I have actually been trying to get my own associates to help compile a list of our best holes so I can put it on our web site -- descriptions of whole courses tend to be too general to cite what makes them different. But even my associates are like Tom H, picking too many and giving no reasons.
So, anyone responding to this thread, please limit yourselves to one hole and state why you really like it. As Matt always says, thanks in advance!
Tom D,
One hole or one per course?
If it's one per course here goes (and then I'll pick the winner from this lot):
High Pointe: #13 Unbelieveable green and a solid par 4 to boot. An absolute must-see. Here's Ran's commentary from 1999:
13th hole, 430 yards: The single best green built in America in the past sixty years. A tremendous amount of thought and work went into the design of this green. The creative player can use the bold contours to help with the recovery shots around the green. Sometimes, the best way to get the ball close to the hole is to play almost 90 degrees away from the hole. If the green is firm, the back bunker is in play. Like a lot of Doak's greens, it warrants being played on numerous occasions to gain a full appreciation of the options available to the golfer.
Pacific Dunes: Gotta reluctantly
agree with Sir Thomas of Huckaby here, #6. See his discussion above.
Apache Stronghold: The par 4 2d, which has brilliant angles on both the tee shot and second shot and a wonderful greensite tucked over a wash.
Ballyneal: The par 3 15th, a very strong one-shotter that plays into a beautiful natural bowl, described thusly by Ran:
15th hole, 235 yards; Thanks to the variety found within the four holes, the 15th completes the finest set of one shotters that Renaissance has designed in the United States. Similar with the bunker to the right of the 12th green, the bunkers cut from the dunes left and right of the 15th green are works of art as they evolve out of the dunes themselves – where nature ends and man’s hand begins is indiscernible, the very highest form of golf course architecture. Nonetheless, this hole is really about the ground game with the opportunity to bounce tee balls in from the left or right into this green which sits in a hollow. As the green runs from front to back and as the slopes that feed onto the green are pronounced toward the front, front hole locations will take members quite a bit of time to figure out how best to get near. Indeed, somedays the golfer might be trying to figure out a club on the tee that will land the ball a good 50 (!) yards short of the middle of this gigantic green and let the land do the rest.
Riverdale Dunes: The par 4 5th hole is really good, but the large rolypoly green is terrific, with what seems like 100 fun pin positions. Tom can correct me if I'm wrong but I think this was one of his first efforts, and it turned out really well.
And the winner is: High Pointe #13. Whatta hole, whatta green.