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Stu Grant

  • Karma: +0/-0
Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« on: February 11, 2006, 11:13:01 AM »
than missing right of the green on the 9th hole at Tobacco Road?
 
I played Tobacco Road for the first time last weekend and absolutely loved the experience....up there with the Kingsley Club as one of the most unique, enjoyable, fun golf courses that I've ever played.  But back to the point of my thread, which is the 9th at TR...  

After pulling my drive down the left-hand side of the fairway on #9, a 427 yard par-4, my direct route to the pin was blocked by a lone tree guarding the left hand side of the hole (unfortunately I didn't take a picture from that angle but you can just see a tip of that tree on the extreme left-side of the picture below).  

I was faced with a key decision:
 
1)  Should I aim right of the tree, and draw the ball around it to try and reach the green in regulation, but at the same time bringing the right-hand bunker into play?
 
2)  Should I take my medicine, avoid the tree and the bunker by laying-up short of the green and make my easy bogey?
 
Well, I chose option #1 and wow, what a horrific mistake that was!!!  The ball drew, but not enough, and it landed in the huge right-hand bunker.  Normally bunkers are not a huge problem for me, but this trap was different.
 
I'm not sure what the conditions of the bunkers are like on a typical day at Tobacco Road, but on this occasion they were hard, firm, and partially eroded, meaning a ball would end up rolling to where gravity took it, rather than nestling where it landed in the bunker.  Here's an example:

Therefore, instead of having a relatively simple and short bunker shot to the green, my ball rolled back some 20-25 yards, out of the bunker, across the cart path, to the bottom of the slope, coming to rest on a combination of sand and hardpan.  The hardpan made it impossible to play it like an explosion bunker shot, the tight lie made a flop shot exceedingly difficult, and the presence of loose sand further complicated matters.  The narrow green, now high above me (you can just see the very top of the flag in the picture below), left zero room for error, with thatches of fescue grass catching a long approach and the aforementioned firm bunker punishing the player landing short of the green.  I thought to myself, "wow, am I screwed here!"

My first attempt at a pitch off this tricky lie did not come off, landing near the top of the bunker, catching the slope and rolling back to my feet.  My second attempt was hit too strongly, finding the fescue.  Two strokes to get out of the fescue and reach the green, and two putts later and I had my quadruple bogey 8, matching my playing partner who played the hole almost identical to myself.  
 
In summary, I cannot think of a more dangerous spot in golf to be than missing right on the 9th at Tobacco Road....
 
For those who have played TR, is it typical for the sand to be conditioned in this fashion?  (i.e. for a ball to roll down the slope versus resting at its point of entry?)

I missed the green here by a couple of yards, resulting in a penalty worse than if there had been a water hazard or even O.B. right of the hole.  Again, what a thrilling golf course!!!   Despite the quad here, I love it and can't wait to play it again.
 
Does anyone else have any other nominations for "worst place to miss" in golf?  

Gene Greco

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2006, 11:22:02 AM »
   Left of the 4th at Sand Hills into the behemoth bunker (see course write up and a disheartened Bob Huntley at the bottom of it).
"...I don't believe it is impossible to build a modern course as good as Pine Valley.  To me, Sand Hills is just as good as Pine Valley..."    TOM DOAK  November 6th, 2010

Steve Lang

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2006, 11:28:41 AM »
 8)

that area has always pretty much been crap.. in my experience there last 3 years

just gotta play around the hill on tee shot and hit a high fade to left side of green.. eh?
Inverness (Toledo, OH) cathedral clock inscription: "God measures men by what they are. Not what they in wealth possess.  That vibrant message chimes afar.
The voice of Inverness"

Brian Gracely

Re:Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2006, 11:34:28 AM »
Stu,

One of the beauties of Tobacco Road is that none of the sandy areas are considered a bunker, so you're never really sure how the ball will react when it lands there.  It all depends on when they were last maintained and how much play has come through.  

I've played from footprints, sandy lies, fried eggs and hardpan (like you experienced).  I will say that I'm lucky to have never had a ball come to rest on the other side of that cart-path, but I've been in that bunker plenty of times.  Did you happen to notice the lone bunker about 30 yard past the green...nice touch by Mike.  

If it makes you feel any better, Mike really wanted to make that hole alot harder.  But during the construction phase, Forrest Fezzler told him that he needs to consider how Forrest's 87yr old grandmother would play the hole.  While he still had his reservations about softening it, he finally settled on the hole you saw.

btw - the proper shot from where you were is a low runner aimed at that lone scrubby pine to the left of the green (visible in your picture).  Almost anything on that left hill will funnel towards the green, and anything short has plenty of room.  

I guess you didn't come up short of the green on #11, otherwise you'd have been writing about the #2 place where you don't want to miss  ;D

Steve Lang

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2006, 12:04:52 PM »
 :o

an 87 year old would probably have a heart attack climbing up the hill or break a hip coming down..
Inverness (Toledo, OH) cathedral clock inscription: "God measures men by what they are. Not what they in wealth possess.  That vibrant message chimes afar.
The voice of Inverness"

Stu Grant

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2006, 01:34:25 PM »

I guess you didn't come up short of the green on #11, otherwise you'd have been writing about the #2 place where you don't want to miss  ;D

Good point regarding the 11th Brian, that does look rather nasty doesn't it?

Fortunately I hit a good drive down the right-hand side, giving me just a 6-iron to the green from there  :)

And speaking of climbs not fit for an 87-year-old grandmother, I hit my drive on #1 halfway up the left-hand hill.  Going to get my ball on this slope was not unlike mountain climbing....a good way to get the heart pumping and myself warmed up on a cold day in February!  

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2006, 01:39:11 PM »
Boys

Missing it right at #s 9 & 11 ain't no thang.  I got up and down from both spots.

Ciao

Sean
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Mark Brown

Re:Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2006, 08:15:35 PM »
Great thread and a great, fun course by Strantz

Pine Valley No.5

Have you played Royal New Kent and Stonehouse - that's tough
« Last Edit: February 11, 2006, 08:16:26 PM by Mark Brown »

A.G._Crockett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2006, 08:26:44 PM »
Stu,
Your picture from the sand doesn't adequately convey how intimidating the shot is, given that you are looking at a 10 or 12 foot wall in front of you.  It is, as you say, a pretty terrible place to miss.
"Golf...is usually played with the outward appearance of great dignity.  It is, nevertheless, a game of considerable passion, either of the explosive type, or that which burns inwardly and sears the soul."      Bobby Jones

Jesse Jones

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Is there a tougher shot in golf...
« Reply #9 on: February 11, 2006, 09:44:54 PM »
Yeah there's a tougher shot. Try a straight pull into the junk above the green..Got caught in a tuft of that stuff..Hacked it into the bunker..Then the fun really began...
Trying to get out of the bunker is tough. Being scared as hell hitting a shot you can't control, that will either land back in the junk or in that bunker is frightening.

 

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