[jonathan_becker]

As the golf season is officially over for a lot of us, I like to reflect on the new courses that I’ve seen in recent times.  And while it sure is fun getting to play and see new courses, it’s somewhat tough playing well on the road.  Be it the excitement of just being at a new place, taking photos and gawking around, having fun meeting new playing companions, you’re hungover, or whatever….the main culprit is just being unfamiliar with the course.

So I’ve been thinking about some spots where my ball has ended up at a few places as to where the next shot is damn near impossible or not possible at all.  Now I don’t mean slicing it in the woods, or rolling it into a water hazard….I mean when you make a decent swing and you hit your ball in a spot to where you then make a mental note to never hit it there again.  I’m talking about those “fool me once” situations that you can find yourself on an unfamiliar course.  A few examples for me include:

12 at Pacific Dunes – You can’t really tell until you get closer, but that dune behind the green is so close that a back left hole location is not a green light.  I watched what I thought was a perfect shot hit the green and kick hard up into the gorse on the dune.  Goodbye ball!  

13 at Kingsley – As a lot of you already know, being green high left in the collection area can be a horrible spot.  I was pitching off the downslope to an area on the green that was feeding towards the junk on the other side.  The result was a nice 6.

3 at Kiawah – Getting greedy on the approach caused a miss long down the back of the  elevated green my first time around.  From there, you may as well just pick up and go to 4 tee.

16 at Seminole – I learned the hard way trying to cut the corner off the tee.  “Wait a minute….why didn’t anyone tell me this is this area filled with sea grapes?” A terrible play!

18 at Southampton – Who would have thought that hitting a little block would result in my ball ending up on the back patio?  Sometimes though, it’s good to lose the match on the last hole and hand your host some cash! I know mine loved it. 

I’ve got a ton more, but what are some others?  I’ll be sure to take note.  Thanks.

[Sven Nilsen]

Great topic.  A couple more:

1.  Anywhere off the fairway at The European Club;

2.  In the fairway bunker on 7 at Ballyneal;

3.  To quote Brett Morrissey, left on 7 at Barnbougle;

4.  On the wrong tier of the green at Bandon Trails 5;

5.  In the back bunker on 7 at Kingsley; and

6.  In the cavernous left bunker off the fairway on 8 at Wildhorse.

[Tommy Williamsen]

When my son was 16 I took him to Pine Valley. After five holes he was one over par. He stood on the dogleg right short par four six and said "I think I'll cut the corner".  I pleaded,"please don't.". Just hit something left and all you have will be an 8 iron in. "No Dad this looks like two much fun.". You guessed it he hit into the junk.  Four shots later He emerges with the biggest smile on his face.  "That was fun.". No accounting for taste.  The next time we played it he did the same thing. This time he hooked it and hit in the fairway. Didn't gain anything but he had fun.
 

[Chris Roselle]

This should be a lot of fun to think about Jonathan...For me it would have to be anything long and left on the second green at Pine Valley (you call also say long and right as well but that one is alittle harder to get to IMO).  I happened to hit it on the back left of that green the first time I played there and four putts later walked away with a double. 

[Bruce Katona]

at Lake Nona, out of Ernie Els back yard (he was home).......no I did not attempt to play or retrieve the ball.....very embarrassed.

[jonathan_becker]

This should be a lot of fun to think about Jonathan...For me it would have to be anything long and left on the second green at Pine Valley (you call also say long and right as well but that one is alittle harder to get to IMO).  I happened to hit it on the back left of that green the first time I played there and four putts later walked away with a double. 

Chris,

I have not yet played Pine Valley.  However, with the new green on the second hole, a couple of my good friends that have played PV like to remind me that if I ever get there I "won't get to putt on the same green that they did." 

Tommy,

It's the hero shots that get us all in trouble.  But at least you warned your son!

[jonathan_becker]

Sven,

You mention #5 at Trails and I had heard all kinds of horror stories about that green.  I've only played it once, but my foursome was extremely lucky to play the hole in 2 under.  It's got some crazy movement.

In the photo, if you look close, you can see 4 balls on the green with the hole right on the edge of the fall off.  The hole was halved with the ball on the far left being holed and one of the closer balls being holed.  The guy working in the background came down to watch us putt as we were the first group off that day.  After we finished the hole the guy got on his walkie talkie and relayed back, "You're not going to fu(king believe what I just saw on #5!"  It made for a good laugh.

[Mac Plumart]

Right down the middle of the fairway on 16 at The Old Course.

[Mark Saltzman]

Sand Hills #1 - Short

Sand Hills #2 - Long

Sand Hills #3 - Left

Sand Hills #4 - Left

  You get the point.

Palmetto #15 - Right

[Bill_McBride]

Right down the middle of the fairway on 16 at The Old Course.

Been there, done that, exited sideways!

How about missing the first green at Crystal Downs to the right hole high?  

[Mark Saltzman]

How about missing the first green at Crystal Downs to the right hole high?  

Or 2 long

Or 5 long

Or 9 long

or 10 left

or 11 anywhere....

[Matt Bosela]

A) Anywhere left of center on #6 at Pacific Dunes off the tee...

B) Left greenside bunker on #6 at Pacific Dunes...

C) Right of green down slope on #6 at Pacific Dunes...

If you are guilty of A), there's almost a 100% chance of you being guilty of B) or C) right afterwards...or both, as I did at this year's King's Putter before picking up in frustration!

Awesome golf hole.

[Tim Gavrich]

Behind a stand of love grass left of the fairway on the 18th at the Lakes Course at Sandridge GC in Vero Beach.  My worst shot of the year was also one of my last shots of the year.  Trying to punch out to the fairway, I cold-topped an 8 iron and my ball disappeared into the grass not ten feet in front of me, never to be seen again after five minutes of frantic searching.

By the way, nice town facility, Sandridge.  Not a gangbusters golf course (at least the one of the two courses I played), but nicely appointed facility.

[Keith OHalloran]

Jonathan, you blocked that?! Until top now, I thought you were a genius by hitting over there on purpose and getting your post round cocktail first!.

Seriously though, I was long of the eighth at Friar's Head, the pin was front left. I did not have the game to pull that one off.

[Jay Flemma]

Mike Davis's new bunker on 18 at Chambe4rs Bay.  I have a great pic from today that I'll post later of Jones and he in it (9 feet deep).  Davis is going "thumbs up" and Jones is going "thumbs down."  I like the bunker even though it's near impossible to hit the green and difficult to get out of...if you have a stance or swing in the first place:)  I got out of it with a nine iron, but only advanced it halfway to the green.  I aimed straight (not left where it is easier to escape), but hit the side wall and it squirted out and to the right, traveling about 40-50 yards total.

[jonathan_becker]

Mac and Bill,

From TOC website "The safe line is left of the Principal’s Nose cluster of bunkers. The route to the right, towards the out of bounds fence, was famously described by Jack Nicklaus as ‘strictly for amateurs.’ From the left, the shot to the green is threatened by Grant’s and Wig bunkers.
" Gotta love Jack and his opinions 

Matt,

I almost listed that hole for all of your reasons, but to add point D) putting from the back fringe.  Myself and others in my group (on multiple days no less) 3 jacked it trying to make a 15 footer with that back hole location.  Our 3 rounds at PD had the same pinsheet # and we were starting to get pissed by the third round.  It doesn't look it at all but the ball keeps running away from you, yet we still were crushing it.

[jonathan_becker]

Keith,

Of course I was going for the booze!  The one shot at Friar's Head that really crushed me mentally for a moment was on #5.  I was on the front right fringe and I tried to force a chip to a flag that was located just to the left of that knob on the left side of the green.  I bumped a 9 iron in there and immediately my caddie says "whoa!".  Once I thought the ball was going to stop, it hit the back part of the knob and took off over the green and into the collection area.  Lesson learned.

[Bill McKinley]

Over the green in the back bunker on #16 at Seminole, with a back pin!

Front right bunker on the Redan hole at Fox Chapel

Over the 13th green at Oakland Hills South right after our member warned us not to hit it long!  Back pin again!

Right off the 1st tee at Merion.  I did it both times I played there!   

[Tim Martin]

High in the face of the cross bunkers on 4 at Bethpage Black. Game,set,match.

[Tom_Doak]

How about over the green on the 11th at Shinnecock?

[Chris Johnston]

Tom

How about "buying" too much right at #9 at DR2?  Or, over the green on #17?

[Tom_Doak]

Tom

How about "buying" too much right at #9 at DR2?  Or, over the green on #17?

Chris:

You would have to have a good caddie just to FIND it in either of those places.  But, I still like my chances from the ravine at Dismal more than holding the green at Shinnecock from the short grass in the hollow behind.  You have to hit a little pitch straight up in the air, and it's still most likely to roll down off the front of that green into the bunker.

Should we make #17 at Dismal like that?

[Chris Johnston]

Up to you, my friend.  Up to you.

How about right of #3?

[Tom_Doak]

I know people who will DELIBERATELY miss it to the right on #3 so they can try that shot.  [Oh, wait, actually most of them are on this web site.]

But I'm guessing they will only do that once, on purpose or not, and then try not to be there again.

There must be some places not to be on your other course, too.  Which is worse -- short on #5, or long?  I imagine many people have a chance to compare the two head to head.

[JR Potts]

Over the green in the run off area on 14 at Pebble.

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