Tom Paul was right!

[Ran Morrissett]

Did you just see Stricker's approach to 18 - hit the downside of the swale prior to the green and roll some 40 yards onto the putting surface?

Tom always said that was a distinct playing option to always consider.

I had never seen it occur - until now! What a super neat feature.

What other holes have a similar booster/turbo feature well back from the green? I am trying to think - I guess the downslopes that feed onto 1 and 10 at Oakmont count, the side slope at the 18th on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, (I am not going to mention 18 at Cabot because that seems like a plug ), where else?

[Bill Brightly]

Every Biarritz!

[Bill_McBride]

I guess you are assuming that courses will play firm enough that such features will be relevant.   Or that approaches will be mowed tight so that balls will run up onto the green.   I see a lot more of that in the UK than in the US. 

[DMoriarty]

I tried the shot with hickories and thought I pulled it off but it didn't quite roll up and on.  Operator error no doubt.

[Tim Gavrich]

That shot by Stricker was awesome and when they said Phil was 274 out on 18, I thought he'd do something like that. Then he flew it pin high and my jaw is still hurting.

[Dan Herrmann]

Mr Paul hits it out of the park

[Ran Morrissett]

Dan,

If you post 50,000 times, well sometimes .... as Pat likes to say, a broke clock is right twice a day ... 

Bill M,

Drainage is so uber-important, I have no idea why Golf Digest and Golf Week don't include it as one of the things for their panelists to consider. Show me a course like Oakmont and Merion where a Greenkeeper was intimately involved and I'll show you a course with great water management, and THAT'S WORTH A LOT.

Bill B,

I was talking prior to the putting surface but I suppose 16 at Yeamans is a good example of your point.

Best,

[Ronald Montesano]

Drainage is so uber-important, I have no idea why Golf Digest and Golf Week don't include it as one of the things for their panelists to consider. Show me a course like Oakmont and Merion where a Greenkeeper was intimately involved and I'll show you a course with great water management, and THAT'S WORTH A LOT.

Ran,

How would a rater go about assessing drainage on a course during a single visit on a dry day? I suspect that most raters would not want to be on a course with conditions that favored drainage assessment, as they would most likely face a deluge of some notable measurement.

[DMoriarty]

Ran,

How would a rater go about assessing drainage on a course during a single visit on a dry day? I suspect that most raters would not want to be on a course with conditions that favored drainage assessment, as they would most likely face a deluge of some notable measurement.

It would make about as much sense as some of the other single day assessments made by raters.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Ran,

Joe MacBride showed me that shot on the 12th hole at NGLA.

Maybe that was one of the features CBM designed at Merion 

[John Kirk]

#4 at Old Macdonald, "Hog's Back", has a large swale short of the green, that will propel balls 25-35 yards short up onto the green.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Ran,

# 5 at NGLA also has that feature

[Michael Goldstein]

I saw that shot today and thought it was cool.

A couple of holes at Paraparaumu have that ramp feature - namely 2 and 6. 

[Mark Chaplin]

15 at Deal

[Jerry Kluger]

Ran: I think some architects have put "speed slots" on holes where the player is rewarded by understanding its location and taking advantage of it.  At the same time though I don't think it is a feature whereby you are penalized if you don't hit it, rather you just don't get the advantage.

[D_Malley]

that has always been the way to play the 2nd shot if your drive is in the rough.

saw someone before stricker in the right rough play into the front hill and the ball just stopped short.

i said to my friend that "if i was his caddy i could of got him on the green".

[Ronald Montesano]

If you are well-versed in the theories of Dave Pelz, the first thing about pitching balls short of a green that he espouses is the tri-fold "into a hill, into a flat, into a downhill" fact. It should surprise no one that the ball into the hill pops up and stops short, whereas the Stricker releases through and on. The flat does so as well, just not as much.

[Charlie Gallagher]

I can give you another example of where a down slope can give you an extra 40 yards of run onto a green, the 15th hole at Boston Golf Club has a large hillock short of the green. If one can carry the ball to its edge, gravity will do the rest if the ball has some energy left in it. It's a natural feature that the architect employed on that great par 5.

[Patrick_Mucci]

The 8th and 10th at Hidden Creek

[Jimmy Chandler]

7th at Ballyneal. When playing from certain tees, the speed slot over the left-hand bunker makes this a drivable par 4.

[Patrick_Mucci]

# 10 at Sand Hills

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Rustic Canyon, 4th, 6th, 16th, 18th.

[Alex Miller]

Rustic Canyon, 4th, 6th, 16th, 18th.

I would say 18 isn't really an option, it's the only play if you want to keep your ball on the green (at least when it's playing right).

11 and 12 could potentially be added to this list, depending on pin position. Such a great design feature and I really enjoy the option.

OH, and 15 at NGLA! 

[Tom_Doak]

This is a feature of a bunch of holes on The Old Course at St. Andrews, starting with #5 and #6.  But I'm sure the powers that be are considering removing such a weakness. 

[JNC Lyon]

One that comes to mind is 2 at Dismal River (talking Nicklaus course here).  A real "speed slot" option seems like it should allow the player to either:
A) Fly it all the way onto the green.
B) Land it well short of the green and let it bumble on.

However, the golf should have to make this choice when hitting the shot.  So, if he chooses to fly it on but then lands it well short with the high flight shot, the ball shouldn't bumble onto the green by accident.

I think 2 at Dismal River fits these constraints well.  And, I believe I have hit both types of shots into this green.