18th holes at Major championship venues

[Sean_A]

To back up Tim, and to perhaps add a bit of spice to your story, Hoylake's Open alteration using the 16th as the finisher was quite good.  It messed up the start, but making #16 the finisher with chances for eagle was an inspired decision.

I also like Oakland Hills finisher.  I will never understand the moaning about the par reduction.  Do people think the pros wouldn't go for the drive if it were a par 5?  Of course they would.  

Carnoustie's is the obvious ball breaker finish, but that has as much to do with the previous two holes as the final hole - perhaps another twist in the story including all three holes.  

It would also be interesting to explore NLE 18th holes such as Princes.  It looked to be interesting with its flying V fairway. 

There is also Musselburgh, is there another championship venue which hosted so many championships (was it six Opens?) yet has no 18th?  For that matter, can another venue claim to have had the Open stolen from them because a club moved?  More fodder for the story. 

Ciao

[Tim Pitner]

Jay,

Maybe I just don't understand journalism.  I kind of thought the unattributed opinions in the piece were yours. 

I have found Carnoustie's 18th to be highly entertaining in the 2 Opens it has hosted recently; I'm not sure I really like the hole though.  It certainly is demanding, if that's what you're looking for in a finisher.

St. Andrews 18th is probably a fine hole, but I'm not a big fan of it in the Open--it generally is a smash drive and then a chip or putt.  IMO, the hole is more interesting when played in October at the Dunhill Links.  I don't know if it's the colder weather or the wind, but the hole plays longer and more options come into play. 

For professionals, as a finishing hole, I kind of like holes that aren't brutally difficult or a fairly easy birdie, but instead must be played well to make par and can yield birdies.  The 18ths at Muirfield and Lytham seem like those kinds of holes. 

[Jay Flemma]

I talked with a fistful of the guys to get their opinion and confirm my thoughts from reading a couple of books.