Split or Double Fairway Holes

[David Cronheim]

My least favorite "split" fairway is the 6th at Stone Harbor outside of Atlantic City, NJ - it's an island. If you hit it onto the island, you're left with (what I recall) is a monster shot over the pond to a small green that juts out into the water. It's one of the dumbest holes I've ever seen, along with most of the rest of the course...

[Jim Franklin]

With Steve Scott now on the board, maybe he can post a picture of the terrific double fairway hole at The Ridge. At first I wondered why anyone would go to the left side fairway and then saw how the ball would feed down to a back right pin placement. It was pretty cool. Hopefully he can snap a few photos.

[Carl Nichols]

Kinloch Golf Club features several holes that incorporate the split fairway concept.  Holes 2, 4 and 9 work very well.   The mid length par 4 2nd hole features and upper fairway on the left that provides a much better look for your approach into the green, particularly to a back right pin.  The driveable par 4 4th hole is, in my opinion, one of the best short par 4's anywhere.  The hole is approximately 300 yards and the two fairways are bisected by a creek.  You can either play safe to the right of the creek with a 180-230 yard shot and leave yourself with a short iron approach or you can play aggressively up the left side and have a run at the green.  More fun starts at the green, the back half of the green runs away so even short approaches are very tricky to a back pin.

The par 5 9th hole has been much discussed and can be quite maddening.  There certainly is a lot going on, some say too much, but it certainly makes you think and potentially over-think your strategy.  Playing aggressively to the right fairway off the tee shortens the hole by 20-30 yards and give you a much better chance of getting home in two.  If you go for it, you again are faced with the decision of how aggressive you want to be as you cross a wetland area.  Love it or hate it, it's a very unique hole in the world of golf.

The par 5 11th is also a split fairway hole.  I haven't played it enough to know whether the right fairway ever makes sense, but it certainly didn't seem like it would be the right play.

[Doug Wright]

The par 4 3rd at Castle Pines GC (Jack Nicklaus) has a split fairway with a dry creek hazard between. During the playing of The International over 20 years or so, I hardly ever saw a pro go to the left fairway. The left fairway is wider but leaves a much tougher angle to the green and requires a second shot that must carry the same dry creek that sits just in front of the green. Play from the right fiarway has a perfect angle into the green and it's open enough that you can bounce it on if there is a front pin. There is enough room on the right fairway to make the tee shot to that side a no brainer. Poor design IMO.

I just think it's very tough to design a split fairway hole that works. C&C's par 5 16th at Colorado Golf Club almost works as the angle from the right fairway is better but I still think the right side is too narrow for the reward.

Regarding #12 Talking Stick North, I always thought the play to the left sliver of a fairway with out of bounds immediately left of the fairway was too risky. I guess if one even has to think about these things on the tee maybe the split fairway design is worth something!

[Jim Franklin]

No one has mentioned Riviera yet. I think it is #8 that has a split fairway and players use both sides. I know a lot of split fairways it usually one side most used, but I thought the 8th at Riviera was pretty much evenly split depending on pin placement. I could be wrong on that and hole number. Anyone remember?

[Sean Leary]

It can work.

One that makes me scratch my head is 6th at Tetherow.  Might be a wee bit severe.

Is that the one with the crazy green with the silly front pin placement?

[Lou_Duran]

In the Wesikopf thread I asked if he incorporated holes with split fairways into most of his designs.  

Why limit the discussion to Wesikopf.  What are some of your favorite holes with split fairways?  Do you like the concept?  The first at Kingsley Club is a good hole that I would enjoy playing over and over.  The 7th at Holston Hills is one of my favorites with this concept.  

I find that few split fairway strategies offer a favorable risk/reward option.  I played HH recently, and the right fairway didn't appear neither large enough or lessen the distance sufficiently to attempt it.

Brauer has actually a few that I like, #9 at the original Squaw Valley course, #13 at TangleRidge, and to a lesser extent, #18 on the same course.  The first and the third require well hit drives over water; the second one allows a better angle and perhaps a shorter approach to the green on the second shot.     

[Paul Jones]

I really like the 9th hole (currently 18th hole) at The Bluffs.  The shorter fairway is a little more narrow, but shorter to the green.  However, if you do not carry it to the green, you are in a lot of trouble.  Else you can take the longer path where you can hit a few worm burners and still make it to the green :-).

[Matthew Petersen]

The par 4 3rd at Castle Pines GC (Jack Nicklaus) has a split fairway with a dry creek hazard between. During the playing of The International over 20 years or so, I hardly ever saw a pro go to the left fairway. The left fairway is wider but leaves a much tougher angle to the green and requires a second shot that must carry the same dry creek that sits just in front of the green. Play from the right fiarway has a perfect angle into the green and it's open enough that you can bounce it on if there is a front pin. There is enough room on the right fairway to make the tee shot to that side a no brainer. Poor design IMO.

I thought of that hole as well. Never really understood it, the left is not significantly wider, leaves a tough approach angle, and the fairway runs out.



Nicklaus did better with #7 at Valhalla:



It looks like a mess from above, but it seemed to work based on how it played in the Ryder Cup. You can take the left fairway in which case two great shots (and they both better be great) will get you home in two. If you go right you can be conservative the whole way but it's going to be a long 3-shot hole.

[Matthew Petersen]

In the Wesikopf thread I asked if he incorporated holes with split fairways into most of his designs.  

Why limit the discussion to Wesikopf.  What are some of your favorite holes with split fairways?  Do you like the concept?  The first at Kingsley Club is a good hole that I would enjoy playing over and over.  The 7th at Holston Hills is one of my favorites with this concept.  

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=rim+club&ll=34.244588,-111.288784&spn=0.00294,0.004281&sll=34.244513,-111.288741&sspn=0.00294,0.004281&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&fb=1&gl=us&t=h&vpsrc=6&radius=0.15&z=18

This is a Weiskopf split fairway hole that doesn't make sense. I like the hole, which is a potentially driveable par 4, but I don't get the left side of the fairway. It would take a supremely accurate shot to thread it between the trees and a miss left brings water into play. The angle could be better for a pin on the left side of the green, I suppose, but it's not a very appealing option IMO.