1st and 2nd holes at Woking - a great par five waiting to happen?

[Scott Warren]

Regarding Sean's suggestion in the Woking v The Addington thread that the par fives at Woking don't really achieve very good-ness let alone greatness, it has just struck me that if you combined the 1st and 2nd holes, you would have a hole that I think would be a world class short par five.

Anyone agree, or am I crazy?

While you lose the par three 2nd, you would preserve the shot that makes it so awesome. While playing it I thought while looking up to the green from 120m short that the shot I was seeing would make a great approach shot to a longer hole, and that would then be included as well for those who laid up with their second.

Those who had a crack at it in two would still face the wrath of missing the green that exists currently, with the third shot becoming more difficult the closer and further right you find yourself.

Here's how the hole would play:
The drive: Line would be the trees on the right that currently stand between the 1st green and 2nd tee. Any drive too far left would be blocked out and have to lay up.


The ballsy 2nd shot: you've pumped your drive 260-290 yards, so you have 240-210 left to the green. Basically all that is good about the current 2nd is retained.


The third shot from a 120 yard lay up. The further left you lay up, the easier the shot, but the short bunker and the creek ensure you still have to plan the placement of your lay-up.

[Sean_A]

Scott

There are several problems with this idea.

1. Where do we get another hole?

2. The 2nd is an awfully good par 3 to eliminate.

3. I think even moderate players would be able to hit much closer than 210 yards to the green in summer conditions. Some very good bunkers would need to be employed.

4. We lose a clever little drivable par 4.  I don't think its necessarily in the right spot in the round, but its an easy transition into the round none the less.  

These drawbacks don't mean it couldn't be done, but I would think a very good extra hole would have to be the ultimate goal if we made a par 5 1st.  Where is it?

For myself, I still think breaking up #s 14 & 15 by starting the game on #15 would really help the slog that is the back to back par 5s.  Neither is a bad hole in its own right, they just don't work well back to back.

Ciao  

[Robin_Hiseman]

Intersting idea taken in isolation Scott.  One problem is that the hole would measure about 465 yards max, which given the downhill nature of the second half of the 1st fairway, means it would be a par 4.  You might find the replacement hole by extending 7 into a par 4 and fitting a par 3 in the woodland before coming back to 8 fairway from a stronger dogleg angle.  It would depend upon where the property boundary was.  Have a play around on Google Earth.

However, if you don't actually suceed in making the 1st into a par 5 one would question if it were worth the effort.  1 is a very clever short par 4.

Glad you managed to get a game in at Woking and on such a perfect evening.