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David_Madison

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Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #25 on: January 20, 2006, 08:33:35 PM »
#1 at Jupiter Hills, a pretty easily reachable par-5. The drop is especially noteworthy because everything is so flat in South Florida. I don't know how much of a drop it is, but whatever it is is seems twice as much because of how radically different it is from the generally flat terrain where the highest points in the region otherwise are the tops of the landfills.

Tim MacEachern

Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #26 on: January 20, 2006, 08:40:45 PM »
What about #17 at Gullane #1?  Sorry I don't have a picture :(

JNC Lyon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #27 on: January 20, 2006, 09:33:25 PM »
At my home course(s), I would definitely pick the first hole on our East course.  For me, if I hit a really good one (which, for me, goes about 220-230 downwind), I can carry the creek about 75 yards short of the green.  For the longer hitters, the hole sets up as a nice draw, with a speed slot at about 270 off the tee.  Perfect for a long, straight drive, with trouble left and right.  Early morning, this hole gets really long and into the sun, so a shot not hit solidly will leave a long iron or wood into the green.

One of my favorites was fourteen at The Country Club, where the tee shot is a diagonal one around a horseshoe mound derived from an old quarry.  The safe player/short hitter, such as myself, has to play to the right, whereas the bolder player can go long and left.  The carry is thrilling, and it leaces an equally invigorating uphill approach to a slanted green.

Of the obscure courses that I've played, my favorite hole for a big tee ball is the 10th at Canterbury Woods in New Hampshire.  A Ross Forbes design, the course offers a lot of architectural interest on a low budget.  I think Ron Whitten has it in his review library.  It includes a double fairway on a par five, and has five par threes ranging from 120 to 230 (the long one is at 8, a fantastic long three over a rocky ravine, but with plenty of room to run it on the huge green).

Probably my favorite (I know it is also a favorite of the architect) is the 10th.  It says par five on the scorecard, but this hole is only 484 from the tips, and plays about 150 feet down the mountain.  Couple it with the firm turf (partly because of the granite base of the golf course), and you have one short par five.  I like to think that if you take the 10th hole at ANGC and combine the strategy of the old version with the length of the new hole, you would basically have the 10th hole at Canterbury Woods.

The hole is a dogleg left, with the high side being the right side.  There is a bunker beckoning the player down the shorter left side.  However, even if the player places it in the left side of the fairway, his shorter angle will be compromised by the angle of attack (there is a large bunker front and left of the green, and the green is angled from short right to long left, and falls off left and long) and the stance, with the ball above his feet.  

The other option is down the right.  It gets pretty risky here, as going to far down the right leaves a long approach, and too long means going into the thick New Hampshire woodland.  The ideal shot is a high hook, which catches the slope past the bunker and runs down into the center, potentially with no less than 140-150 from the green.  The hole is fun for probably anybody.  For a person who usually hits it about 200 yards, I hit a driver and a three wood about 25 yards short, pitched to six feet, and drained it for birdie.  

This, combined with the drop shot 11th, gives potential to start the back nine two or three under par.  You better turn it on early though, as the last seven holes are hard pars, easy doubles.
"That's why Oscar can't see that!" - Philip E. "Timmy" Thomas

Yancey_Beamer

Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #28 on: January 20, 2006, 09:58:37 PM »
Cruden Bay,#10,Scaurs,385yards.
The tee is quite elevated on the massive dune that forms the fairway and green for #9.The problem is to carry the burn at 290 yards.The height is so great that the smart play is a layup as your drive will really go quite a long way.

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #29 on: January 20, 2006, 10:17:56 PM »
I am surprised no one has mentioned the 17th at The Kingsley Club.  It isn't so easy to reach the crest of the landing area, but if you do the ball goes over the edge and rolls another 70-100 yards down the slope.

Tony Muldoon:  I don't have a topo map of Rosses Point but I have played the course and the drop to the 5th fairway is not even half as much as the 300 feet you quoted; I haven't been there in 12 years but I doubt it is more than 100 feet.  Don't take it personally; 90% of golfers overestimate the vertical change of drop-shot holes by a considerable margin, so the only guys I trust for such numbers are the architects who have been working off the topo map.

The fourth at Stone Eagle is the only hole I've built so far with an elevation change of 100 feet.  I think the 14th at Rock Creek will be a little bit more than that.

Keith Durrant

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #30 on: January 21, 2006, 02:58:48 AM »
Gleneagles' 18th: "King's Hame", Par 5, 525 yds:

This double-humped downhill 18th may be one of the best heroic driving challenges in the game - clearing the first hump puts the green in reach for a blind second(anyone got a pic from the tee?):

« Last Edit: January 21, 2006, 03:00:40 AM by Keith Durrant »

Matt_Ward

Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #31 on: January 21, 2006, 12:48:00 PM »
A few come quickly to mind ...

The Canyon Hole (#6 at Desert Canyon GC in Orondo, WA) measures 690 yards from the Black Tees and is strategically placed at the highest point of the mountainous golf course resulting in spectacular sweeping views of the Columbia River Valley. Designed by Jack Frei.

The 1st at Sancutary in Sedalia, CO by architect Jim Engh. Talk about airtime and views -- blows away the 1st at Castle Pines. Simply standing on the tiny tee pad from the tips can cause vertigo. Ditto the cart ride down into the hole.

One that merits honorably mention -- the 1st at Geronimo at Desert Mtn in Scottsdale -- designed by Jack Nicklaus. Plenty of room to give it a heave-ho and a superb strategic / scenic hole to boot.


TEPaul

Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #32 on: January 21, 2006, 01:05:46 PM »
Matt Ward:

Where've you been stranger? Happy New Year to you!

Bill Wernecke Jr

Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #33 on: January 23, 2006, 10:55:04 PM »
A few to ponder:

par 5 (#10?) at Jasper Park

#1 at Indian Canyon in Spokane WA

and my favorites at Arcadia Bluffs (using the old routing numbers): #3, #5, #8, #14, and #15.  All terrific!

Steve_Lovett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #34 on: January 23, 2006, 11:03:55 PM »
Matt - you nailed it with No. 6 at Desert Canyon...  I've never had a sensation similar to being perched on the tee hanging along the edge of the cliff...

Another from the northwest is #1 at GC of Newcastle.  From "on top of the world" looking across the entire Seattle area.  It's a VERY downhill 621 yard par 5...

Wayne_Kozun

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #35 on: January 23, 2006, 11:51:23 PM »
The 1st/18th at St. Andrew's. It may not be downhill, but the fairway is the largest I've ever seen. You can really have a go at it!
The only problem is that you might find the burn at #1 or go OB over the green at 18 (I believe Daly almost did in the 95 Open when he was on the bank behind the green).

Doug Siebert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #36 on: January 24, 2006, 01:15:28 AM »
#18 TOC, no way!  In my mind no hole can be the "best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive" if there is even the smallest chance of property damage or ambulance sirens resulting from a misdirected shot! ;)

The best hole on TOC for a really long drive is #14, though things do get kinda narrow past Benty.  For the purpose of long drives the new Open tees are a definite improvement...
« Last Edit: January 24, 2006, 01:16:27 AM by Doug Siebert »
My hovercraft is full of eels.

Bryan Izatt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #37 on: January 24, 2006, 02:17:45 AM »
Yet another.  The 12th at Wolf Creek in Mesquite Nevada, a par 5 at 554 yards from the tips.  A good 100 foot drop down a ramp of a fairway where the ball rolls forever.  And still leaves an interesting shot going for the green in two.


Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #38 on: January 24, 2006, 04:03:48 AM »
The Jump @ County Sligo # 5



Well done Mike, I was going to nominate ‘the jump’ earlier today but without a photo I figured, what's the point they wouldn’t understand?

So you tee off here and the ball hangs in the air forever.  It's got to be 300' down to that fairway, the only course I've ever played where in order to walk down to the fairway you have to negotiate a couple of hairpin bends.

Two other thoughts.
I’ve been told that a couple of years ago Colt’s original plans for the course turned up – anyone know anything about them?
Secondly were those bunkers always supposed to be in the rough?

Tony

When I played The Jump I thought the hole could have been a dogleg with the right rough bunkers being on the right side of the fairway.  With the wind being predominately left to right, hitting at this kind of angle off of high tee creates a lot of problems for many players.  Perhaps the hole was changed
when ob was introduced?

As it is, the hole is a bit of a dud.  I think it was a driver 8 iron to this par 5.  Even with a good headwind the hole is reachable in two for many.  

Ciao

Sean
« Last Edit: January 24, 2006, 04:04:53 AM by Sean Arble »
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

BigEdSC

Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #39 on: January 24, 2006, 08:11:32 AM »
My favorite?

The 11th at Macrihanish.  If you walk about 50 yards in front of the tees and aim 90 degrees to the left.  You can hit the ball down the runway.  The ball just keeps going, and going and going......

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #40 on: January 24, 2006, 08:17:52 AM »
Big Ed

You don't need a runway to watch a ball keep going, going going...  If I recall, I think all you needed was a 5 iron and the ball kept going, going, going...

Ciao

Sean
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Jason Topp

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #41 on: January 24, 2006, 10:05:57 AM »
#5 New South Wales has to be in the mix

« Last Edit: January 24, 2006, 10:06:52 AM by Jason Topp »

Lester George

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #42 on: January 24, 2006, 11:27:07 AM »
One of the more famous tee shots in golf because the tee has been there almost one hundred years is the 1st hole at the Old White Course at the Greenbrier.  Way elevated above Howards Creek, you just really want to crush the hell out it.  I'll e-mail a picture to someone if they'll post it.

Lester

Wayne Wiggins, Jr.

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:best hole to hit a really, really, really long drive...
« Reply #43 on: January 24, 2006, 12:59:19 PM »
The hole that would've produced the biggest drive of all time from some is a hole that was not built---at least not yet.  ;)

It was the 12th at Ardrossan Farm (the course GMGC would've moved to).

The hole would've been done using an absolute natural landform (essentially nothing at all would've needed to be done to it other than plant it).

It could've been set up as a very long (yardage-wise) par 4 or a medium par 5 of about 550. The tee shot would be gradually down a long decline that about 300-350 out and way over on the right of about a 150 yard wide fairway would catch a huge turbo-boost that would even take a ball trickling on the fairway maybe another 200-250 yards down to a  valley to the right and right underneath the green.

Only problem would be from there you're looking at a shot to a green maybe 30 feet or more above you that's long side to side but very narrow from there. The risk is if you didn't hit that high shot within a distance of about 12-15 steps your ball would come all the way back to you or go over the other side which drops way off again and is death.

But for the long hitter who could get the ball way over to the right and carry it maybe close to 300 (firm and fast would definitely help here) that drive would end up close to 550 yards from the tee. I doubt any other hole in the world could top that.



Tom -

This kind of moves the thread off topic, but I'd love to know more about the GMGC and Ardrossan Farm connection, in terms of relocating the course.  

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