"The hardest shot at..."

[Kevin_Reilly]

SFGC is the second shot at #7, the Duel Hole, I think Sandy Tatum has said. 

Maybe only a slight exaggeration, based on my play there.   It is the case no matter where you miss the green with your tee shot, but particularly from long (especially into the back bunker) and left.  The green is so small and fast, that a pin location on the back tier is essentially out of play if you miss the green long or left.  The right side, with a deep bunker along the side of the green, is no bargain either.  Miss the bunker right, and you are accelerating toward a 5 or worse on the hole.

Is there another course where the hardest shot on the course is not a shot from the tee or fairway?  Thinking again of SFGC, I think the tee shot on #13 (Little Tilly) might be easier than any second shot there if you miss the green.  Very contoured, small green with deep bunkers surrounding it.

Here are links to two pictures of #7 from Chip's blog:

Tee shot on #7 

#7 Green surrounds

[David_Tepper]

Kevin -

The 2nd shot on #2(par-3) at Royal Dornoch is notorious. Missing the green right on either #6 or #10 is no picnic as well.

DT

[Phil_the_Author]

The 2nd shot on the 15th hole on Bethpage Black...

[Kevin_Reilly]

Are these other examples similar to the Duel Hole in terms of the green surrounds/hazards?

[Jon Spaulding]

I would say that the back bunker on #11 at Crystal Downs would be a candidate. It does not look severe in this photo, but most can attest the mess that awaits, unless you are an incredibly high level sand player.

Also, I cannot imagine playing out of the bunker on the left side of #2 green at Yale.

[Wade Whitehead]

The seventh shot on the 18th at Tobacco Road is always a bear.

WW

[David Mihm]

Agreed that the 2nd at Dornoch is an absolute beast. 

I'd say the same for the 2nd at Ballybunion 11.  It's always seemed like the hardest approach in golf--long iron, downhill-sidehill lie, elevated tiny green + wind.

And yet, it's one of my all-time favorite holes.

[Ian Andrew]

I agree with Jon - there is not a harder shot that I can think of.


For perspective:

I played a match there in October a few years back.
I had 10 feet for birdie one tier above the pin.
After thinking about it for a while I putted "sideways" along the tier to the right and used the green bank at the bunker to deliver the ball to the lowest tier.
I won with a "four" despite us both being on the green in regulation.
His "third" shot was from the valley below and so was his "fifth!"