Jeff Mingay on First Holes

[Paul Carey]

A few minutes ago Jeff Mingay tweeted: "In the old days, design of the 1st hole was important relative to it becoming the 19th in an important match #golfcoursearchitecture"

I tend to agre with him that this is now not a factor discussed very often by architecture geeks.  Is it important for architects these days?  Is it a factor?  What are good examples of these holes that are good openers and good 19th holes?

I don't know if Steve Smyers had this in mind when he designed Four Streams in Maryland but I think it fits the bill well.  It is a medium length Par Five, reachable by the longer hitters that has an interesting bunkerless green (yes Smyers does design unbunkered green sites!).
Eagles are possible but a birdie can be made by smart layups to a good wedge distance.  I think it is a good opener and a good 19th hole. 

Thoughts?

[Mark Bourgeois]

I always thought 1sts on old courses were designed to ease you into the round, a philosophy engendered by the lack of driving ranges.

Anyway, how bout some classic-course examples and further explication?

[Tom_Doak]

A few minutes ago Jeff Mingay tweeted: "In the old days, design of the 1st hole was important relative to it becoming the 19th in an important match

That's true.  And, sadly, it's pretty much irrelevant now, because so little golf is played at match play, PARTICULARLY at newer courses.

Maybe I've hastened the demise of the 19th hole with the Renaissance Cup tiebreaker rule.

George Thomas' fondness for short par-5 first holes was all about them easing you into the round, but becoming a de facto long par-4 if the match went to extra holes.

[Brian Ross]

A few minutes ago Jeff Mingay tweeted: "In the old days, design of the 1st hole was important relative to it becoming the 19th in an important match #golfcoursearchitecture"

Anyway, how bout some classic-course examples and further explication?

I have no idea whether this was a consideration or not, but the 1st at Yeaman's Hall immediately popped into my mind.  It would make for a fantastic 19th hole for match-play purposes.  Long par 4 over a valley with a fairway that wraps around a bit to the right, crosses the entrance road, over the Principal's Nose bunker to the fantastic, well-defended, 3-tiered "Plateau" green.

[Tom_Doak]

I have no idea whether this was a consideration or not, but the 1st at Yeaman's Hall immediately popped into my mind.  It would make for a fantastic 19th hole for match-play purposes.  Long par 4 over a valley with a fairway that wraps around a bit to the right, crosses the entrance road, over the Principal's Nose bunker to the fantastic, well-defended, 3-tiered "Plateau" green.

We liked that one so much we used it as our model for the first hole at Old Macdonald.

Sure enough, the two final matches in the Public Links Championships held on Old Mac were both decided at the 37th hole ... and the final match in the Renaissance Cup was also decided on the first green!

[Ronald Montesano]

Turn this around for me if you will. Working architects excluded (at the risk of endangering their livelihood), what would be an example of a 1st hole that would serve poorly as a 19th/Playoff hole?

[Tom_Doak]

Turn this around for me if you will. Working architects excluded (at the risk of endangering their livelihood), what would be an example of a 1st hole that would serve poorly as a 19th/Playoff hole?

This is a good point.  The oft-desired "gentle handshake" first hole becomes a "better birdie this" hole in extra holes, which is not at all bad for a 19th.  I guess a plain vanilla 400-yard hole would be the only really poor choice.

[Tyler Kearns]

First holes will always play as such, and very infrequently will serve as a 19th hole in match play.  It is important in either situation that they present strategic choices where well executed shots gain an advantage, but a poorer stroke is not as heavily penalized with lost balls, out-of-bounds and penalty strokes such that a round is potentially lost before it even starts.

Ultimately, what makes a good 1st hole should not eliminate it from serving as an adequate challenge to those entering extra holes in match play.  Conversely, what might make a fitting 19th hole test to a well fought match can often be a horrible way to start a round.

TK

[R_Paulis]

I'll mention the oft discussed Rustic Canyon first. I don't suggest it was designed with a 19th in mind. its broad fairway allows for a safe drive with plenty of risk reward second shot approach with a strong shot. Not sure if the volume is the same these days but as a popular public playing a 19th unlikely most times.

[Jim Nugent]

One that interests me is Baltusrol Lower.  I believe that for members the 1st is a par 5.  So if they use that a 19th hole, the golfers play 3 par 5's in a row.  Unique among courses often considered great? 

[Lukas Michel]

The 1st at Royal Melbourne West doesn't seem like the most exciting 19th. Wide fairway and big green with very little trouble anywhere on the hole. Are "gentle starters" generally poor 19ths?

[Charlie Gallagher]

I made a previous comment about this hole on another post, but it is worth mentioning again. I don't know if Donald Ross intended it as a 19th for getting the fall club championship match over with quickly, but the 1st at Gulph Mills, King of Prussia PA is a severely challenging opener. It plays ridge to ridge with the landing area down in the valley and OB Right. Its about 415-20, but plays much longer and in the spring and fall tends to play into the wind. Its green is a major factor in scoring as it is small, steeply pitched back to front, and has thick rough surrounding the green on three sides. Recovery pitches and chips present ball above and ball below feet challenges. An approach that gets above a front hole location is likely to result in a three putt.  The USGA would love a golf course with another 17 of these in varying lengths so it could hold an Open on it. I have played the hole around 90 times and have no more than 8 pars on it, tons of bogeys, (including demoralizing 3 putt bogeys), and unfortunately, many doubles and worse.   
   As I said before, its a bit like jumping out of an airplane with a parachute that's too small for your body mass. Par is extremely likely to be a winning score on the hole and bogey is not uncommonly a winner, even with lower single digit players in a foursome. Mistakes tend to compound if strokes are less well struck than intended. A smart play is to leave the approach a little short so you can chip up under the hole.
   I've never birdied it.
     

[Chris DeNigris]

Well, since there's a decent chance that they'll halve the 19th you better make sure the 2nd hole is extra-playoff worthy

For me, at that point in the match it's more about the players against themselves than against the golf course. They could be settling it with orange and blue balls battling the clown mouth at the local putt putt and it would still be riveting.

They've already played the entire golf course and the first hole has already performed its primary mission.

[Tyler Kearns]

Charlie,

I would never characterize what Donald Ross wrote in "Golf Has Never Failed Me" as rules (more like suggestions, advise), and know that each and every golf architect has broken some of the rules of thumb that we often hear about.  Your description of the 1st at Gulph Mills defies in every conceivable way what he wrote on the subject;

"It's a beastly nuisance, when starting off play and before getting limbered up, to drive a ball out-of-bounds.  It generally means delay, loss of a ball, vexation, and even profanity."

TK

[Charlie Gallagher]

Tyler,
    I certainly understand your point and Ross' intentions. It is possible that a routing was reversed and the first at Gulph Mills was originally the 10th. The 10th is actually harder than the 1st, believe it or not; dogleg left, reverse cambered fairway, long carry over water to the green, but that hole was done by RTJ in the late 50's or early 60's.  The first was tweaked by Wayne Stiles in the 40's. I don't know what he actually did to it.

One thing is sure, it ain't no gentle handshake. It's one of the hardest opening holes I have played in golf and I have played a fair number of courses. By the way, I like the hole, it always gets my blood flowing standing on the tee and looking down its length. It's beautiful....then again so is a polar bear, as long as you are not too close.

[Ronald Montesano]

I guess a plain vanilla 400-yard hole would be the only really poor choice.

Isn't a plain-vanilla, 400-yard hole a birdie hole these days?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Come and play a few 1st/19th holes in Cheshire and you'll get some crackers:

Wilmslow, ca 375 yards, par 4, big dog-leg left driving over a valley to a flat landing ground on the other side. Try to cut off too much dog-leg and you may lose your ball in trees left, or be cut out on your approach shot. Drive too far on the straight line and you may run out of fairway into deep rough. Be too conservative and you may end up in trees right.

Stockport, ca 460 yards, par 4, big brute of a drive over low ground needing to find the high ground beyond. Even if that is accomplished successfully the approach is long, slightly downhill, and usually into the wind.

Delamere Forest, ca 430 yards, par 4, slightly uphill. OOB a long way right, rough and bunkers only just off the fairway. Ground undulates so you may finish on a crest or in a trough. Exacting second to 'infinity' green.

Prestbury, ca 500 yards, par 5. Drive down hill as far as you can. Then you need to get height as well as distance in trying for the green, which is perched on a pinnacle and no easy target even from 10 yards!

Sandiway, ca 400 yards, par 4. All-world drive from a high tee down into a valley and as far up the other side as your prowess allows. Second shot continues to climb and probably needs two or three clubs more than the yardage suggests.

Royal Liverpool, ca 375 yards, par 4. A nail biter as a 19th hole with out of bounds left (clubhouse etc), right (practice ground) and straight (if you drive too well!). OOB continues close on right of fairway and green. Level, bunkerless, but wicked! Usually into the wind.

[Thomas Dai]

How about the 1st at TOC?

All the best.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Unfortunately the chances of walking off the 18th at TOC and continuing down the 1st are negligible unless you are the Captain of the R and A.

[Thomas Dai]

Mark,

I was thinking of the Dunhill Cup which was played at TOC from maybe the early 1980's and was in a 3-man team format. Each match was medal play, so 18-holes was guaranteed, and if I recall correctly, tied matches used to go back down the 1st hole - in fact I think Faldo once refused to play back down the 1st as it was dark/foggy and they did the extra hole the next morning. I think the media really slated him for this.

I went to spectate at this event a couple of times. Enjoyed it, damn cold though as it was played a bit later than the current pro-am version. Lots of really top players from all the world played in the original, Strange, Norman, Faldo, Seve, Price, etc. It was televised as well. Kind of a shame in some ways that the format has changed to it's current one, not keen on celebrity wathcing, even though I think Carnoustie is terrific (not seen Kingsbarns, yet).

All the best