golf holes where the challenge is significant, but, fun to meet, on the drive and approach.
And, on the drive, second and approach on par 5's.
Holes where the golfer, from the tee, is first faced with a series of choices, including some fraught with substantial risk.
A challenge where theres significant danger in the DZ.
And then, once the golfer has made his choice and executed his drive, he's left with another challenging choice, be it on a par 4 or par 5.
All too often, the challenges presented by the architect are mundane, not really, really thrilling.
The more I thought about it the more I liked the challenge presented by centerline features, because you can't really "bail" to a safe side, you have to plan and execute properly just to get to the safe side if that's your choice.
The hole that kept coming to mind, time and time again, was # 8 at NGLA, "Bottle", with that strip of angled, centerline bunker, flanked on both edges of the fairway by additional bunkers. The visual from the tee is very intimidating.
As challenging as the drive is, it becomes even more challenging when the wind is up, or the air "heavy"
A drive that finds the fairway, gives the golfer a thrill, he's escaped difficult bunkers, and is in the fairway, preparing for his next shot.
But, that shot is fraught with danger, risk-reward.
The safer side of the fairway, the wider side is the lower, more canted side.
The riskier part of the fairway, the narrower side is the upper side, the flatter side.
But now, the golfer is faced with a green that sits high above him, with a very steep drop off to the right and short, bunkers and hillocks and humps left. Long has its own problems.
The visual on the approach is again.... intimidating
The green looks like the right side falls off the edge of the earth.
Hole locations right are ferocious looking, especially from the wider part of the fairway.
clubbing with an elevated green is more difficult, judging, and accounting for wind and elevation, unsettling.
So, why to I love playing this hole ?
Why could I play it 100 times a day and enjoy every play, irrespective of my score ?
Is it because there ARE 100 ways to F__K it up, with danger lurking at the slightest misjudgement and/or mishit ?
There are a good number of holes where one is challenged, mentally and physically on a particular shot, be it drive or approach, but, how many par 4's challenge you on both ?
How many par 5's challenge you on all three ?
And, how many of those can really punish an errant approach or second shot on a par 5 ?
What holes present this type of challenge, a challenge you love to meet, over and over and over again.
I would imagine the the 13th at ANGC and the 18th at NGLA fall into that category.