Annually, I review the new courses I've played and put together an elclectic 18 of these holes that are noteworthy for any number of reasons, some of which are quite personal. Here is the 2011 list.
The Candidates:Tobacco Road Golf Club
Hope Valley Golf Club
Alamance Country Club
The Governors Club (Mountain/Lakes)
Tot Hill Farm Golf Course
Southern Pines Country Club
Whispering Pines Country Club (East)
Palmetto Golf Club
Lake Jovita Country Club (South)
Scotland Yards Golf Course
John F. Byrne Golf Course
Bartow Golf Club
Temple Terrace Country Club
1. Tobacco Road Shameless plug for my webpage, but it says it all:
http://kylewharris.com/2011/06/26/an-opening-hole-tobacco-road-golf-club/2. Bartow Golf Club A near, no-so-tidy, dogleg left at this possible Donald Ross muni in Bartow, FL. The tee shot amongst the live oaks makes the hole. The green tucked amongst the same is a tough reach.
3. Whispering Pines This entry surprised me, but when I looked up and saw this memorable hole was indeed the third, I had to list it. A good drive and long approach hole requiring precision to achieve the green.
4. Scotland Yards Ah yes, the homebrew course near Lake Jovita. The 4th here is everything we love about a long Donald Ross two-shotter, built by a complete amateur. Very rough around the edges, very fun.
5. Tot Hill Farm Downhill par 5, green design inspired by Gene Simmons's tongue.
6. Hope Valley Country Club With the balance of golf courses in North Carolina, it's tough not to have this years list overloaded with Ross. The green is treacherous.
7. Palmetto Golf Club Whoa nelly, narrow green perched into a hillside with near impossible to gauge cross-slope? 3s are well earned.
8. Alamance Country Club A long-ish uphill one-shotter. Alamance has a surprising array of good Ross leftover and this is by far the highlight.
9. Temple Terrace Country Club A traditional elbow style hole where the turn of the hole really confounds both club selection and angle. Temple Terrace was my sleeper favorite for 2011 and this hole epitomizes the challenges.
10. Southern Pines Golf Club Ross courses aren't always noted for their cross slope fairways, but when he builds them they are quite fine like this two shotter.
11. Lake Jovita Country Club (South) Though you can fit a nice uphill one shot hole between the tenth green and eleventh tee here, getting the golfer out to the routing of the original golf course to play this very downhill (abnormally so for Florida) par 5 was a good choice by Tom Lehman
12. Palmetto Golf Club Visually intimidating tee shot, hanging lie into a tiny target of a sloping green. The best Palmetto has to offer at just the right point in the round.
13. Tobacco Road Golf Course Arguably the most confusing hole in golf, a tee shot leave anywhere from 3wood-mid or a flip wedge if you blast it over the trees. The dell green is narrow, but an oddly large target considering the visual intimidation.
14. Hope Valley Country Club First of back-to-back one shotters for 201. This guy at the back end of the routing turns the course back toward home and sets up the up and over long holes: 15th/16th.
15. Temple Terrace Country Club The finish is dominated by Temple Terrace, and it starts with a surprisingly deceptive short-ish and well bunkered one shotter that features some very tucked hole locations.
16. Tot Hill Farm I really like this hole. Epitomized the angst of golf as you can make a 3 or 4 and never feel good about any of the shots hit.
17. Temple Terrace Country Club The third one-shotter on the back is a goody. Long iron to a narrow green flanker by bunkers and requiring deft touch to get up and down.
18. Temple Terrace Country Club While not the most challenging finish, perhaps the most attractive of the year. A gently sweeping up and over par 5 to a green set before the original Temple Terrace clubhouse now used by Florida College.