First holes

[Gary Daughters]

What makes a good/great first hole?

I think a first hole should be an invitation, sort of like a genuine handshake.  Not too firm, but certainly not limp.

Maybe it's coincidence, but the #1's on the 2 Muirhead courses I have played were patent warmups.  The sentiment is agreeable, but given that a course offers but 18 opportunities, why chuck away one?

Where does a first hole fit in the overall scheme of the course, and how much importance should be attatched to it?  Do architects give their opening holes maybe a smidgen more thought?

First holes rarely, if ever, "define" a course, but should they not offer signals as to what lies ahead?  

What are the best ones, and why?

[Jim Thompson]

First holes should lay out the general playability rules for the rest of the course while giving a hint of what to favor or avoid throughout the round.  This factor should never, IMO, lead to a hole being held back or dumbed down as the best course is always comprised of the best 18 holes that can be built regardless of where they fall in the program.  Warm up on the range, once you step out to the course the game should be a foot.

Cheers!

Jt

[Ted Kramer]

1st tee at Shinnecock.
Perfection.

-Ted

[Gary Daughters]

Now THAT is an invitation!

[Jim Nugent]

Ted -- call me crazy, but something gives me the feeling that you kind of like Shinnecock.  

[wsmorrison]

The Macdonald green was situated between the 2 right fairway bunkers.  Those are Flynn bunkers located on the former site of 2 Macdonald greenside bunkers.  There was a third greenside bunker at the back right corner of the Macdonald green that can be seen in the long grass near the lone tree.  There is also a shallow depression in the fairway that is the remains of a narrow perpendicular Macdonald fairway bunker.

The playing angle Flynn created off the tee is very effective, especially on a first tee shot.  The right and left fairway lines need to be considered in taking one's line.  Unlike straightaway holes, the angles require shaping a shot or taking the right angle off the tee.  Offset fairways and greens are a staple of Flynn.  I don't know where these offsets originated but they require a lot more shot testing than do straightaway holes.

[Voytek Wilczak]

The first hole should not be too penal.

It should reflect the general character of the course, should be a little coy, inviting, generous on the driving area, should even allow you to sometimes score with your B game.

But it should punish wild shots.

The green should be tough, giving you a warning that  rest of the course is no pushover.

A nice, not-too-long par 4 (like the one at Shinny!) is perfect.

I got my hopes high after parring it, and the rest of the course clobbered me into submission.

And that's how it should be.

[Jay Flemma]

Just my .02, but I think a great first hole is a "statement of the place."  It sets the tone for the round.

It should be a good challenge.  You are paying for 18 holes...not 17 and certainly not less. I completely disagree with RTJ and his "they just got out of the car, so take it easy and let 'em warm up."

It should also explore an area of the property representative of the main natural setting of the golf course  (when thats possible...I know Pebble doesn't), but the first hole at a great course...Black Mesa or Tobacco Road for instance, sets the bar high for the rest of the round...and indeed perhaps results in a round you'll remember for the rest of your life.

[redanman]

I think quality should start right from the beginning, but am convinced that the first 4 or 5 routed holes are inexorably linked and supremely important.  

For that reason I find "reachable par 5's" as a first hole are often disappointing and slow play especially public access.  A very hard par 3 in the first 3 holes is absolutely guaranteed to slow play as well.

A "lousy first" has lots of water in play, plays right to left and is narrow and tree-lined. The weak slicer's nightmare, five hours here we come!

That said, Shinnecock's first is hard to argue against. I like to see progression of difficulty over the first few holes with a less lengthy/difficult/penal hole or two to start.  Even Pine Valley moves fairly well with two medium par 4's to start.  Pac Dunes starts well using this model. Pinehurst #2 gets it done with medium, long then short fours and a reasonable par 5.

It's more than just the opener.

[Ted Kramer]

Ted -- call me crazy, but something gives me the feeling that you kind of like Shinnecock.  

Certainly a fair assesment

-Ted

[Kevin Pallier]

What makes a good/great first hole?...

First holes rarely, if ever, "define" a course, but should they not offer signals as to what lies ahead?

Like you I believe it should be an "invitation" as to what to expect for the rest of the round. I'm not into opening holes that are either the hardest nor the easiest on the course as their main aim should be to get the field away.

For this reason I'm also not really into P3 openers (I am yet to see a really good one ?) or those that are heavily penal or blind. I do have a liking those with an elevated tee as to give somewhat of a panoramic vista of what lies ahead.

Also, I like to see a subtle strategic interest of some sort - not over the top but something that 'tests' the ability of the player first up.

In the UK - the 1st at St. Andrews is one of my favourites. A wide fairway with OOB not really in play but it's visually there and the burn to test the player especially with the pin at the front

I also enjoyed Ballybunion (Old), Saunton (East), Rye, St George's Hill, Royal Porthcawl for their elevated tee positions and Prestwick and North Berwick for their subtle strategic tests.

In Australia - some of my favourites include - The Lakes, Portsea, New South Wales, Horsham, Victor Harbour for most of the reasons aforementioned.

[Mark_F]

Strangely enough, for a group of courses who have many virtues, the Sandbelt generally does horrible opening holes.

The first at RM West is often described as a great opener but not a great hole.  I think it better qualifies as horrible.  It just doesn't entice one to play - only the fact of where you are does that.

I think Dornoch's first is perfect  Short enough so that you can go with an iron and still (gemerally) be somewhat in range, and trickily subtle.  It won't usually beat you up, but can steal a shot without you realising why.

Burnham and Berrow's first is tougher, but all those tumbling dunes sure get the pulse racing. If only it wasn't so close to the damn clubhouse...

[Tony_Muldoon]

My own favourite is at The Berkshire Red, if this sight doesn't promise, then you're already deceased.


A downhill Tee shot for the first of the day can bring a sense of overconfidence.  The landing area has quite fierce slope from r to l and a strong draw will find the Heather.  Treated with respect it’s a good par 5 and an ideal way to ease yourself into the game.

[Jerry Kluger]

I think the photo of the first hole at Shinnecock does not do it justice.  You are just a few steps from the clubhouse with a view out to much of the golf course as you stand on the elevated tee - this is very special.  

[Tommy Williamsen]

I like wise thought the first hole at Birkshire Red was a good one.  It is a nice way to get the round started.  It is reachable in two and is wide enough to get players off to a quick start.  My only problem with it is that you run out of room on the drive.

A hole like the first at Oakmont is too tough.  While the first at Muirfiled Village is an invitaion with a chance to make birdie.

[Gary Daughters]

As far as features of #1, I'm all for a drive with some degree of downhill bias.  That goes toward the "invitation" I speak of.

To what extent might it matter whether the flag at the first green is visible from the tee?  I think of the flag and green as part of the invitation, too.  On the other hand, something hidden introduces a sense of mystery right off the bat.

I'm still wondering whether architects apply such concepts to their first holes at all to begin with.  Whether "invitation" is something even on their radar screens.  I do know that some like to produce a "rhythm" that peaks toward the ends of the nines.

As for Dornoch, I find the opening hole somewhat uninspiring, yet breathtaking at the same time.  It is, after all, the first hole at Royal Dornoch.  And it truly is an invitation.

[Mike Hoak]

My personal favorite is the opening hole at Spyglass.  It starts in the forest and gradually winds its way down to the ocean.  The views are stunning and it serves as a preview for what lies ahead.

I also like that fact that the hole is not reachable in two for most golfers.  I grew up playing a course in Virginia that opened with a reachable par-5 and it had a very negative impact on pace of play.

[Glenn Spencer]

'You can never get a second chance to make a first impression' I think it should be more like the rest of the course. Crooked Stick has recently become one of my favorite golf courses, 380 with nothing but a reasonably difficult green. Not exactly a set-up for the rest of the course. One of my favorite opening holes is at the Moraine Country Club, it is 390, with a pretty sneaky-hard approach and then the fastest, most back-to-front sloped green that you will ever see. I have 4-putted it, I would say that is probably not the record.

[Dan Moore]

Here is my favorite from last year's trip to Ireland.  I have always liked a par 5 first hole, seems to get the groups flowing and eases you into the round as you can recover from a weak early shot.  Like the 1st at Shinny this one introduces you to the character of the course and challenge ahead.  

From the tee.


From from the fairway looking back at the first tee.  

[Jim Johnson]

Gary,

I've always thought that the first hole should be a "warm, inviting, gentle handshake" of a hole...one which gets your juices flowing, one which makes you itch to get your game underway and excited to play for the next 4 hours or so.

Whether it's a par-4 or par-5 doesn't really matter to me [have never really considered a par-3 as an opener]...as long as it's not too tough, won't slow play down, etc. I think it should allow players to get off to a fairly smooth start, not held up by a super difficult green, o.b. on either side, a narrow fairway, etc.

Below is a shot of the opener at a course called "Stewart Creek" in Canmore, Alberta, on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies, just east of Banff.



This used to be the 10th hole, but they recently changed the scorecard and made it the 1st. Not sure why. The view of the 10th hole isn't too shabby either.

JJ