Steep Uphill Holes that Work

[Mike_Young]

How bout 15 at Philly CC?

[David_Madison]

How about the Alps hole or #18 at the National?

#15 at my home course, Governors Club, is just over 300 yards but rises at least 60'. This hole is all about the elevation and the green. Plenty of birdies but even more 3 and even 4-putts when our greens are rolling.

[Tim Bert]

Pasa #11 - 110 feet uphill.  If thats not severly uphill, I don't know what is.

That number is shocking to me if that is correct.  Not saying it isn't accurate, but it definitely didn't feel that significant.  All the better if it is really that much of a change.

[Robert_Ball]

#15 at Piping Rock (437 yds) is pretty steep- I'd guess 70-80 feet uphill from the low point in the fairway where most drives end up.

[CJ Carder]

Surprised no one has mentioned #8 at Spyglass yet...

[Mike Boehm]

#8 at Crystal Downs - incredible par 5 and left my full group winded by the end of it.  I've never seen a fairway with undulations like that.

[Wade Whitehead]

This may be a little obscure, but #1 at Conewango Valley CC is very uphill, and is by far the hardest hole on the golf course.  Anyone else played it?

WW

[Mark Pearce]

2nd at Elie, 13th at Muirfield and 13th at Silloth all spring to mind.  Also the 9th (I think) on the Blue course at The Berkshire and the 11th at Alwoodley.  Each of these play uphill all the way and have significantly steep portions.

[Kalen Braley]

Pasa #11 - 110 feet uphill.  If thats not severly uphill, I don't know what is.

That number is shocking to me if that is correct.  Not saying it isn't accurate, but it definitely didn't feel that significant.  All the better if it is really that much of a change.

Tim,

Google Earth is never wrong, especially when I'm driving.   

Just by eyeballing it a few weeks ago, it was a lot steeper in person than it looks in pics.  And GE confirmed that for me.

After all, when you have a long ball hitter like Mike Benham, and it takes him driver/4 iron to get home in 2, and it says its only 380 on the card.  Thats when you know your dealing with some major uphill action right there. 

[Ian Larson]

The "five and dime" at Ridgewood Country Club

[Andrew Summerell]

The 7th at New South Wales GC would qualify nicely.

[Matt_Ward]

Ian Larson:

Five and dime at Ridgewood is relatively F-L-A-T when compared to the 10th at
Alpine. Not even close when the word "steep" is thrown into the mixture as this
threas is entitled.

Gents:

By the way -- I'd throw into the picture the long par-4 on the back nine at Sleepy Hollow.
Can't think of the hole # but the second shot to the putting surface is extremely high above the
fairway.

One other nominee -- the 15th at Bethpage Black. The green appears to sit in the clouds and
played to a mean 4.6 scoring average during the '02 US Open. And the hole was not played from
the maximum championship as gallery stands were perched on that part.

[Glenn Spencer]

Ian Larson:

Five and dime at Ridgewood is relatively F-L-A-T when compared to the 10th at
Alpine. Not even close when the word "steep" is thrown into the mixture as this
threas is entitled.

Gents:

By the way -- I'd throw into the picture the long par-4 on the back nine at Sleepy Hollow.
Can't think of the hole # but the second shot to the putting surface is extremely high above the
fairway.

One other nominee -- the 15th at Bethpage Black. The green appears to sit in the clouds and
played to a mean 4.6 scoring average during the '02 US Open. And the hole was not played from
the maximum championship as gallery stands were perched on that part.

Do you think the tee will be back there next year??

[Matt_Ward]

Glenn:

Hard to say -- I'd like to see a rotation of different tees at BB -- the 15th among them.

No doubt a very solid argument can be made that the 15th as it was played in the
'02 US Open was more than enough hole at the distance it played.

Stretching it even more would be something that could only stroke more controversy
akin to what happened with the length of the tee shot carries they had at the
10th and 12th holes.

By the way -- as an FYI -- I'd like the USGA to play the 7th as a split par-5 one day and
as a par-4 on the other two rounds. Also, I'm hope the rough grass that was grown across
the fairway at the base of #6 is cut back to its original fairway height.

We shall see most certainly what happens but I think Mike Davis has done quite well with
WF / West and Oakmont under his belt.

[Mike_Cirba]

Matt,

I love the 10th at Alpine, but I'm betting we'd get some serious arguments as to whether it really "works". 

[Bart Bradley]

#8 at Grandfather...uphill the whole way but steeply uphill on the approach...Large mountain in the background frames the hole.  Very interesting steeply sloping green...

Bart

[Mike_Cirba]

Having just played it, I have 2 words:  demonic brilliance. 

I loved it.

Shivas,

Good to hear that you made it to Fenway.   Isn't it a hoot?

[Brad Swanson]

Agreed on #13 at Sand Hills, as well as #4 and #15 at BPB.

Cheers,
Brad

[mark chalfant]

#17 at  Rouge Park in Detroit.   97 yards over a wide brook  and sharply uphill  to a small green. Many other excellent holes at this public  gem   

[mark chalfant]

The  Orchards in  Hadley  Mass.  360 yards that winds sharply uphill.  a lovely  Ross course

[Mike_Trenham]

How about French Creek's #6 and #13?  My preference is #6.

[Phil McDade]

Brad:

Brad Swanson and friends attacking the first hole, something of the uphill fortress, knolltop affair.

second shot on the first


Does this qualify?

(The 1st at the Langford/Moreau West Bend CC in West Bend, WI; that's Brad waving with GCA poster Dan Moore alongside; 2nd photo is GCA poster Eric Terhorst with his approach. Much more uphill than the photo indicates.)

[Gerry B]

good topic

my list which include some already listed  - (note: some holes are uphill all the way - some are  severe uphill approach shots) would include:

9,10,11 at Shinnecock

13 at sand hills - which i have always thought was inspired by 11 at shinnecock

5 at fishers island

3, 13, 15  and 18 at scarboro - 13 is a 413 yd par 4 that plays at least 30 - 40 yds longer

1 at aronomink

1 at calgary golf club (willie park / tom bendelow) - a 465 yd par 5 that plays at least 60 yds longer - quite the walk right out of the chute

16 at beacon hall in toronto - 223 yd par 3 that plays at least 250 yds

9 at Baltimore country club 5 farms east - uphill par 3 - they took the trees out behind the green a few years ago - great hole

9 or 10 at Capilano - can't remember which hole number it is - a beast of an uphill  par 4

10 at yale

13 at shoreacres - quirky at its best

3  at NGLA

18 at Riviera

4 and 18 at Olympic Lakes Course

9 at Forsgate

10 at Yale

1, 6, 13 at Myopia Hunt Club

3 at The National (Old) in Australia - you need a doctor's note if you are walking and carrying your bag

the short par 4  on the back 9 at Edgbaston in Birmingham England- the hole is called "Angina" for a reason

the uphill par 3 at Philly Country Club - can't remember the hole number

6 at Olympia Fields South (hells kitchen) might be my favorite hole of the 36 there

2 at Sunnehanna

11 at Beaconsfield in  Montreal

5 at Pine Valley

the par 3 17th at Oakland Hills South and the approach to #11 is quite steep as well

[JNC Lyon]

9 and 14 at Oak Hill (East)--both mentioned in Bradley S. Klein's review in Golfweek.  Check them out Tomorrow thru Sunday in the Senior PGA Championship.

3 at CC of Rochester is the best steep uphill hole I know of, very well restored by Gil Hanse.

[Ally Mcintosh]

ok, thanks again for all the help...

...but really, without an idea of elevation change, the thread just becomes a list of holes...

...there's enough here to assist though...