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GeoffreyC

Best bunkered par 3's?
« on: July 14, 2002, 10:31:34 PM »
The photos of the 13th at Murifield remined me that I think its perhaps the finest bunkered par three that I am aware of.  Its open in the front but a shot only slightly off line can be collected into some of the most evil bunkers ever created my man's hand.  Its very fair but exacts a price for a poor shot.

The postage stamp 8th at Troon also comes to mind as requiring an exacting pitch usually with a wind to factor into play.

A third candidate is the 9th at Myopia Hunt Club.  The green is as wide as Charles Howell's waist so direction control is required perhaps more then any par 3 I know of.  Miss the target and the bunkers are very steep and very deep.

What are some of your candidates for exceptionally well bunkered par 3's and why?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Shane Gurnett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2002, 10:45:37 PM »
Geoff

If you're looking for great par three bunkering, then the sandbelt is the place to go. Some of my favourite are as follows:

Kingston Heath 10 and 15
Commonwealth 9 and 15
Royal Melbourne West 5, 7 and 16
Victoria 4,7 and 14
Yarra Yarra 11 and 15

Interesting that most of these holes are less than 160 metres. I'll take a short hole with great bunkering and requiring an exacting shot, over a long hole with average bunkers anytime.

Cheers

Shane
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Lou Duran

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2002, 10:50:01 PM »
Sand Hills #17; relatively small green sitting high on a dune.  Cavernous bunkers front left and right, bunker back left, trash right.  Catch it on a windy day and good luck!  It is also beautiful!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Patrick_Mucci

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2002, 10:51:23 PM »
Geoff,

13th Pine Tree, narrow, slanted green well bunkered
6th at NGLA, entire slanted green bunkered
2nd at GCGC, entire slanted green effectively bunkered
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:07 PM by -1 »
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Paul Turner

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2002, 10:58:27 PM »
Geoff

Just got back from Pacific Dunes and the 14th there fits the bill.  An extremely difficult recover from any greenside bunker on that short par 3: bunkers left, right and long (hole plays downwind most often).

Like Muirfield and many of the great links, you can find some lies where the recovery straight at the pin just isn't on.  
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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TEPaul

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2002, 11:12:34 PM »
If you want to have real problems with bunkering surrounding a par 3 try getting into some of the bunkering surrounding PVGC's #10! Matter of fact it's not a great idea to "GET IN THE BUNKER" on any of PVGC's par 3s!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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GeoffreyC

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2002, 11:27:36 PM »
Shane-  I agree with you about exacting short holes.  Most of those mentioned so far fit that requirement perfectly.

Pat- I was also thinking of #2 at GCGC

#10 at Pine Valley is certainly another as is the 17th at Sand Hills.  My up and down from the right bunker on 17 is one I'll not forget anytime soon (the fact that I didn't hit that green in four tries is another reason I won't forget that hole).

I don't agree with the 6th at National.  Its the green and not the bunkering that makes that hole great.

Make the player hit an exacting shot and add some wind to require trajectory control and I think you have a technology resistent formula.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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CB

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2002, 11:34:03 PM »
#11 at St. Andrews has two perfectly placed (and deep!) bunkers that totally dictate play on the hole.

And how about the evil #11 at CC of Charleston, with its angled tabletop green protected on both sides by dead-flat bunkers 6-10 feet below the surface of the green (see http://www.golfclubatlas.com/charleston000158.html)?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Patrick_Mucci

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2002, 11:39:11 PM »
Geoffrey C,

With many areas of the green feeding into the adjacent bunkers, and the effect of the bunkers on far right pin locations, and back left pin positions, and any pin positions outside the doughnut, I think the bunkers are a strong consideration.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Matt_Ward

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2002, 11:45:19 PM »
Two courses that come quickly to mind are the following:

Winged Foot / West

3rd hole -- fiercely protected and the smart play can sometimes be a lay-up short as Casper did in '59 Open.

7th hole -- short shot to elevated target. right hand bunker gets plenty of play.

10th hole -- nuff said on this great one!

13th hole -- very underrated because the green is pinched in from both sides.

The sleeper course I would mention is:

Forsgate / Banks Course, Jamesburg, NJ

3rd hole -- in my opinion one of the four best par-3's in NJ. Plays max of 190 yards to elevated target with a ridge that runs down the middle for two distinct sections. Miss either side and the bunker shots is both long and deep.

7th hole -- fall away redan type hole from high left to lower right. Front bunker really makes a squeeze on you.

12th hole -- horseshoe hole type green with bunkers running the entire length behind the green for the too aggresive play.

17th hole -- long style biaritz type hole with sand on flanking sides. Again -- Banks made the bunkers deep to prevent easy recovery.

One other course to mention is Shinnecock Hills -- four distinct holes with unique bunkering patterns around each. Just love the short and diabolical bunkering at the 11th!!!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Brian Phillips

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2002, 07:32:11 AM »
My two best bunkered Par 3's are the 17th at Sand Hills and The Postage Stamp.  I haven't played the Postage Stamp but I seen players on TV shake in their boots when about to play it though.

I like GeoffreyC love the 17th at Sand Hills and have even birdied it wih a 20 foot downhill putt just after Lester George pressed me and Jeff Brauer for a new wager...

Brian
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Bunkers, if they be good bunkers, and bunkers of strong character, refuse to be disregarded, and insist on asserting themselves; they do not mind being avoided, but they decline to be ignored - John Low Concerning Golf

brad_miller

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2002, 07:41:19 AM »
#2 at Prairie Dunes isn't bad, the bunkers ARE hazards, but not the worst hazard that surrounds this wonderful green.

#17 at Sand Hills is great, although the green is somewhat flat, making par out of those bunkers is quite a feet.

#15 at CPC is also wonderful :)
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Mike Clayton

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2002, 09:00:31 AM »
Shane
You missed the 5th at Woodlands and the 16th West but I think you got all the rest.
In 5 weeks in America I didnt see anything better .
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Mike Clayton

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2002, 09:12:07 AM »
Shane
Sorry -you didnt miss 16w at all.
Tell me it's not true that they want to flatten the back of the 15th at Commomwealth to get more pins.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Shane Gurnett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2002, 09:19:31 AM »
Mike, only rumours (but plenty of them) at this stage. I'll keep you posted. Some other greens mentioned as well.

I also forgot 16 at Royal East. Maybe the best hole on the complex that cant crack it into the composite course..

Shane
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:07 PM by -1 »
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A_Clay_Man

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2002, 09:40:05 AM »
Pebble's 7th,12th and 17th are all well bunkered. #7 is almost completly surrounded, but with the elevated tee and shortness of the hole I believe it is completly justified. The 12th has the small runway which is the only place to miss. And 17,  fuhgettabout it. With a left pin every single one of those bunkers comes into play. And ... along with the 3rd hole pot bunker, it's pot bunkers gives precedance for adding Shivas' pot bunkers on 15. :-*

Spyglass' 3rd has only the one bunker, but it so key to the play of the hole and is almost completly blind from the tee.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Tom MacWood (Guest)

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #16 on: July 15, 2002, 10:22:45 AM »
Some wonderful golf holes, but why are these par-3's considered the creme de la creme of the well bunkered? In other words what seperates the best from the rest?

The 6th at Dornoch looks wonderful.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Mike Clayton

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2002, 05:18:26 PM »
Tom
We have all played hundeds of one shot holes where marginal shots will get the job done.
All of these holes are mentally tough to play because you stand on the tee knowing a marginal shot is going to miss the green and the penealty for that miss is going to be severe.

Shane
I played Commonwealth last week.I thought they were supposed to be clearing trees out.
It looked like a token gesture to me.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Mark_Fine

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #18 on: July 15, 2002, 06:09:36 PM »
There are so many (as we've seen from the lists above) but #3 at Lehigh is one of the best I've ever seen.  The bunkers have dramatically different hazard values depending on the pin location and the whole complexion and strategy of the hole changes as a result.  Ask Mike Cirba about that green and those bunkers  :)  I'm sure he recalls the bunker shot he holed for a 2 and just how he had to play it!
Mark
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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John Bernhardt

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #19 on: July 15, 2002, 06:50:11 PM »
I love the postage stamp for its bunkering. #5 at Spyglass has great bunkering too. It is hard to argue with 7 at Peoble but i feel the wind more than the bunkering makes the hole.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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John Bernhardt

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #20 on: July 15, 2002, 06:50:50 PM »
I love the postage stamp for its bunkering. #5 at Spyglass has great bunkering too. It is hard to argue with 7 at Peoble but i feel the wind more than the bunkering makes the hole. # 11 at TOC is one of the best on earth.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Chris Kane

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #21 on: July 15, 2002, 07:36:56 PM »
Mike

Their reasons for "clearing" are as follows:
*reduce high maintenance costs associated with the bushes
*improve air flow = better fairway growth
*flow of play considerations
*lost balls

If you look at it from that angle, they've done a good job.  However, the most important reason they need to clear is for strategic/design reasons.  Until that is acknowledged, the tree clearing won't be any more than token  :-[
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Jeff_Lewis

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #22 on: July 15, 2002, 07:52:19 PM »
9 at Quaker Ridge is so under-recognized. In a 9 team playoff, not one team could make par there over the weekend, yet the hole was playing only 145 yards. The combination of bunker placement, green pitch, green size and the angle from which it plays make it arguably the best hole on a course noted more generally for its strong par 4s. Put this hole at RM or Augusta and it would be world famous.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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Paul Richards

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #23 on: July 15, 2002, 08:04:52 PM »
I'll also throw my vote towards the Postage Stamp.  What a great little hole!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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"Something has to change, otherwise the never-ending arms race that benefits only a few manufacturers will continue to lead to longer courses, narrower fairways, smaller greens, more rough, more expensive rounds, and other mechanisms that will leave golf's future in doubt." -  TFOG

TEPaul

Re: Best bunkered par 3's?
« Reply #24 on: July 15, 2002, 10:56:06 PM »
Some of the best bunkered par 3s--and par 4s and 5s are still Pine Valley! I don't care if some of you think the bunkering has been cleaned up or not! It's not in the sand anyway--most of it is in the architecture of the bunkering.

I just watched 45 of the best local pros and 15 top amateurs play 36 holes down there and +4 is in a two man play-off tomorrow!

If you put your ball in the sand down there and get up and down--you earned your up and down with a great recovery shot and a good putt!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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