The "Best opening hole in golf" thread has the usual attention including openers from many famous courses, probably more private than public. I decided to start this thread with the hope it might catalyze others to do the same, namely, detail what you think is the toughest opening hole at a public course in your neck of the woods.
Time to give some background on my choice (and I'll leave the name of the course and architect out for now as I would like to feedback on this distinctive hole in an unusual setting).
Imagine locating a course on a long abandoned iron ore mine. And part of the site is where all the tailings were scattered. A 1992 Google Earth image shows a rather eerie plot of land resembling a moon crater before the course was built. There is a large deep lake to the right, and a very large earth dam along the left, which falls down steeply to a valley (I'm guessing maybe a 100' drop or more):
A 1999 aerial shows this part of the course under construction:
In 2000 the course opened. Here is a 2004 GE image of that same area, where the first eight holes of the course are located:
The very challenging opening hole, a par 4, starts in the lower left corner and runs along the edge of death. Here is an expanded version of the hole:
It plays 435 yards from the tips. I love how the back tee is offset; a desirable tee shot being a gentle draw off the right fw bunker, which is in play (~280 yards):
From the white tees (380 yards) the drive is much straighter:
A good drive leaves a second shot where you better be hitting 'em pure and straight! The feature of this hole that you might not know is how windy it is near the green, almost w/o exception. Even on this day when there was a light breeze, it was blowing probably 15 MPH+ at the green, as the flag shows below:
That pic above tends to not adequately show the very uphill nature of the shot.
Turn your drive over too much and you can end up in this weedy area, where you can see the steep drop-off left, and also notice the large false front on the green:
If you bail right on your second shot, you'll end up here:
So you get to play a 3rd, but here is what awaits you, knowing if you go over the green it is c'ya later golf ball and reload:
Although there are some grass bunkers between the green and ledge, probably to minimize losing any golfers!
This is the only pic I have of the green, where the front 1/3 really isn't pinnable:
While up there you get a wonderful view of the valley below:
This is really a difficult hole! But I like it. Do you? Why or why not?