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Tom Doak's Worst Holes - Barbeque the "Sacred Cow"
Chris Burgard:
Mr. Doak said "I am considered a sacred cow by many, which is too bad. If that's the case then I have nothing to learn from being here. Feedback is essential to growth. I HAVE gotten some good feedback over the years, and I'm even trying to respond to it with some of my current design work, but there are less and less posters who are providing it, and some of them lay it on so thick that it's difficult to cut through the cliches to get to the point."
Why not provide this feedback by telling him which holes we hate/find mediocre/like the least on his courses and why.
Although others will be able to offer much more constructive criticism, I will start with a feeble attempt. Tom feel free to tell my why I'm crazy!
I have only played Apache Stronghold and Black Forest.
At Apache the hole that didn't sit well with me was the 10th. I didn't really think that the tee shot offered any reasonable options for the shorter hitter. I couldn't carry the "serpentine" bunker; hitting it left seemed too much risk for the reward and laying up would have been a guessing game. I ended up in the bunker the first round...aimed further right the second round thinking I would have a better chance to carry but you guessed it...bunkered even further away. A shorter carry to the right side or offering a bunker free route to the right would have helped here.
My memory is foggier with Black Forest and I wasn't as interested in GCA when I played it but I remember thinking that the 16th felt out of place on the course and not because of the presence of the pond. The tee shot seemed awkward and the green out of place. Hopefully someone else can speak more intelligently about this hole.
Hopefully I can get to High Pointe this summer to bitch and moan about how the 18th is a disappointing finish to an excellent golf course. ;D
Tom_Doak:
Chris: The 18th at High Pointe is in a class by itself. Played there on Monday with two associates, match in the balance, all three of us hit it into the water on 18, I preserved my victory with a tough two-putt 7.
I'll stay off this thread for a while to see what everyone says. Mr. Naccarato will probably argue with you about the 10th at Apache Stronghold, so watch your back -- I think it was his favorite hole there.
Tom Huckaby:
This sucks. Given the whole Sacred Cow issue has me feeling kinda weird and depressed and wishing it would go away, I'd love NOTHING more than to BBQ the great man.... but I've played only two Doak courses: Pacific Dunes and Stone Eagle. If there's a hole to hate on PD then I'm Lynn Shackelford.
And even Stone Eagle, hell the one hole I did list as hateable during the discussion about that course was #10, and Doak and Kirk and Moriarty and Naccarato showed me the error of my ways and I realized how wrong I was and came around to appreciating it.
Of course if people are honest, there are others that were mentioned there... we'll see who wants to step up.
As for me, 10 was the only standout and I was wrong about that.
TH
John Kavanaugh:
Before I declare it a bad hole I'd like to know if Doak designed the bunker on the corner of the dog-leg 10th at Quail Crossing or if it was an add on..
I really don't like the first at QC...It seems about 30 yds to long which requires a back track to 2 tee..
Chris Burgard:
Tom H.
I didn't say you had to hate the hole. I offered the option of hate/find mediocre/like the least.
It could be a very good hole on a fantastic course but quite not up to the standard of the others. I suspect that this is the case for PD.
Chin up!!
Chris
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