The difficult 1st hole – The Prince – Princeville Hawaii

[Joel_Stewart]

For all the ‘signature holes’ in golf,  only  a few courses actually begin with one. The Prince course in Kauai , is one of them. It is gorgeous to look at, and treacherous to play.

Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed ‘The Prince’ in 1987. The routing flows naturally through dense jungle, with many memorable holes, but players will always remember that first hole!

From the tee, the blue tee 425 yard hole plays significantly downhill, sweeping right, and then left through the jungle,  with a forced carry across tropic wetlands into the green. The entire fairways rumples, with nary a flat spot for your second. Factor in the ever present wind and you begin 18 holes of guessing distances and shots.



Its 170 yards to reach the fairway and 265 yards to the jungle, again downhill and with a normally right to left wind which can be strong. 

Once you reach the fairway, the 2nd shot requires a forced carry over a ravine of water and jungle to the putting surface.  The architect provides ample room to bail out right which allows a chip to the narrow but long putting surface.



All in all its a memorable hole.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Joel, after I first played the hole I was smitten, but didn't quite know how to play it.  I went back to the tee (it was uncrowded) and hit five tee balls and five second shots.  I is just one tough bugger.  Hit it high or you die.  I thought is was a bit too tough as a starting hole.  I can see that the course might get backed up pretty quickly.

[Bob_Huntley]

I wrote about this a couple of years ago as one of the sternest opening holes of any course in the world. I cannot find it in the SEARCH option.

Perhaps one of our computer boffins can bring it up.

Bob

[Kevin_Reilly]

Perhaps one of our computer boffins can bring it up.

Boffin failure here.

2003 mention...only thing I could find:  http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=673.0

[Jason McNamara]

I wrote about this a couple of years ago as one of the sternest opening holes of any course in the world. I cannot find it in the SEARCH option.

Perhaps one of our computer boffins can bring it up.

Bob

Bob, perhaps you meant this one:
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,3152.msg61396/#msg61396

Still doesn't qualify me for work at Bletchley Park, though I hope to visit if I ever play Woburn.

Yr obt svt &c,

Boffin #1308

[Joel_Stewart]

Whats so diifficult on this hole is every shot.  If you look at Oakmonts 1st hole which is quite famous and very difficult is the green.  This hole I can't even remember the hole because I'm in such a daze about hitting my drive and 2nd shot. 

I ended up hitting 4 iron off the tee and then 9 iron into the green.

[Tom_Doak]

Personally, I thought that was way too hard of a starting hole ... too easy to lose a ball right out of the box. 

And then combine it with #2 ... where you have to lay up the tee shot on a par five and then make a forced-carry second shot over a ravine?

I know the nature of the terrain has much to do with the outcome, and I don't know if there were really any good alternatives to the way the course was routed.  But for a resort course it sure starts with the potential to make a bad impression.

[Bob_Huntley]

I wrote about this a couple of years ago as one of the sternest opening holes of any course in the world. I cannot find it in the SEARCH option.

Perhaps one of our computer boffins can bring it up.

Bob

Bob, perhaps you meant this one:
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,3152.msg61396/#msg61396

Still doesn't qualify me for work at Bletchley Park, though I hope to visit if I ever play Woburn.

Yr obt svt &c,

Boffin #1308

Jason,

You qualify as a Boffin in my book.

Thank you.

Bob