!4th at Bandon Trails-what am I missing?

[Eric Olsen]

In general, I have often thought that having a cart to lug walking golfers between long green to tee connections is a good idea to encourage more walking.  I just find it deeply ironic that it is apparently necessary for some folks at a course where carts are banned....

[Dan Smoot]

Thank goodness for the cart.  I didn't think I was in that bad of condition but when I finished BT, for the first time ever I had to take 2 ibuprofen after walking a golf course.  I was toasted and could barely move around later that evening.  I walked PD and BD the next two days and never felt a thing w/o medication.

I have never played a hole with as much anticipation as I did the 14th after reading the posts here.  I played to everyones advice, hitting a 5 wood down the left side.  Unfortunately, I pulled the ball and never found it.  Rather than trudging back up to the tee box, I dropped a ball near the left bunker and tried to pitch a ball into a back right pin position.  The ball landed on the front third of the green and proceeded over the back.  My fun had just begun when I realized what was back there - what a severe slope.

I left there wanting another chance.

[Russell Lo]

I believe one of the reasons for the cart is due to the fact that a person passed away from a heart attack after teeing off on 14 and walking halfway down a while ago. My caddy, Papa Cupp found him. I think he had something to do with the course operations, like a maintenance worker or security.

When we played there in May we hit driver to the left bunkerand dhpped up short of the green to run it on. the second round I hit driver again and flopped it onto the front of the green with my second shot. Even that almost ran off.

I'm not sure about poorly designed vs. plain difficult...even for a short par 4.

[TEPaul]

"I'm not sure about poorly designed vs. plain difficult...even for a short par 4."

Russell:

The difference between poorly designed and just plain difficult is pretty simple really. The rule of thumb is if Coore and Crenshaw designed and built it, it's just plain difficult but if anyone else designed and built it's just poorly designed. These are not really hard distinctions to understand if you just use your head and think it all the way through. The thing of it is BillC and Ben are outright architectural geniuses and people like that are completely incapable of designing poor golf holes. If one ever thinks so all he needs to do is keep playing it or thinking about it and eventually the Truth and the Light will come to him.  

[Matt_Ward]

Guys:

The 14th at BT is a very demanding hole -- on that point I am quite certain. No doubt it's not everyone's cup of tea but I find it to be appropriate even though the shot requirements are very high.

The sucker play, as some have already mentioned, is to take the C&C bait and play away from the green into the dark, deep valley to the green's immediate right. That is deadsville because the next shot requires a skill level that few can possess.

The more testing approach off the tee is the left side -- minus any pulls that might destroy one's success right off the top of the bat.

If people are pissing and moaning about having 100% fairness the best bet is to simply bypass the hole and pick up the round at #15.

The margins for errors and success are quite small but the hole can be had with a high degree of skill and an added bit of good golfing luck. Nothing wrong with that in my mind.

[Wayne Freeman]

Matt-   the problem is that I really don't think the 14th hole can be had very often.  We had a foursome of all single digit players and played it twice-  there was one par and that guy hit it 10 feel short of the green on his second shot with a front pin and was able to putt it through the fringe to get down for his four.
    Sure the best line is along the left side, but if you pull your shot just a hair you've got lost ball and a really big number.
     You're not really suggesting we actually skip the hole, are you?

[Tim Pitner]

Wayne,

How many single-digit players par the Road Hole?  The 14th at Bandon Trails is a similar kind of hole.  It's difficult.  You can get stuck between bad and worse options.  The 14th (unlike the Road Hole) also happens to be short on the card--I don't understand why a par 4 can't be both short and difficult.  If you can't control a driver or 3 wood to hit it left or just short, you need to hit a iron off the tee.  Of course, then you're left with a full shot to a tight landing area.  You can hit it left and avoid the trouble.  You'll have a tough shot to get it over the ridge on the left and keep it on the green, but you can make par or even birdie.  You can also make par from the right.  There are ways to successfully play the hole.

[Matt_Ward]

Wayne:

Hold the fort -- I simply said that people begging for ultimate 100% fairness should skip the hole and pick up the round at the 15th tee.

The hole is DEMANDING -- sure. I have no issue with it because you can achieve success if you operate at a high level of execution and have a bit of good fortune.

Wayne -- the same can be said of plenty of so-called outstanding holes. Take The Road Hole as one prime example. Don't you think it's equally demanding as the 14th at BT ?

I mean you have a road that cuts in front he right and a frontal bunker that is more penal than anything else. Yet, people fall over themselves in saying what a superb hole it is.

The left side at #14 at BT is demanding but c'mon please -- the hole is very short and a player simply needs to keep his tee shot straight on that side. If that's too tough then go back to the range and keep praticing that shot.

I hit driver the first and only time I played the hole and it reached pin high and eventually settled behind the green. Likely, I would take less club -- a 3-metal -- and hit towards the same position.

Wayne -- there are a number of holes similar to the 14th at BT that have a high risk situation. The problem is that many people equate short holes with some sort of easy-to-be-had thought process. Flip it around have the hole be a 460-yard beast and the thinking would likely be different because of the length equation.