Interesting Use of Water

[Adam_F_Collins]

It occurred to me that the use of water is often "pedestrian" in that it seems to be so often used in the same ways in the design of holes. The 16th at Augusta is copied a lot. The 18th at Pebble, The island green, etc. What are some examples of holes which make the most interesting and unique use of water.

I would start with my home course. Brightwood has one pond which really only affects the 8th hole. The water is about 240 yards, down hill to reach and it runs about 100 yards along the right of the fairway. It's blind from the tee and has the effect of causing many players to play too far left to avoid it. This leaves them more uneven lies and more difficult approaches. You need to play boldly down the right center for the best line in. It serves more a psychological function, but it works.

[TEPaul]

In my opinion, other than completely natural bodies of water like oceans and lakes, the most interesting use of water in golf is in very small quantities and interestingly arranged such as quite narrow streams and the like, and the narrow bands of water in GB burns and such.

The idea is that it does come into play but the quantity of it is small enough in relation to safe areas that it simply gets in one's mind or makes any golfer say to himself either;

"Damn, there were all kinds of ways for me to avoid that."

or even;

"Damn, if I actually TRIED to hit it into that thing I probably would've avoided it."

Frankly, and for a few years now, I've been dabbling with the same thought regarding some bunkering.  

The idea or theory is to make golfers better able to take responsibility for their own actions. This is something which tragically seems to be going too much the other way these days.

[Doug Braunsdorf]

Tom-

  That's what I like about 3 at GMGC--the stream and the pond is there, on an angle, and close enough to make you think hard from the tee about the tee shot--and inspecting the green, where the hole is located relative to the slopes within the green.  It's certainly not a 'get up and blast it' scenario for me.  

Lederach's 18 works well in this sense too--placement of the drive close to the water affords a much better angle and lie to attack the hole locations.  

[Jim_Coleman]

  Two good examples of Tom Paul's theory: #8 at Rolling Green and #6 at Stonewall #1.  My theory on the tee: try to fly the creek - a good shot will succeed; a poor shot will come up short; only an unlucky shot will go in.