back to back opening par fives

[Tommy Williamsen]

I just returned from a golf trip to Colorado.   Colorado mountaiin golf is stunning and worst and spectacular at best.  Even when the course is average the views are magnificent.  
  
The last course I played was Catamount Ranch and Club in Steamboat Springs.  It is Tom Weiskopf design and it is a good one.  But it started with back to back par fives.  I don't ever recall seeing that before.  Are there other courses that open with two par fives?

[Jeff Doerr]

Tommy,

Many moons ago I used to play some at Los Serranos Country Club, South Course down in SoCal. It opens with two and has six total with a par of 74. I caddied for a freind once who was in a qualifier for the SoCal Amateur. He went birdie, birdie to start, but stumbled into the low 80s by the end of the round.

Cheers, Jeff

[Stan Dodd]

Dunbar opens with up and back par fives so one is always into the wind and one down wind.

[Joel_Stewart]

LACC  has opening par 5s but that may change with the remodel?

[Bob_Huntley]

When I was a member at Riviera in the seventies, Nos 1 and 2 were par fives.

Bob

[Bill Seitz]

Tommy,

Many moons ago I used to play some at Los Serranos Country Club, South Course down in SoCal. It opens with two and has six total with a par of 74. I caddied for a freind once who was in a qualifier for the SoCal Amateur. He went birdie, birdie to start, but stumbled into the low 80s by the end of the round.

Cheers, Jeff

About 15 years ago they lengthened the second hole to make it a true par five.  It used to be a short hole and fairly easy for a par five.  I believe 16 was that was as well, but I don't think they changed that hole.  I moved out of LA and haven't played there in years, but my understanding is that they got an infestation of a particular beetle that killed a lot of the Eucalyptus trees.  They lost some 5,000 trees or so. 

That's the only course I've played that opens with two par fives, but I have played another courses that closes with two par fives, and four of the last five holes are par fives.  The Victoria Club in Riverside, CA finishes with 3, 5, 5, 3, 5, 5, so the 12th hole is the last par four you play.  It's a very old course for the region, built in 1903.  Pretty short and really tight, but a lot of fun to play.  It was our home course my senior year in college.

[Jim Nugent]

The muni at Costa Mesa CA starts with two par 5s. 

[JC Jones]

Kingsley Club

[Tom Birkert]

Sunningdale Old used to start with two par 5s, but No 2 was changed to a par 4 a few years ago.

The women still play them as par 5s, Karen Stupples started 3, 2 in the Womens Open in the final round when she won.

[mike_beene]

tension East in Dallas opens with two reachable par fives that can jam up play incredibly. believe the pubilinx was once there.

[Bill_McBride]

The Valley Club of Montecito (Mackenzie-Hunter, 1929) starts with two par 5s followed by the 436 yard 3rd which is up hill with a fiendishly steep green.  5-5-5 has always been a great start!

[Tommy Williamsen]

It is amazing how quickly I can forget.  I have played Old Sunningdale, LACC North,  and Riviera, although two was a par four/five.  JC I know two may seem like a par five, but I can still make a bogey four there.

At Catamount there wass no reason number two couldn't have been a strong par four.  Same can be said for either one or two at Sunningdale.  In fact, I think number one is an easier par four than number two.

[Kevin Pallier]

Pymble in Sydney starts with two P5's

[bill_k]

West Palm Beach CC (Dick Wilson) in Florida begins with back-to-back par 5's.
The original layout must have been a lot of fun. Not much left to see due to years of neglect....the bones of a really neat course are there. Unusual natural elevation in a few spots reminds me of North Palm Beach CC.

[Frank M]

Bayview Country Club in Toronto

[Lenny Polakoff]

West palm beach cc starts with 2.  Both reachable if memory serves me correct

[Tom Jefferson]

Baywood G&CC (Bob Baldock, r. Robt. Muir Graves) in Arcata, Calif., has two opening par 5 holes.

And just about the coolerest, funnerest back nine out there!

Tom

[Mike Wagner]

Inglewood GC (Macan) - Seattle

[Mark Chaplin]

When I was a member at Riviera in the seventies, Nos 1 and 2 were par fives.

Bob

Great to see Bob posting again, I'm sure we all hope you are on the road to recovery.

[Andy Troeger]

Fort Wayne Elks GC (Indiana) starts with two par fives, and also ends with one. I think the other is at #15, so you go quite awhile in the middle of the round without a long hole!

Tommy--what did you think of Catamount Ranch compared to other courses in Colorado? I think its the highest ranked course that I haven't seen in the current GD state listing, mainly because its not that easy to get to!

[Tommy Williamsen]

Andy, I played Haymaker in the morning.  It is a municipally owned course and is excellent.  It may be the site for the Woman's Publinx.  I thought Catamount waas exceptional.  It is so dramatic in places that it can overshadow the excellent golf.  IT has two terrific short par fours and some excellent par threes.  The routing is a little goofy because Weiskopf wanted the to use the most stunning land.  I think it is easily a top ten in the state.  The trip to Steamboat is worth it for both Haymaker and Catamount.

[Andrew Summerell]

Kooyonga in Adelaide.