[Darren_Kilfara]

I'm not nominating the 5th at Old Marsh Golf Club...



...but its recent appearance in the Golf Digest Hole-of-the-Day calendar got me thinking about this subject. This hole, which I've not played but have certainly heard about before, certainly deserves flair points for having water behind the green!

Any other nominations for best blind hole - or blind shot, if you prefer - in golf?

Cheers,
Darren

[A_Clay_Man]

Without having seen 'em all, I'd say Pebble's #8 is a tough one to beat. If the drive isn't far enough the golf is blind on both shots. And if you put it on the beach... all three shots.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Darren, The fourth at Fishers Island
The tee shot

Looking back from the green

[cary lichtenstein]

I don't get it. Are blind holes considered good? What satisfaction do you get out of that kind of hole?

[A_Clay_Man]

quassi- It's my belief that the proliferation of the idea that one must see everything in front of them, rarely reflects real life conditions, and may be responsible for the lack of variety or character in many modern designs. A good mix or use of blind shots or holes is not only exciting to me, but also the thrill of not knowing, until you are near where you thought you were is often surprising. Dealing with surprises is paramount to golfing well, not to mention life.

[SPDB]

Jim - good choice.

Lahinch may have the two best, with the Klondyke and Dell holes (back to back, also).

Misquamicut has a bunch of good ones too.

[Doug Wright]

The Alps @ Prestwick. Damnable the first time you play it--after that it's a joy--"only blind once laddie."   The two @ Lahinch sure are great too!

All the Best,

[JakaB]

Should artifical markers like found at NGLA that indicate line of play be outlawed with the cheater line found on golf balls...

[Steve Hyden]

I nominate "Himalayas," the par 3 5th at Prestwick.  The thrill of the blind shot, where the ball might as well be sailing off into outer space with unknowable results, is augmented by the length of the hole, over 200 yards from the back tee.

[Jim_Kennedy]

JakaB,
I would have thought you'd understand the spatial concept of lining up a ball and the non-effect of painting a line on the ball. It's not a cheater line at all, just a line.

As for the directional markers, they don't identify the line of play, they only identify the direction that the hole takes.  

[Evan Fleisher]

I'll add the par-3 15th hole at Cruden Bay called Blin' Dunt and also the par-4 17th at Prestwick called Alps.  Two great ones, IMO.

[Mitch Hantman]

Not often thought of as a blind hole, the tee shot at TOC #17 is clearly a blind one, and one that tests one's nerve quite well.  

[Scott_Park]

Isn't #5 at Long Cove a mirror image of the Old Marsh hole?  I believe Pete also did a similar 'ring the bell' hole at his Mission Hills course.

Personally, I am not a fan of the flip wedge over a hill shot, but a drive over a ridge or an iron to an elevated green is much more interesting.

That being said, I don't have a good answer to Darren's question.

[Dan Grossman]

I was going to say #5 at Long Cove as well.  However, I thought that if you put it in a specific part of the fairway, the
shot wasn't blind.  I have only played it once three years ago and am having a hard time remembering.

In addition to #15 at Cruden Bay, #14 is pretty cool too.  The second shot is completely blind to a sunken green between the coast and a huge dune.

[Mike Erdmann]

I'll add #14 at Cruden Bay.  The little box at the tee with the pushpin indicating the hole location just adds to the quirkiness of Cruden Bay and makes it one of my favorite golf courses in the world.

[Mike Erdmann]

Whoops, looks like Dan posted #14 at Cruden Bay as I was typing mine.  Great minds think alike!

[Mike Nuzzo]

JakaB
How does this sound as a solution to the Flags and white painted rocks indicating line of play....
Public - Need them
Private - No way
Cheers

[Jim_H]

In some sense, I'd say there are none.
I think that blind tee shots are usually OK--e.g., several early holes at Royal County Down.
But I can't think of any blind shots to the green that don't make the hole unfair and somewhat silly.  The holes mentioned at Lahinch and Prestwick hurt the courses, in my opinion.  If it were not for the history and tradition of the courses, these holes would be ridiculed.  In the US, the several blind shots to the green at Apawamis are noteworthy, but distract from the quality of the course--again in my opinion.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Never played it, but #3 at National is supposed to be good:



Aren't most Alps/punchbowls blind?  Only some purely punchbowls are.

I love blind shots.  Goodale doesn't.  

[Evan Fleisher]

14 and 15 at Cruden Bay...

14th hole plays from top right to bottom left in this shot


14th hole from fairway directly in front of green


15th hole tee shot


15th hole green looking back towards tee

[Jim_H]

One more thought--let's define blind hole.  I only consider the shot to the green a blind one if you can't see anything (like the 3rd at Apawamis).  If you can see the flagstick, but not the entire green, that's not blind as I see it.  Some of the holes shown are not blind shots by that definition.

[Nigel_Walton]

What a marvelous thread. Playing at a new American style course outside London recently, our well-travelled caddy said the following as an attempt at damning Wentworth West: "Do you realize there are 7 blind shots on that course?" I can assure you I would have preferred WW to where I was playing, where there were 0 blind shots.

[CHrisB]

#9 at Royal County Down!!  Fun and scary.  486 yards championship, 425 medal.
View from the tee:

And from the top of the hill (that sandhill really juts in from the left more than it would appear on the tee):

The approach:


The approach to the 13th at RCD is another fun blind shot.
Actually, RCD has quite a few blind shots (2,5,6,7-par 3,9,11,13).

[billb]

Fun thread! I have been fortunate to play many of the holes mentioned, and reading the posts and looking at the pictures brings back lots of great memories!

My personal favorite blind par 3 is the Dell at Lahinch. Is it a great hole? I don't know, but it sure is fun! I was playing a few holes at twilight one fine summer evening, and ran into a local gentleman out walking his dog. He caddied at Lahinch in his youth, and told me about the "caddies loop". One of the "holes", which I played, was from behind 9 green to the Dell green. It is about 160 yards, is also a blind shot, but you are hitting down into a gap between the dunes to the green. Then you get to walk back to the #6 tee and play The Dell again!

Blind par 4 approach shots - my favorite is also #14 at Cruden Bay. It is so quiet on that green and then you walk up the steps and hear the ocean as you stand on #15 tee - very cool.

Another blind approach on a par 4 that deserves a mention - #14 at North Berwick, the hole with the grand name of "Perfection". After a decent drive, it is not a long shot, there is one of those huge poles with a target on the top to indicate direction. You know you are hitting directly at the ocean, that fact makes it tough to make a full swing!

I am not a big fan of blind tee shots, but if you like them, Royal County Down is the place to go!

BB

[Tim_Weiman]

Jim H:

What don't you like on the blind holes at Lahinch and Prestwick?

FYI, I'm mixed on the subject. I like both at Lahinch and the Alps and Cardinal holes at Prestwick, but for some reason never warmed up to Prestwick's 5th.

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