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Mark Pritchett

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Blind Shots
« on: January 22, 2015, 12:06:26 PM »
What are some of you favorite blind shots?  Least favorite? How many are too many?  Strategic architects usually employ partially blind shots on holes to reward certain angles to the green. 

I really enjoy blind shots and feel they add a fun element to the game.  Who doesn't like cresting the hill to see how far their drive went?  I never tire of walking over the tip of the punchbowl green at my home course and seeing where everyone in my group ended up.

 


Tim Martin

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2015, 12:11:59 PM »
Mark-As you know Yale is full of blind shots and each one adds to the intrigue and unique character of the golf course. My favorite(like picking a favorite child) if I had to pick one is the approach on # 12 "Alps".

Mark Pritchett

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2015, 12:17:04 PM »
Funny you mention Yale, I was thinking about the third hole there while I was typing the opening post.


Tim Martin

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2015, 12:22:00 PM »
The approach on 10 at Wannamoisett is another great "blind" shot and the way that Ross constructed the green site in the hollow provides for a variety of outcomes depending on the first bounce. I have been both elated and deflated with the result while seemingly hitting the same shot.

Mark Pritchett

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2015, 12:31:17 PM »
I suppose one of the most famous blind shots for the DG is the second hole at NGLA.  Its pretty exciting to trudge to the top of the hill and see your ball resting on the green below. 

Moving on.....how about a completely blind Par 3?  Ross has one at Hendersonville CC in NC, I believe it is the 12th or 13th hole.  Pretty short and quirky, can't say I need a steady diet of those, but fun to play occasionally. 

Tim Martin

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2015, 12:35:02 PM »
I suppose one of the most famous blind shots for the DG is the second hole at NGLA.  Its pretty exciting to trudge to the top of the hill and see your ball resting on the green below. 

Moving on.....how about a completely blind Par 3?  Ross has one at Hendersonville CC in NC, I believe it is the 12th or 13th hole.  Pretty short and quirky, can't say I need a steady diet of those, but fun to play occasionally. 

Although you get a glimpse of a portion of the left side of the green the majority is obscured on 17 at Atlantic City CC. I think it is a worthy example of a blind par 3.

Dan Kelly

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2015, 12:35:40 PM »
On my home course (Midland Hills CC, Roseville, Minn.; Seth Raynor), there are four almost-always blind shots -- including one world-class one:

The 2nd to the long par-4 14th, up-and-over or between the Alps bunkers, down to the Punchbowl green.

It is *always* fun to walk over that hill and see how the ball and the hillside have treated you, while being invisible to you.

"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Mark Pritchett

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2015, 12:54:46 PM »
Sounds like a fun hole Dan.  Do you feel 4 is too many blind shots during a round?  Not enough?  Do most members there seem to like blind shots or do they view them as "unfair"? 

Mark Pritchett

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2015, 01:51:47 PM »
When the flagstick is on the far left side of the green the par 3-15th hole at Ballyneal becomes a really cool blind shot. 

Bill_McBride

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2015, 02:07:28 PM »
When the flagstick is on the far left side of the green the par 3-15th hole at Ballyneal becomes a really cool blind shot. 

Similar to #10 at Friars Head.  Big mound hiding the left half of the green on a fairly long shot. 

BCowan

Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2015, 02:12:31 PM »
The 2nd hole at UofM is a great example of a skyline.  If one really catches a drive and catches the down slope, it's the difference of Pw/9 or a 3/4 iron if not struck solidly off the tee.  The anticipation of finding out whether or not your ball made it to the bottom of the hill is great.  There are 4 blind tee shots on the front nine at UofM.  #3 is semi blind.   
« Last Edit: January 22, 2015, 02:40:32 PM by BCowan »

Jim Sherma

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2015, 02:27:50 PM »
How blind does a shot have to be to be blind?

Does not being able to see the ball land qualify? I'm thinking of drives over brows of hills or sunken greens where you can still see the flagstick and make out some of the contours around the green.

Fully blind shots over a skyline ridge where there is no real definition at all is a very different animal from the hinted at uncertainty described above.

Ryan Coles

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2015, 02:35:09 PM »
All depends on the directional marker! The downhill hole at the marker post at Strandhill. Dogleg right. Apologies I don't recall the hole number.

Hit a fizzing one iron that missed the post by a whisker. Lost ball.

Good course. Bad marker posts.

Rob Marshall

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2015, 03:21:21 PM »
Second shot on the 4th at Lahinch followed by the tee shot on 5th.
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astavrides

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2015, 03:33:11 PM »
Who doesn't like cresting the hill to see how far their drive went?  I never tire of walking over the tip of the punchbowl green at my home course and seeing where everyone in my group ended up.

 

That's fun sometimes, but I think it's more fun to get instant feedback.
And the worst kind of blind shot (I think) is where there is a chance for a lost ball, when you may have had a better idea where the ball was if the shot wasn't blind.

Dan Kelly

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #15 on: January 22, 2015, 03:51:37 PM »
Sounds like a fun hole Dan.  Do you feel 4 is too many blind shots during a round?  Not enough?  Do most members there seem to like blind shots or do they view them as "unfair"? 

I'm not sure that I've heard the word "unfair" at my course -- at least not when applied to the blind shots. I think EVERYONE loves the 2nd on 14. It's a hard shot, with a long iron, hybrid or fw wood for almost everyone except the really long players. Even for them, it's a bit of an adventure, climbing to the Alps bunkers and looking down at the Punchbowl. (Ask Dick Daley. I thought he was going to faint with pleasure!)

I don't think four is too many, at all! There are several other blind shots, if you veer off the straight and not-so-narrow.

They're blind only once, after all.
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Mark McKeever

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #16 on: January 22, 2015, 04:13:06 PM »
A couple that quickly come to mind:

Dedham Country and Polo Club - Hole 9 (Alps) 
Yale Golf Club - Hole 3
Morris County GC - Hole 4 (Double Plateau)
Fisher's Island Club - Hole 4 (Punchbowl)
Myopia Hunt Club - Hole 1, 13

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Benjamin Litman

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #17 on: January 22, 2015, 04:13:52 PM »
Too many options to choose from, so just a quick top 10 (grouped by tee or approach shot, but otherwise in no particular order):

1.  Tee shot (with the wind) or second shot (into the wind) on Hole 5 at New South Wales

2.  Tee shot on Hole 4 at Royal St. George's

3.  Tee shot on Hole 1 at Brora

4.  Tee shot on Hole 11 at Sunningdale (Old)

5.  Tee shot on Hole 17 at St. Andrews (Old)

6.  Tee shot on Hole 4 at Royal Melbourne (West)

7.  Tee shot on Hole 8 at Pebble Beach

8.  Tee shot on Hole 16 at Pasatiempo

9.  Approach shot on Hole 12 at Yale

10.  Approach shot on Hole 6 at Pebble Beach  
"One will perform in large part according to the circumstances."
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Dave McCollum

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #18 on: January 22, 2015, 04:37:39 PM »
I immediately thought of County Down, where there are a bunch, and for blind par 3’s the Dell hole at Lahinch.  The Dell follows Klondike where the approach is also blind.  As they say, they’re only truly blind once.  Ireland seems well endowed with blind shots. 

I played a course a few days ago in Palm Springs that I thought had a poor blind shot.  The course is an ordinary housing development course with little to recommend it.  On a long par 5, all drives in the fairway run down into a trench-like valley, rendering the 2nd shot blind to a narrow landing zone guarded by water on the left and houses on the right.  Basically, I thought most of the water features on these courses, three 9 hole loops, were silly and penal.  However, I enjoy playing there nearly every year because most of the holes are too narrow and I find that a good way to knock the rust off my winter golf hiatus before playing something interesting (and more expensive).  This year my first round in nearly 2 months was at Stone Eagle.  That didn’t work out too well for shooting a score.  In fact, I wondered if watching my crappy golf didn’t contaminate my host, a very good golfer, as the round progressed.   Sorry about that.  In my view Stone Eagle is a very special place and maybe the most unique golf course that I’ve seen.  More than a few blind shots there, too, if one hits it to the wrong places, and an outstanding example of how blindness can enhance playing angles and strategies. 

Oh just noticed some else mentioned Lahinch.  Another Pebble’s 8th:  blind drive, maybe the worst shot on the course, followed by one of the most glorious.       

Tim_Weiman

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #19 on: January 22, 2015, 05:07:14 PM »
Prestwick has some nice ones.
Tim Weiman

Pete_Pittock

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #20 on: January 22, 2015, 05:24:25 PM »
The Machrie probably has the most.

Doug Siebert

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #21 on: January 22, 2015, 05:26:32 PM »
It seems very polarizing, based on the comments about the blind shots on Dismal White from first time visitors.  Some enjoy them all, some think they are overdone, some just hate blind shots in general.  I think GCA readers are more accepting of blind shots on older courses that are "supposed" to have them like Prestwick and Lahinch, than on newer designs.

I like them in general as it adds an extra element of challenge by taking away the security blanket of seeing your target, and the extra anticipation when you get to where you can see the result of your shot.  My only issue with them are when they are situated such that you can't see when the way is clear (i.e. if you have a totally blind green, make it easy to see the players leaving the green or on the next tee) or have ball eating rough too close to the target area.
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Eric Smith

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #22 on: January 22, 2015, 05:27:54 PM »
Prestwick has some nice ones.

As does Machrihanish. I think the 2nd green has to be one of the coolest out there, certainly that I have seen. I think the blind approach makes it even more rewarding, seeing as you haven't a clue what is up there on the first play. The view up top is pretty nice too.

David_Tepper

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #23 on: January 22, 2015, 05:32:35 PM »
The 2nd shot on #17 at Royal Dornoch is a good one.

Matt MacIver

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Re: Blind Shots
« Reply #24 on: January 22, 2015, 07:37:18 PM »
Tobacco Road has several, both the tee and second shot. I thought it was fun and quirky and the right amount but my other three playing partners thought it was all too much. Think my favorites there the blind shots into greens vs the tee shots.