Left or Right Handed Golf Courses?

[Tim Gavrich]

Well, so to speak.

Are there certain golf courses that are regarded more highly by left handed players (or vice versa, for that matter)?  There seem to be many courses with an over-abundance of holes that play either left-to-right or right-to-left.  Do there happen to be any courses that are known to be especially loved by lefties?

On a related note, were/are any prolific architects left handed (that is, did/do they play the game left handed)?  If so, does it show in their courses, or do terrain and basic logical routing procedures tend to keep such a characteristic from being present.

As a lefty myself, seeing Mike Weir's 2003 and Phil Mickelson's 2004 and 2006 Masters victories (say, they're the only players to have won the Masters aside from Tiger in the last six years, arent they?), I can't help but think that Augusta National may favor us Southpaw golfers.

[Phil_the_Author]

And with that distinct advantage that you feel is there for those aberrant players, for as any civilized person will tell you the proper way to strike a golf ball is with a right-handed swing, how many of the backward-hitting left-handed variety of players were victorious there before 2003?

Is it possible that McKenzie and Jones purposely designed a course that could not be played well by the distaffers? Does this sudden spate of victories serve to expose a here-to-for unknown conspiracy among the left-handed membership at ANGC to pervert this masterpiece of golf design? Is this the REAL reason behind all of the so-called design changes that appear to contradict the original design philosophy?

Is this... I'll have to get back, there's someone at the door.......

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Tim, You may have something about Augusta - didn't Trevino say that he could never win there because it didn't favour his shape of shot?

There are courses which are extra-punitive to left-handers who slice. [Why is it that most left-handers slice?  Or is it that most left-handers are high handicappers and all high handicappers slice?]  Little Aston is one that comes to mind.  I think there's more trouble on the left than the right at Turnberry Ailsa.  I have a feeling that those holes which are dog-legs at Loch Lomond go from right to left.  Being a left-hander is probably an advantage at Nairn.  A right-hander can slice onto the beach on 6 of the first 7 holes.  Any clockwise layout has the potential to punish the left-handed slicer, although I would not say that I was aware of that at Burnham and Berrow which has that layout.    

[wsmorrison]

Several lives ago I used to do brain research at a major university brain and behavior center while pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology.  I never did finish the program but I remember that the incidence of right brain dominance (right brain dominance exists in most left-handers and is organized differently than most left hemispheres) in architects was about twice the incidence in random populations.  I wonder if this is true as well for golf architects.

[Brent Hutto]

When I have occasion to watch good players on good courses it gives me a chance to think about architecture interfacing with shot shapes (because unlike me good players tend to hit a very consistently shaped shot). I think a left-hander who can draw the ball is sitting pretty on the majority of courses.

There really do seem to be a lot of courses out there designed to the old cliche of offering a little leeway on the right side (for slicers who are presumably weaker players) and more enforcement on the left (for hooker who are presumably stronger players). So a lefty slicer is mis-hitting balls to the same side as a righty hook, albeit a lot shorter with less potential for rolling into trouble.

Here's a point to ponder. On good courses and/or good holes, how often do you see a tilted fairway that is higher on the right and lower on the left versus the opposite slope? I think the former is more prevalent and it is designed for the preferred shape to be a power-fade tee shot. That is the sort of driving hole where a lefty with a draw can hit a huge drive.

[rjsimper]

On a Masters broadcast several years ago, they went through the career statistics of the leftys on 12 at ANGC (a small sample size of course) and found that the lefty scores were often better on that particular hole.  I remember them discussing Weir, Mickelson, and maybe even Flesch and Bob Charles.  

With the typical miss for a lefty being short left or long right, it's a hole pretty much made for a left handed player.

[Tom Birkert]

Interesting topic. I'm left handed and the much repeated observation that Augusta suits (right handed) players who draw the ball would mean that logically it should set up well for the majority of left handed golfers.

I play a small fade myself, the right hand side of the course doesn't really exist as far as I'm concerned, at my home course the 17th is widely considered one of the toughest driving holes due to a copse of trees on the left and death to the right. For a lefty who hits a fade it's not a tough tee shot, you can aim at the right hand edge of the fairway and bomb away - it certainly causes far more problems to right handers in my experience.

[Garland Bayley]

The at first thought Jack could not play Augusta, because he hit a fade. He developed his draw and we all know the results. The preference for a righty draw at Augusta strongly suggests the lefty fade would do better there. Augusta would seem to be a lefty's course.

My experience is that no name, one time, home grown course builders make courses preferable to me over the studied architect. We have one such near where I work and all the OB is on the right. Obviously, the builder didn't know any better.

So many courses have OB on the left only where there is OB. Many even have OB on the left on all 18 holes.  

Perhaps I need to win the lotto and start playing courses that have enough real estate that they don't have OB.

Thank you for your question Matthew.

[Michael Whitaker]

As a lefty I think that things tend to balance out over a given course, compared to righties. Many times fairway bunkers are placed on the right side of a hole to catch a righties slice... no bother to me... but, taking the whole into consideration I think everything averges out fairly even. There have been times when I have been able to attempt a shot that a righty couldn't do (edge of a bunker, against a tree, etc) but the reverse has also happened just as many times.

I think this lefty/righty stuff is fun to talk about, but it really comes down to moving the ball around the course as best you can. I've never seen a course that I thought was righty (or lefty) biased. It is what it is.

[Garland Bayley]

Michael,

Do you need a rules refresher?   Or, do you make all your righty friends declare unplayable lies in bunkers and go back to the tee to hit again?  

[Michael Whitaker]

No, I meant the kind of shot when the ball is on the outside edge of the bunker and you have to stand inside the bunker to hit it. Sometimes a lefty can hit the shot normally where a righty would have to stand in the bunker... but, the same thing happens the other way around, as well. It averages out.

[Greg Murphy]

I'm sure Wayne is correct that there are proven typical differences in the brain function of left handers vs right handers. I can't refer to any actual studies, but I think there are stats out there that suggest left handers are over-represented at the top levels in racquet sports such as tennis. Another example, in baseball, I think lefties are known as hard throwing, if wild, pitchers.

In golf, though, we have to be careful who we label right handers and who we label left handers. In Canada, it is not uncommon for a player like me who plays golf right handed to find myself in a foursome with two and even three guys who play left handed. But in fact, I'm the only true left hander in the group. I think it has to do with Canadians playing hockey as youngsters. I'm left handed but when I started playing hockey as a kid I felt most comfortable with my right hand low, i.e., shooting from the right. My brother was just the opposite. One year my dad bought us clubs, a right handed set for my brother and a left handed set for me. We traded almost immediately.

Mike Weir is right handed. So is Mickelson, I think. Wasn't Hogan left handed?

I think it would be interesting to know the true handedness of golf course architects both classic and modern to see if there is any statistical over-representation one way or the other.

[Ken Moum]

Mike Weir is right handed. So is Mickelson, I think. Wasn't Hogan left handed?

And, Bob Charles is right handed, meaning that all of the southpaw major champions.... aren't.

The matter of Hogan seems to open to some debate, but Johnny Miller, Nick Price and Curtis Strange are lefthanded. I've sene it claimed that Bobby Jones was left handed as well, but can't prove it.

I heard Miller that he was lefthanded in person, and his one-handed swing is AMAZING.

Ken

[Jim_Kennedy]

Tim,
Two 'local' ones that come to mind: Simsbury Farms, where even the par 3s' seem to bend to the left (not fun for a lefty with a draw); and Sharon CC, where 4 of the 9 holes bend right, one bends left, 2 are straight, and the remaining 2 are par3s'.

[Peter Zarlengo]

Heres an example of a specific hole that I think is unfair to lefties.

At a course I play a wall runs directly along the right side of the tee blocking a busy road on the other side. There is wall, maybe a foot of rough and then tee. Overhanging trees cramp the left side of the tee and usually one would be forced to lay up right of the water when teeing on the left side. The hole doglegs left over water.

My best play (I am a righty) is to tee the ball on the extreme right side of the tee, and swing away. I am given the opportunity to clear the water.

My lefty buddies cant make a complete backswing with their ball teed on the right side, because of the wall. So they are forced to tee from the middle and lay up every time, because of the overhanging trees.

Similar story a few holes later, too. Unfair, but I'll take the advantage in a match. Silent to their complaints of course  

[Tim Gavrich]

Tim,
Two 'local' ones that come to mind: Simsbury Farms, where even the par 3s' seem to bend to the left (not fun for a lefty with a draw); and Sharon CC, where 4 of the 9 holes bend right, one bends left, 2 are straight, and the remaining 2 are par3s'.

Mr. Kennedy--
Simsbury Farms is Westminster's home course, and I've found that when the 4th hole has a pin location most anywhere but in the front, a left-handed draw can be effective.  But on holes 9, 13, and 16, I definitely agree.

I look forward to having another crack at the Hotchkiss course this spring in our match against Hotchkiss, Avon Old Farms, and Taft.  I thought I heard somewhere that some renovations have been made to the Hotchkiss course since I last played there (about three years ago), but could be wrong.  I hope to play the ninth hole in fewer than 20 strokes (best 84 I've ever shot !) this time.

Yes, Sharon is certainly kind to lefties.  What a neat little course it is.