What is the hole that most surprised you on a great course?

[Peter Ferlicca]

LACC #14 -  A great par 5 that sweeps uphill to the right
LACC #17- A very hard hole that has an interesting green, both holes will be even better post restoration
Rivieria #9- This is IMO is just as good of hole as #18.  Has a the great view of the clubhouse in the background too.
Olympic Lake #14-  Best hole on the course IMO, a long uphill dogleg left par 4, with the green sitting up on a hill.
Ballyneal #16- My favorite par 5 in golf, still the most exciting second shot I have played into a par 5.
Pac Dunes #7-  I loved the transition of the previous 3 holes right next to the ocean, to this great par 4 in the short pine trees.

[jonathan_becker]

Mac,

15 at WW is a great selection.  The first time I played it, I realized that photos didn't really give a great representation to all of the lines of play that can be taken from the tee....at least for me.    

Most times I wouldn't agree, but if you have the length, attempting the green is the smart play.  Trying to get the ball close from the left fw is a tall order when the flag is anywhere but the front.  Dealing with the knob and the downslope of the green has par written all over it.  At least if you miss right, you have the great angle and a great chance at birdie going slightly uphill.  A miss left and youre at the end of the fw just like you would be if you hit an iron off the tee.

[Alex Miller]

#9 at Riviera

While thinking about the 10th I stepped onto 9's tee and was blown away by the marvelous bunkering. Even more so by the green contours. Truly an underrated hole!

[Scott Szabo]

LACC #14 -  A great par 5 that sweeps uphill to the right
LACC #17- A very hard hole that has an interesting green, both holes will be even better post restoration
Rivieria #9- This is IMO is just as good of hole as #18.  Has a the great view of the clubhouse in the background too.
Olympic Lake #14-  Best hole on the course IMO, a long uphill dogleg left par 4, with the green sitting up on a hill.
Ballyneal #15- My favorite par 5 in golf, still the most exciting second shot I have played into a par 5.
Pac Dunes #7-  I loved the transition of the previous 3 holes right next to the ocean, to this great par 4 in the short pine trees.

Either you struggled mightily on the par-3 15th at Ballyneal or you mean the 16th hole

[Kevin Pallier]

11th - Royal St George's = there's more there than meets the eye

[Scott Warren]

That may be so, KP, but it's still the weakest one-shotter on the course, would you agree?

[Kevin Pallier]

That may be so, KP, but it's still the weakest one-shotter on the course, would you agree?

I wouldn't say that Scott - the thread title asked what surprised me and coming off #10 I saw what a thought was an easy long P3. It was anything but that.

Off the tee it looks inviting enough - smash a long shot in there. But there's so much more than meets your eye - go off on either side of centre and you have a tricky shot and there's no gimmes on that tiered green. The times I played it it was into the wind and I haven't played it better than a score of 5.

[Kenny Baer]

Mac,

What hole on what course is the 3rd one from the bottom?

[Mac Plumart]

17 green at the Pete Dye Golf Club of WV.  Fun stuff!

[Dan Herrmann]

Mac,
Good call on 17 at PDGC.  I needed to stop and turn around when I first saw it in my car on the entrance road.  Craziest green I've ever seen (and that's crazy - good!)

[Mike Leveille]

15 at Royal Dornoch.  Great short par four that is overshadowed by the famous Foxy hole that precedes it.  15 is driveable under the right conditions (down breeze when the fairway is firm) but is a bear into a stiff breeze, as the large mound in the fairway is then very much in play.  Under any conditions the upside down saucer green is one of my favorites anywhere, as it offers a number of options from around the green, and really makes you work to get the ball close and sometimes just to hold the green.

[Mike Cirba]

A few off the top of my head...

17 at Prairie Dunes
13 at Sand Hulls
2 at Kingsley
9 at Inniscrone

[Nick Campanelli]

Mid Ocean #5 "Cape"

I was fully prepared for the infamous drive over Mangrove Lake, but was astonished at the severity of the slope, mounding, and bunkering around the green.  The first time i played there, my approach was pushed slightly right, caught the large mound guarding the right portion of the green, and disappeared into what i'll call green-side bunker 3 right.  The recover shot was and still is the hardest I have ever seen or attempted.    

The second and third time i played there, I used the same mound to feed my approach down toward the pin.  Incredible hole.  

[Link Walsh]

How about 3 at Bandon Dunes?  I love the elevated tee shot with the view of half the course in front of you, and the rolls in the fairway- they almost mimic the waves on the beach a few hundred yards away.

Also, along with quite a few other holes that have already been mentioned, I'll go with #2 at Pacific Dunes.  After I teed off on #7, I looked over to the 2nd green nearby and just couldn't believe the slope and humps and bumps in that green.  The green is so subtly tied into that dune to the right that you don't notice the degree of difficulty (and fun). 

Lastly, I would say #'s 12 and 13 at Crystal Downs are a pretty awesome pair of par 4s that, although more subtle than holes like 5 and 7, are really fun to play.     

[Steve Salmen]

On a golf course stocked with really good/great golf holes, #10 at Shoreacres is one of my favorite holes in the world.  The hole is very similar to the Road hole except the tee shot is not blind and the bunker guarding the left hand portion of the green is not very deep.  There is a ditch that runs to the right of the fairway and tall native grass to the left.  The fairway mildly kinks to the right at about 200 yds to the green.  It's tough but fair.

[Adam Clayman]

6 and 17 at The Downs. 4th @ Greywalls. 2nd and 10th  at Lawsonia. 

[Jason Connor]

Even though Pebble's #8 gets plenty of attention (I think Nicklaus called it his favorite par 4 in the world -- though that quote was probably from before he started designing courses) I was still in awe when I saw it.

If I could only play one hole the rest of my life, I can't imagine why I would choose any other.

[Tony_Chapman]

I think the most surprised I've ever been on a course was on the first tee at Tobacco Road. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

A few others that come to mind:

-- the 2nd at Firethorn GC in Lincoln, NE. You have to see it to believe it.
-- the 8th, 9th and 10th at Prairie Dunes. I didn't possibly think they could all live up to the hype, but they are great. Still leading to my theory that Perry's nine there is the greatest set of nine holes in the US.
-- the 5th at Sand Hills the second time I played there. I played it in 1995 originally, and the tee behind the fourth green wasn't built. To play from the new tee with the carry over the fourth made that a really unique golf hole.

[Brendan Dolan]

# 3 at Ballyneal - Didn't hear much about it before getting out there and now it is one of my favorite short par 3's.  It is interesting to see a short par 3 that seems so easy but plays so difficult.  Great green!

#16 at Sand Hills - Probably the best long par 5 that I have played, which is due to the fact that you can get home in two if you catch the speed boost.

# 6 at Lawsonia -  You hear about the Box Car 7th, but this is my favorite hole.  Great diagonal drive and interesting reversed tiered green with false front.

# 17 at Ballybunion - Loved the tee shot off the high dune down towards the ocean.  

[kurt bowman]

I'm going to go all Pete Dye as most of the holes that jump in my mind are on his courses.

Harbour Town- 13 is a shocker as is #9. I love them both, and #15 green is so cool although maybe not surprising.

Long Cove- #5 is golf design's version of the shocking scene in the movie Crying Game. Love it? Hate it? Maybe. Forget it, no way.

Ocean Course- #17 has a reputation going back to the 91 Ryder Cup when Calcavechia shanked a 2 iron, but seeing that hole the first time in person makes you tremble.

PGA West Stadium Course- #12 a short four, really not driveable and not particularly strategic but the moat bunker is both awesome and surprising as it is 100% blind.

Kurt