driver depending upon your game at that time in the round.

I wouldn't say it is a great par 4 but it is a very good one.  Don't you think it has a very nice scoring spectrum?  How often have you played the hole?  What are your scores?  Play it safe and it is probably no more than a bogey.  Take a chance and it can easily be an other.

Weakest hole on the course?  Mike, don't you know there are no weakest holes on that course?  I think the 8th is an awesome short par 4 with a difficult line of play to figure out on the tee (without help that is) and a difficult approach.

I think the 12th at Rolling Green is an excellent short par 4 as is Huntingdon Valley A-4 and C-5.  I'd also include the 2nd and 10th at Brookline, the 15th at Kittansett, 3rd at Atlantic City CC, the 2nd at Lehigh and Lancaster, the 10th at the Creek, the and the 2nd, 8th, 12th and 17th at Pine Valley.

[Geoffrey Childs]

Mr. Dow- 1 at PCC is wonderful now I'll have to find some old photos.

Gerry - I must have been very tired or otherwise brain dead to leave out #3 at Fishers Island, #5 at Friars Head and #2 at NGLA.  I'd have to put those at the very top of any list of great short par 4's. My bad -

[Gerry B]

re:10 at merion -weak?

Agreed it is not the best hole on the course but a great risk reward hole nonetheless. Of course it is not the best hole with that lineup of great holes to compare it against. I would not call it weak as there are no weak holes at Merion East.  

It is a nice way to start the backside and have a chance at par or better as those chances will be few and far between for the next 8 holes. Of course the safe play is down the middle and a short flip wedge in from the right side of the fairway. The long hitters have the option of driving it -which is why imho the hole is so strategic. Having played there many times I have seen many persons turn a routine par into big numbers - myself included. Miss the green into one of the bunkers or the deep rough and up and down will be a challenge depending on the pin position.

[mike_malone]

  If you are more comfortable with "least best" for #10 at Merion, then okay. But, I believe with the smallness of the green and all the danger, that going for the green does not seem reasonable versus just hitting it to where there is a very straightforward shot that can even be run up on the green.

   I think these great short par fours encourage the drive because the layup option has some fear as well.

   Wayne,

    I believe I have made par all 5 times I have played it.

[wsmorrison]

Mike,

Your instinctive deduction is not supported by the facts.  There are only 4 greens bigger than the 10th at Merion (3,4,6 and 7) and the 17th is virtually the same size.  It is not a small green by any consideration.  It is 7,250 square feet.  For such a short hole it is a rather large green, but like the first at Philadelphia CC it depends on the angle of attack.  If you parred it five times in a row (are you sure about that?) I think you're due for some high numbers the next few times you play it.  

Gerry B is right, there are no weak holes at Merion.  The routing progression is close to perfection.  Gerry B and I did not say it was the least best hole.  You characterize it as the weakest and your analysis in my view is suspect.  I don't think you are very good at making these kinds of judgements.

If you characterize the approach to 10 as being easy, I think you are simply not accurate.  From what tee?  To what pin?  Under what conditions?  A straightforward shot?  I would wager you don't par that hole half the time.

Please give me a list of short par 4s that encourage the drive because the layup option involves fear as well.  Not only do I disagree with this premise but I don't see how it is relevant.  Certainly none of the holes I mentioned are of your description.  Are they not great?

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()