A terrific bunkerless short par-4. Could it be improved upon and if so how?

[Thomas Dai]

I recently had the opportunity to visit Royal County Down and play both the epic Championship course and it's Little Sister, the Annesley.


I thought the Annesley was terrific, a real surprise. More about it can be found in a splendidly detailed photo-tour by Emil from 2012 - see http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53841.0.html


A hole that really stood out for me, and there were actually a whole bunch of very fine although somewhat shortish holes on the course, was the 10th, a short partly blind semi-drivable normally downwind par-4.
Below - from the tee. The line is over the white stone.



Below - from just over the saddle



Below - from a bit further up on the right hand side of the fairway



Below - from short right of the green




Below - from over the rear of the green looking back towards the tee


Below - side view from the next tee -



Here is a Bing satmap extract of the hole - http://binged.it/1Emj0Af

Do you go along with this being a terrific hole 'as-is' or would you like to change anything about the hole?

Would you maybe like to add some bunkering? Would you like to lengthen or shorten the hole? Would you like alter the playing angles?

What do you reckon?
atb

[Kalen Braley]

If going for the green, looks like a hole you wouldn't want to miss long and left.....looks like lost ball possibilities.
 
Given its blind nature, perhaps the hole has enough protections.  But for fun, it might be interesting to put a small bunker 20 yards short of the green, right in the middle of the fairway, just to keep people thinking...

[Alex Miller]

Some similarities to Dismal Red #15

[Paul Gray]

All this hole needs is to be left well alone.

[Thomas Dai]

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm also of the 'leave it along' school of thought.


I did think though how interesting it might be to see the tour pro guys and gals we watch on TV play the hole but for the guys in particular to play it as a par-3 at the current length and how the mental aspect of playing it as a 3 rather than a 4 would or wouldn't effect their expectations for the play of the hole and reactions afterwards once they'd written their scores on the card as a bogey etc does seem to effect some folk between the ears more than others.


If your heading for RCD I recommend you take the opportunity to play the Annesley course, the more so when the new three holes are incorporated into it. There are a whole bunch of fine thought provoking holes. To counteract the overall short yardage though I suggest that you play the course not with a full bag of 14-clubs but with maybe just a fairway metal, a putter and 4-5 irons/ wedges.


Atb

[Gary Sato]

All this hole needs is to be left well alone.

+1.


Whats the distance of this hole? 


It appears that with all great short par 4s, you need to real quality shot to get in position and then get it close.  I'm sure its not easy.

[Thomas Dai]

It would be about 270 yards from the back tee and once over the wee saddle in the fairway it's slightly downhill to the green although there are so many humps and bumps and hollows the ball can kick-on, go sideways or be held-up depending on the landing spot etc.


The hole usually plays downwind.


The green is a cracker. Higher on the right side and an awkward/nice small plateau at the front-left corner. The back left section of the green is appreciably lower although not a bowl. There's a little gulley/depression running most of the way across the front of the green which makes a running approach shot from short of the green a bit more challenging to play than if it were flat. A ball played towards the left side or the left-rear can really get away from you and speed off into trouble.


Lovely hole.


Atb