Template Hole Madness!!! - 1st Region - ALPS - Taking nominations now

[Richard Choi]

And here we go...

The first template hole we will be discussing and voting will be alps.

Origin: 17th hole at Prestwick Golf Club

Eligibility: Any hole that features a blind or partially blind approach shot over a large mound.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to submit a nomination. Please note that your nomination will be used as the opening descriptions during the match play, so post your best pics and your best argument on why this is the "best" alps hole EVAH! Also note that the voting will be to all GCA members so you are courting votes from people who may have never played the hole, so be detailed and descriptive as you can. More than one person can nominate the same hole, and I will use the best composite description from everyone.

Please post your nominations now!!!

P.S. Nominations are open till end of this week.

Nominations so far:

Prestwick 17th
Old MacDonald 16th
Jawbone Creek 7th
St Enodoc 6th
NGLA 3rd
Gleneagles King 3rd
Juniper 6th
Bandon Trails 10th
Tobacco Road 15th
Lahinch's Klondyke
Rye 13th
Ekwanok 7th
Blue Mound 4th
Kingston Heath 17th
Yeamans Hall 5th
Tain 11th
Mont Adstock 4th
Southport and Ainsdale -the Grumbleys 16th
Fishers Island 4th
Yale 12th

Keep'em coming...

[Garland Bayley]

Well, DUH! Old MacDonald

[Garland Bayley]

Well Obscure, the 7th at Jawbone Creek Country Club

[Mike Hendren]

The Alps at National Golf Links of America is my favorite golf hole in the world.

Bogey

[Sean_A]

How bout St Enodoc?  Its an unusual Alps in that the mound is further from the green than Prestwick's and the Himalaya Bunker (the other name for this type hole!) is incorporated into the dune.   However, it is a famous hole and the approach is not easy.  This hole also has the advantage of it being possible - ever so slightly possible, but possible, to gain a view of the green off the tee.





Ciao

[Bill_McBride]

The Alps at National Golf Links of America is my favorite golf hole in the world.

Bogey

From the tee I didn't have any idea where the green was until the caddy pointed out the line.

The fact that you have to hit a long club all the way up that vast hill of rough AND carry that wide bunker is awesome.

I loved my bogey fives and I loved ringing the bell.  

[JLahrman]

Only holes with posted pics should be eligible for consideration.

[Mike Hendren]

The Alps at National Golf Links of America is my favorite golf hole in the world.

Bogey

From the tee I didn't have any idea where the green was until the caddy pointed out the line.

The fact that you have to hit a long club all the way up that vast hill of rough AND carry that wide bunker is awesome.

I loved my bogey fives and I loved ringing the bell.  

Bill, I find the tee shot to be one of the best diagonal carries in the game, but admit it is easy to overlook given what awaits up the hill.

Mike

[Bill_McBride]

The Alps at National Golf Links of America is my favorite golf hole in the world.

Bogey

From the tee I didn't have any idea where the green was until the caddy pointed out the line.

The fact that you have to hit a long club all the way up that vast hill of rough AND carry that wide bunker is awesome.

I loved my bogey fives and I loved ringing the bell.  

Bill, I find the tee shot to be one of the best diagonal carries in the game, but admit it is easy to overlook given what awaits up the hill.

Mike

Without a doubt.  #8's tee shot was somewhat similar, really fun.

[Richard Choi]

Holes without pictures will be accepted, but will have a hard time with the votes...

[Pete_Pittock]

Gleneagles King #3 Silver Tassie http://www.gleneagles.com/golf/golf-courses/king's-course-/virtual-course-guide/hole-3

Juniper (Redmond Oregon) 6th hole. 651 yards with a large mound 150 yds from the green. The hole doglegs about 25 degrees to the right at the mound, with juniper trees and lava outcroppings on the left. Architects notes mention a $1M price tag to blow out the rock underneath.

Bandon Trails #4 http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/pages/bandon_trails/51.php, t least with my length off the tee.

Pretty much half of the Machrie course. Will post on that in a while.

[Garland Bayley]

...
Bandon Trails #4 http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/pages/bandon_trails/51.php, t least with my length off the tee.
...

Unless you have lost a lot since we last played together, I can't see why you can't go left off the tee and get over the dune.
I remember telling John Kirk you were "sneaky long" when we first played together.

[Pete_Pittock]

Garland, if I go left over the mound at Bandon Trails #4 the ball ends up in the bunkers or the undergrowth.

[Bill_McBride]

The Alps at National Golf Links of America is my favorite golf hole in the world.

Bogey

NGLA #3

Photo posting for Bogey, photos courtesy of Ran's profile:

Great tee shot, green up the hill to the left


The green, corner of front bunker, and the bell.


Right half of the wide green...


Looking back, with no fairway in sight.

[Dave Falkner]

And here we go...

The first template hole we will be discussing and voting will be alps.

Origin: 17th hle at Prestwick Golf Club

Eligibility: Any hole that features a blind or partially blind approach shot over a large mound.

The Dell at Lahinch 

[Alex Miller]

#4 at Bandon Trails is definitely a Hogsback hole, but probably not an alps.

I feel like it has to have some eligibility here, but I'm not really sure what template it falls under: the 18th at Yale. It's 600+ yards and a brutal home hole, but the fairway certainly has an alps feature before dropping down to the green.

Bonus: An interesting article by Brian Silva for those who want to brush up on their template knowledge: http://www.linksmagazine.com/best_of_golf/features/common_golf_hole_designs_golf_architecture_seth_raynor.aspx

[Mike Hogan]

The 10th At Bandon Dunes.

[J Sadowsky]

It's not the best and I can't find any photos, but to throw in a "And Now For Something Completely Different" - Tobacco Road #15.

[Pete_Pittock]

Painswick #5 (Castle).  114 yds, 70' rampart, punchbowl green starts about 10-15 yards past the crest.
http://www.painswickgolf.com/pgc_05_024.htm

The green as seen from the left side:


The tee shot can be seen on the Painswick web site, the second picture
http://www.painswickgolf.com/

[David_Tepper]

I have not played there in years, but I remember an Alps-ish hole in the middle of the back-9 at Stevinson Ranch GC (CA).

[Bill_McBride]

I have not played there in years, but I remember an Alps-ish hole in the middle of the back-9 at Stevinson Ranch GC (CA).

On that hole you could go long left and have a clear shot at the green, no big mound to deal with.  I think you have to carry the hill from any angle on a true Alps.....

[Garland Bayley]

Garland, if I go left over the mound at Bandon Trails #4 the ball ends up in the bunkers or the undergrowth.

I didn't say it was going to be easy.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

This must surely be a contender. Lahinch's Klondyke.

(Pictures from Patrick Glynn's fab tour of Lahinch)

[Cristian]

Gleneagles King's 3 (does it qualify as an alps, I never realised such?)

http://www.gleneagles.com/golf/golf-courses/king's-course-/virtual-course-guide/hole-3

[Tom_Doak]

The Dell and the 5th at Painswick are not "Alps" holes to me.  A blind par-3 should be a separate category if you can find room for it ... call it the Maiden category after the original.

I think my final four here would be the original at Prestwick, the 3rd at National Golf Links, the 13th at Rye [which no one has mentioned yet], and maybe the 16th at Old Macdonald if nobody comes up with a better fourth.  I love St. Enodoc, but the sixth there is not a better Alps than any of the above.  If a blind second shot on a par-5 counts in this category, then throw in the 7th at Ekwanok.

If we'd gotten to build the Farm course at Cape Kidnappers, the Alps hole there woulda been a contender.