Best Closing Holes

[Lenny Polakoff]

Hi Everyone,

I am Fairly new to this site so i apologize if this has been asked before, but  I was curious to hear everyones thoughts.

Which course do you think has the best 3 finishing holes in golf?

Look forward to hearing everyones responses

[Jimmy Muratt]

Sand Hills

A fantastic closing stretch and that just happens to be made up of a par 5 (16), par 3 (17) and par 4 (18).  There are many good candidates for courses with great closing stretches, but those at Sand Hills are my favorite.

[Scott Szabo]

Sand Hills

A fantastic closing stretch and that just happens to be made up of a par 5 (16), par 3 (17) and par 4 (18).  There are many good candidates for courses with great closing stretches, but those at Sand Hills are my favorite.

I couldn't agree more.

[Mac Plumart]

Pete Dye Golf Club of WV…

16…par 3 that plays down hill…without doubt it is easy to hit this green…but the green is big with multiple tiers.  You’ve got to hit the correct spot on the green and putt it well.  On this one, you think you get a break off the tee…but then you have to ramp it up on the green.

17…short par 4 that has one of the most challenge greens you will ever play.  I’ve heard people complain that the green isn’t fair.  But, frankly, I think that says it all.  Wasn’t it Mackenize who said a great hole will first be controversial.  Bingo!!!

18…double risk/reward par 4…You are faced with a risk/reward tee shot that demands you challenge a river.  How much you choose to challenge it is up to you.  There are areas available to take it easy or ramp it up.  If you ramp it up and really go for birdie, you will be faced with another risk/reward shot.  Hit a long iron over the river and fade it back on to
the green, take that same long iron over the knoll for a blind shot into the green, or lay up off to the right?  You choose.  Great hole...and I haven't even talked about the green!!!!

[Jaeger Kovich]

Carnoustie is hard to beat... The long par 3 #16 (Barry Burn) has to be one of the hardest one shot holes in the game. Par 4 #17 offers plenty risk/reward off the tee and a well guarded green can make pin placements on the right very difficult to get to. Then there is #18, with more than enough options, carries, nasty bunkers, and history here to satisfy anyone.... and of course... Some of the most famous moments in tournament golf have also occurred here.

[Bill_McBride]

The last three holes at the Valley Club of Montecito are pretty stout.  Mackenzie did a wonderful job of routing and designing the first and last four holes, all in a plain sloping away from the clubhouse.

#16 is a 455 yard par 4, downhill tee shot, sweeping dogleg left with terrific fairway and greenside bunkering.  As if all that weren't enough, the green slopes very steeply right to left and back to front, so it's tough even after you get there.  Given the positioning of the bunkers, a lot of second shots are short and right, which makes pitches into that sloping green even more difficult from that angle.

#16 green:


#17 is a 400 yard par 4 with deep fairway bunkers left as the hole gently doglegs around them.  The green is in a bit of a bowl and is protected by OB left and a couple of mean bunkers.

David Stamm's photo of #17.  It's from the right side of the fairway so the hole doesn't look like a dogleg left, and you can't see the fairway bunkers off to the left, but you can see the deep greenside bunkers.


#18 is an uphill par four of 425 yards to an elevated green.  There are deep bunkers in the corner of the dogleg, and a driving range left that's in bounds but littered with golf balls!  The green was recently returned to its original (huge) size.

Mike Miller's painting of the 18th hole with the clubhouse behind:


All of the grass from #15 green, across #16 tee and up to #18 green is cut to tight fairway length.  There are lots of different ways to play these holes.

And above it all is the spectacular clubhouse.  It's  a special finish.

[Michael Blake]

Merion's closing three are pretty darn good.

[Alex Miller]

I would say that although 18 at CPC is a memorable hole, 16 and 17 certainly put Cypress Point into the running.

If the question were best three in a row, I think 15, 16, &17 wins hands down.


Another one I'd nominate is Cabo Del Sol. Pretty incredible.

[Dan Herrmann]

Shoot, you beat me to it, Michael.

OK - other than Merion East, how about ...

Nah - It's Merion East.

[Ash Towe]

I'll second Sand Hills.

Also Ballyneal, particularly 16 and 18.

[dsilk]

im pretty confident that this will get skewered- but 16, 17 and 18 "the point" at Secession are about as much fun and terrific match play holes as a number of higher profile clubs....

[J_ Crisham]

Hard to beat the final 3 at Beverly CC,although I'm a bit biased! 16 is a stern par 4 at 440yds. 17 at 215yds with a severe green can be a very tough par-birdied it once in my life. 18 is a strong par 5 at 590 yds to a well bunkered severe green. The 19 th hole is my favorite !                     Will miss it for the next 5 months,   Jack

[Mac Plumart]

If you all are interested in lower profile clubs...

I like the finishing 3 at the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta.  

16...bite off as much as you can chew carry over a diagonal water hazard with a steeply sloping right side of the fairway...that goes down into the water.

17...right side of the fairway is water...green is a penninsula green jutting out in the lake

18...is a beast of finisher...long with water surrounding the green...again!

Tough finish and beautfiul!

[Cristian]

Waterville comes to mind; it is interesting that most (not all) of the traditional UK links courses do not really have a strong finish (I have not played TOC or Carnoustie). Perhaps this is because the clubhouses and subsequently the starting and finishing holes are usually at the end of the road from town outside or on the edge of the dunes land, with the more interesting holes further into the dunes or by the sea.

[Jordan Wall]

Pebble Beach.  16 is one of my favorite par-4's on the course.

Cheers,
Jordan

[Cristian]

...

[Dan_Callahan]

Tobacco Road, mostly because the tee shot on 18 is like nothing I've ever seen.

[Mike Wagner]

Jordan, I agree...tough to beat Pebble.  16 goes too far under the rdar - love that hole.

[Ronald Montesano]

Of the courses I've played, I'd say the Irish course at Whistling Straits has...a great first 15 holes...the last three (or at least two) you can have.

Oh, wait, that's a different thread (best opening 15)...my mistake.  Take two...

After the Walker Cup, it would be difficult for me to deny Merion's rightful place.

From personal experience, I did like 16-18 at Tobacco Road, although I liked 14 better than 17 and 15 better than 16, so I can't place it ahead of Merion.

I agree with Mac that the final troika at PDGC is great, but it doesn't have a quarry!

I'm going to present a Walter Travis Canadian trio that has been incredibly improved by one Ian Andrew.  The 16th at Cherry Hill is a pitch of 130 yards to a mini-volcano green.  Ian mastefully expanded the front bunker to be a mini-Hell bunker, much more menacing than before.  The green is small, but has a bowl in front and a top shelf in back.  #17 was a ho-hum, straightaway par 4 of 390 yards (or 6000 meters, if my metrics are correct...) that Ian revamped by adding a back left tee...the hole now plays about 435 from back there but, more importantly, is a left to right dogleg.  Add the right fairway bunker arrangement to the hole and you now have a demanding drive that before was an afterthought.  The 18th really needs no mention, as it plays about 520 or 580, depending on your tee, to quite possible the most difficult green that Al MacKenzie didn't design.  The closing par five turns and climbs gently from right to left.  You can get home in two, but you might still make 7.

[Kevin Pallier]

Carnoustie in GB&I + Royal Melbourne East spring immediately to mind - the former for the "challenge" the later for the "variety of shots"

[Shane Wright]

If Royal County Down switched its front 9 to the back 9 - it would easily have one of the best finishes in the World if not THE best.

I have a hard time thinking of 3 better holes in a row I have played (haven't played 15-17 at CPC yet).

7 is as good of a short par 3 as there is. 
8 is crazy good
9  - i still have nightmares AND dreams about

[Mac Plumart]

Ron...

I've got to say you've got me fired up to play Tobacco Road with this post and some of your previous ones.

Thanks!

[K. Krahenbuhl]

I'll voice another vote for Merion East.  Probably three of my favorite consecutive holes anywhere in the world.

[Bob_Huntley]

Bill,

I was at the Valley Club two months ago and I cannot say I was in love with the shaved grass appearance of the areas wiithin chipping distance of the green. I do agree with you, the last three holes are the best of the course.

Bob

[David Stamm]

Bill,

I was at the Valley Club two months ago and I cannot say I was in love with the shaved grass appearance of the areas wiithin chipping distance of the green. 

Really Bob? Why? I loved the way it is presented around the greens.