No worries, Jon, the "rules" haven't been set yet by Ron (just suggested by me) and you complied with the most important/interesting one--that the picture be taken in the month in question (I see Ron has updated the thread title accordingly, which is great).
Charlie, I don't want to speak for Ben, but having been fortunate enough to play Royal Melbourne last summer, I can say that the 5th on the West Course is, effectively if not actually, an all-carry par-3. Hypothetically, you could try to hit a low rocket and bump it into the huge false front, but I'm not sure why you would try that--remember, it is a par-3, so the shot would be from off the tee and more than 170 yards away. And the hole in way deceives the golfer into thinking that is a realistic option. Again, it's a par-3, so players are thinking about an all-carry shot anyway, and the fronting slope is so severe--and visible from the tee--that there is no deception at all. MacKenzie wasn't opposed to all forced carries, and I think they are more appropriate on par-3s (see, e.g., CPC 16, Yale 9).
My contribution comes from Easter Sunday at Knickerbocker Country Club, a "hidden" Donald Ross gem that is finally getting the recognition it deserves, hosting the New Jersey Amateur and being named Club of the Year by the renowned Metropolitan Golf Writers Association, both last year (which was Knickerbocker's centennial). Apart from the fall, early spring is my favorite time to play and see golf courses in the northeast, as the bones of the course--without foliage on the trees--are at their most visible. As for the trees themselves, the absence of foliage allows the beauty of their structure and bark to shine. Notably, the Local Flora course at Yale is offered in the second semester (i.e., winter and early spring), when tree identification--via trunk, bark, and twigs--is actually easiest. Easter Sunday was a mostly cloudy day, with subpar light for photographing the course, but the dark conditions, together with the skeletal appearance of the trees, made for a haunting setting. And I have come to appreciate the almost metallic appeal of flat-light scenes. I had a few other candidates to post here, but I chose the below picture because it showcases what Ross and Knickerbocker are all about--pushed-up, back-to-front sloping greens--but with a few twists that distinguish the pictured green from most others at Knickerbocker.
The pictures captures the par-3 6th green complex, which, unlike most of the greens at Knickerbocker, sits diagonal to the tee box. Despite appearances, it actually plays as one of the more forgiving greens on the course. The huge pushed-up back side of the green rightfully gets all the attention, but the much lower right side is actually slightly elevated above the green surface as well, creating a bathtub effect--i.e., balls landing on the green have a good chance to get close to most pin locations. Again, this is unlike most of the greens at Knickerbocker, which are strictly back-to-front. The 6th green is also smaller than most of the greens at Knickerbocker. The pushed-up sides also make recoveries easier than they might appear. Obviously, from the right, chips or bunker shots can use the huge slope at the back to funnel balls close to the hole. But even from the seemingly dead left--i.e., beyond the huge cliff--a blind flop shot back over the cliff will hold the green because of the smaller upslope on the other side of the green. It is a fun, visually appealing, and photogenic par-3 at any time of year. The uphill par-4 7th hole is in the background.
April 5, 2015 at Knickerbocker Country Club (Donald Ross 1914), Tenafly, NJ, Hole 6
