[Matthew Sander]

What features make you uncomfortable? Whether they are architectural nuances, hole shapes, or distracting visuals there seem to be occurences on nearly every course that bring about a particular anxiety. These instances seem to be on an individual basis and can evolve over time. For instance, when I was younger I wouldn't think twice about a shot directly over a bunker to a shallow green. Now, my poor golf mind will immediately go negative when the situation is presented.

Another subtle example for me is a dead straight hole from an elevated tee. Even moreso when the hole is nearly symmetrical from tee to green. I feel less tension on holes that move somewhat or where the trouble lurks primarily on one side. I haven't played there, but Bethpage Black's 18th for instance is the type of hole I'm talking about. The elevated tee accentuates the straight nature of the hole and all of the symmetrical hazards are right there in front of you.

I'd love to hear some of your thoughts regarding features that make you uncomfortable. Not so much features that you think are good or bad in design, but instances where your game or your mind find tension...

[Mark Buzminski]

It's not so much that they don't "fit" my eye, but I find raised greens, upside down soup-bowls shapes with runoffs/rough slopes/bunkers to be a real challenging feature, a la Pinehurst #2.    This feature is effective at putting extra pressure on the iron game.

[Mark McKeever]

Hitting up to a plateau fairway makes me feel uneasy. (hole 4 at PV or 5 at Lancaster for example)  Its a great feature and I like doing it because its always a good challenge, but it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable standing over the ball.

Mark

[Tim Gavrich]

The idea of a certain shot or hole not fitting my eye has always struck me as very specific and individual.  I play a left-handed fade on just about every shot, so I guess all sharp doglegs right don't fit my eye.  But aside from that, I cannot really discern a pattern among other holes and shots that don't fit my eye.

For instance, the 15th hole at Lexington G&CC (W&L golf team's home course) is a slight dogleg left.  There are two bunkers left of the fairway and a hillside on the right.  Should be perfect for someone who hits a left-handed fade, right?  One would think so, but for some reason I can never feel comfortable on that tee box.

[David Kelly]

Driving the ball on a severely uphill hole (the 10th at Alpine CC is a good example)  always give me problems but this doesn't fit the criteria as it is rarely encountered.  You do see holes like this on a lot of newer SoCal golf courses that were forced to build in the hills though.

[Matthew Sander]

David Kelly,

For the example you mentioned, do you think it is because you know the hole plays longer than the yardage and will require an exceptionally long drive? Or do you think you subconsciously feel you need to hit the ball high (even though a regular ball flight is probably fine) to counteract the uphill nature? Or something else entirely??

[Mark Saltzman]

Dogleg right holes where the tee has you aimed to the left of the fairway.  It is made worse (and this is common) when the primary hazard is on the inside of the dogleg,  but there is a secondary hazard (like an escapable fairway bunker) on the outside of the dogleg.

Since I find it difficult to hit this shot being misaligned with the tee box lines, I often attempt to hit a big cut off the left bunkers (but rarely pull it off).

Mark

[Ken Moum]

I have suffered in recent years from an inability to hit a good tee shot on tree-lined dogleg left holes where the turn is close to my distance limit.  I am a terminally short hitter for someone in my handicap range, hitting it barely 200 yards, and carrying a 10-12 index.

My persistent miss is a hook, sometimes with a pull, and those dogleg left holes with the turn past 200 yards just kill me. I consistently lose my mind and try to hit it farther, with a draw and end up in the left trees.  Shorter doglegs, or those where I the trouble is just rough or bunkers aren't so much of a problem.

K

[J Sadowsky]

Landing areas that look (regardless of whether they really are) narrow off the tee, unless missing the landing area is not a major issue.

[David_Tepper]

Holes with OB on both sides!

[Carl Nichols]

I play left-handed and my worst miss is a pull hook with a mid-iron.  I thus struggle with holes where (a) the second shot is off a lie where the ball is above my feet or (b) the worst place to miss the green is right.  And since I'm generally better out of sand than tough pitches, the holes that really don't fit my eye are those where I have to hit a mid-iron to a green that has a sharp (but grass) dropoff to the right.  

[David Kelly]

David Kelly,

For the example you mentioned, do you think it is because you know the hole plays uphill and as a result will play quite long which woud require an exceptionally long drive? Or do you think you subconsciously feel you need to hit the ball high (even though a regular ball flight is probably fine) to counteract the uphill nature? Or something else entirely??

I think I tend to try to step on it a little to try to force the ball up the hill.  The opposite of what my thinking is on downhill holes where I generally put a more relaxed swing on the ball.  Uphill approaches don't seem to have the same effect on me.

[Anthony Gray]

  Cape holes.Especially for the first time.I don't like the forced carry.

  Anthony

[Matthew Petersen]

Almost any left-to-right hole, since my ball flight is right-to-left. Some are of course worse than others, it depends what kind of trouble the hole is bending around. If trees, that really forces me to work the ball, which I don't do well. If it's open, I'm usually pretty confident off the tee so I can start it right and hope it work out, but that depends a lot on if it's water, bunker, rough ... or something else at the corner.

[Bill Seitz]

Approach shots to severely elevated greens.  I seem to do OK hitting to the 8th green at Cog Hill #4, but, for example, the fourth hole at Oak Valley in Beaumont, CA (which used to be the 13th hole) has always killed me for some reason.  I almost always chunk it on those type of shots.  I can't explain it, other than it just being a mental block.  I did the same thing last fall on the first hole of Blackwolf Run's original championship layout.

[Dan Grossman]

I hate elevated tee shots, especially when there is a fair amount of wind.  I hit the ball fairly high and it much more difficult from an elevated tee.  I find myself hitting two-iron off the tee to control the ball, even if it is into the wind and I will be sacrificing significant distance.

[Eric Smith]

Holes with OB on both sides!

I'll add holes with water on both sides!

This is the par 5 16th at The Vinoy Resort in Tampa where I once took a PAT (and failed miserably, I might add). Made a smooth 10 the first time around in a blustering cross wind. There was literally NOWHERE to hit it.

[Joe Grasty]

Holes with OB on both sides!

I'll add holes with water on both sides!

This is the par 5 16th at The Vinoy Resort in Tampa where I once took a PAT (and failed miserably, I might add). Made a smooth 10 the first time around in a blustering cross wind. There was literally NOWHERE to hit it.

Ye gods, what a hole. Remind me never to play there.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Matt,

Fairways that dogleg one way, with the cant of the fairway going in the opposite direction.

Tees that are aligned into the far left or right rough make me very uncomfortable since alignment is a difficult task for me.

[Brian Ross]

I play a lefty draw with my irons and the longer the iron, the more it tends to draw, particularly later in a round.  Though I can move the ball a bit both ways, I am much less comfortable playing a fade with any club but my driver.  Therefore, any hole that requires a long iron approach with trouble along the right will get my nerves going.  I usually end up doing one of two things.  1) bailing out left, or 2) putting a good solid hook on it and hitting into the trouble anyways!    I give to you the 219 yard par 3 17th at Pete Dye's River Course at Virginia Tech, which I played on this lovely afternoon, and which took a great round into only a good round!



Today, I was -1 on the back 9, en route to a possible 74, ended up hooking the ball, bouncing off the green, luckily only into this lie instead of the river:



3 hacks later I had it on the putting surface, ended up taking a 6 and shooting a 77.  

[Mark Saltzman]

Eric and Joe,

I think the course that defines water on both signs is The Dunes in Sanibel, FL.  Oh, and where there's no water, there's houses.  Here's a couple of pics.







Mark

[Matt Kardash]

A more or less dead straight hole, with trouble left and right which narrows going towards the green - nothing prevents the body from turning through the shot more! The par 5 2nd at Royal Mid Surrey Outer is such a hole - not a fun hole, am not a fan.

I agree. I find dead-straight holes to be the toughest off the tee. I think it's because I feel like I have nothing to aim for or hit over.

[Tom_Doak]

The main thing which doesn't fit my eye is symmetry.  I don't like a green with bunkers evenly spaced to the left and right; but I also don't like a green with a single bunker front center.  It took me a long time to get to like the 8th hole at Sand Hills [despite its obvious brilliance] for that reason alone.

The other one I don't like is when you have a sidehill hole and the tee shot plays sort of down and then you dogleg back up the hill against the grain.  Pete Dye told me never to do that when I was 20, and it stuck.  I HAVE seen some great holes which do this and succeed, but they are the exceptions that prove the rule.

[Sean_A]

Tom

I am not much of a fan of reverse doglegs either, but when done well they can be exellent holes.  I also don't like perfectly placed centreline bunkers for greens.  I always think the bunker should be offset and the green should be designed with that in mind.  Additionally, if I see only bunker there I tend to look at it more critically and even wonder if it is necessary.  But then I do the same with reducing two bunkers to one and three to two...I know, heavy sigh. 

Off the tee the shot I struggle with is one where there is some space left, but the hole jots a bit right and getting to the right is a must.

For some reason my eye just doesn't like the look of this sort of hole and it makes it harder for me to be successful because of it.   

Ciao   

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