Your Top 10 Par 5s

[Jason Thurman]

What are they? Here's my list:



1. 13 Lawsonia - An exciting tee shot, a decision on the second shot with about 4 options and no right answer, and an excellent green with plenty of surrounding trouble. It's a borderline perfect hole in my book.
2. 6 Pebble Beach - Without a doubt, the most intimidating second shot on a par 5 that I've seen.
3. 16 Blackwolf Run River - Pete Dye at his swashbuckling finest and a setting that can't be beat.
4. 8 Crystal Downs - What's the best hole in the world that climbs more than 30 feet in elevation? This has to be a contender.
5. 7 Beverly Country Club - My favorite tee shot on any Ross course.
6. 5 Pete Dye GC - The one downside to Pete Dye's par 5s is that it's downright depressing to layup and miss the excitement of his high-risk high-reward second shot. This might be the most thrilling par 5 I know of to take a rip at reaching in two.
7. 16 Whistling Straits - A brilliant blend of subtlety and audacity.
8. 16 Colorado GC - The best "channel hole" I've played.
9. 10 Wolf Run - Width, risk/reward, and a final 100 yards that invites a player going for it in two to run one onto the surface while demanding perfect distance control from the player approaching with a wedge.
10. 9 Canterbury - On a layout that tests every shot in the non-professional's arsenal, the 9th green demands either immaculate distance control, superhuman putting, or the widest variety of short-game scenarios on the course.


Honorable Mention:
4 Kincaid Lake - One of the most original holes I've ever played. Back before Ballyhack and Kinloch, Lester George worked on this 9 holer as part of the Kentucky State Parks system. For $7.50, it's worth a visit. More here: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,58913.msg1384099.html#msg1384099


6 Kampen Course - Nobody builds par 5s better than Pete Dye in my opinion. This could easily have made my top 10.


18 Pebble Beach - It's gorgeous and iconic, but maybe just a smidge too narrow of an overall corridor with the ocean left and OB right. Still, it might be my favorite tee shot in the world if it didn't mean the round was about to end.


17 Clovernook - A homer pick from my former home course. I'm a sucker for a hell's half acre-style hazard on the second shot, and the pond/Tay Baker Tree here fits the bill but with a bit more severity than the standard bunker.

[Tom_Doak]

Jason:


That's the 5th at Pete Dye Golf Club you are talking about.  You should get to know your favorites!


I will wait to post for a day or two because I'm interested to see what others say.  I don't have a list off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure the 4th at Bethpage is near the top of it, along with the 8th at Crystal Downs.  And the 7th at Ekwanok.

[BHoover]

Two of my favorites are

18 at Brookside - I love the second shot to an elevated green that allows for a well executed shot to funnel to a tucked pin.

15 at Kirtland - see description above.

[JLahrman]

2. 6 Pebble Beach - Without a doubt, the most intimidating second shot on a par 5 that I've seen.

Agreed. The one time I played the course, I was almost disappointed that I hit a great tee shot because there was no way I couldn't go for the green in two.

Hitting a blind 3-iron up a 40 foot hill knowing that if I lay off it at all it's in the ocean? GULP.

I loved the hole, definitely my favorite from my one play of Pebble Beach.

[Jason Thurman]

Jason:


That's the 5th at Pete Dye Golf Club you are talking about.  You should get to know your favorites!

Hey, it's not my fault that the 4th is completely forgettable and I failed to recall it when walking through the routing in my head...

[Josh Tarble]

Good topic in that I've never really gone back and thought about my personal favorite par 5s.  I definitely agree with you that Dye is one of the best when it comes to building 5s.  I've got a few on my list.

Here's my top 10:

• Cape Kidnappers #15 - one of the most unique and scenic holes on a super unique and scenic course - love it how it narrows as the hole progresses and not a single bunker on it
• Whistling Straits #11 - the giant bunker on it is fantastic and makes for a really cool hazard, but still plenty of bailout
• Streamsong Red #7 - the upside down bunker is such a great hazard, really dictates play the entire hole
• TPC Sawgrass #16 - fantastic hole with each shot being very interesting
• Crystal Downs #8 - don't think I need to add anything to this one, but the green complex is amazing
• World Woods PB #4 - awesome split fairway - maybe one of the few that the split actually works
• Porto Cima #15 - sentimental favorite - an awesome downhill par 5 that ends at a peninsula out in the lake
• Harbor Town #2 - I'm sure most like the 15th better, but I think the 2nd is a great example of using trees as a hazard
• Holston Hills #7 - really cool tee shot with another split fairway that I think works well - this one is all in the tee shot
• Broadmoor CC #17 - total homer pick - tee shot needs to hug the right edge of the fairway, second shot either needs to be played to  the bottom of the hill, giving a blind 3rd shot, or aggressively played to the top of the hill leaving a difficult pitch - exceptional green complex

Honorable mention:
Beverly CC #7 - like Jason mentioned, a great tee shot and the cross bunkers provide great interest as well

Crooked Stick #15 - one of the really unique greens complexes on the course at the end of a solid par 5
Kiawah Ocean Course #11 - awesome tee shot that needs to hug the right and gives plenty of bailout left...but right makes the second much easier
Woodland Country Club #3 - Awesome green site around a pond - makes the second shot a true risk reward and keeps the third shot interesting as well
Hyde Park #13 - great dogleg par 5, renovation work is superb
Kingsley #1 - great way to start a round - unless you double bogey it.

[John Kirk]

I'll take a shot at this, though I'm not working with as large a sample as many here.  A couple of home town selections, of course.

1.  Pacific Dunes #3 - The first one I thought of.  Sensational beauty; missing short and right on second shot leaves brutally difficult third shot.

2.  Stone Eagle #17 - Follows a common theme, where second shot placement makes a significant difference.  In this case, lay up left for left side pins, right for right side pin locations.

3.  Pumpkin Ridge (Witch Hollow) #11 - Double dogleg with tiny 3-leaf clover green flanked by sand traps yields excellent second shot decisions.  One of Robert Cupp's favorite holes at Pumpkin Ridge.

4.  Pumpkin Ridge (Ghost Creek) #8 - Best played at a distance reachable with two strong shots.  Unusual rough-length grass "bathtub" depression left of a tiny green sloped from left to right makes for exciting go-for-the-green shots.  Pull second shot left and struggle to make par.

5.  Pebble Beach #6 - Awe inspiring second shot up to high bluff at the edge of the world.  Peak natural drama.

6.  Bandon Trails #9 - Beautiful Oregon forested setting with "pinch point" defined by Douglas fir forest on the right and large sand trap left.  Unusual flattish bailout area left of green set just above grade.  One of those holes where getting a little out of position on tee shot leads to increased difficulty of subsequent shots.  The home of the disappointing 6.

7.  Sand Hills #14 - I chose my favorite of the three great par 5s here.  The hole is defined by a broad deep swale that gives solid downwind tee shots a "power boost", leaving short second shots to a small green sloped steeply from back to front.  It's been a  while, that's all I can remember.

8.  San Francisco #9 - It's been ten years, so I don't remember much.  What I do remember is that it is a very long, wide par 5 back to the clubhouse, with two good shots leaving an uphill approach to a green set in the middle of a big field of grass, near the 18th green.  Augusta National also has its 9th and 18th greens in a wide open field a long way from the clubhouse.  I was awestruck when I played it, thinking that's how to build your golf course.  Which leads to...

9.  Augusta National #13 - The quintessential risk-reward hole on America's greatest tournament course.  Sharp dogleg left with Rae's Creek on left side, crossing in front of the green.

10.  Shinnecock Hills #16 - Serpentine fairway shape makes for ideal second shot decision making.  One of the best holes on one of the best courses.

I'm sure I could find a couple more consensus favorites to replace the Pumpkin Ridge holes, but these were my first ten choices, and that's good enough.

[Tim Gallant]

A few that sprang to mind:


Prestwick 3rd
Muirfield 17th
TOC 14th
Baltusrol Lower 18th
Swinley Forest 5th
Ganton 9th
Walton Heath 16th
Tandridge 9th
Carnoustie 6th
Needwood Golf Course - 13th (homer choice)

[Sean_A]

I don't have a list of favourite 5s, but off the top of my head...

Cavendish 14

Western Gailes #6

Alwoodley 8


Cruden Bay 6


Stoneham 14


Pennard 16


Strandhill 5


WHO 16


Sunny New 6

Addington 16


TOC 14


Prestwick 3


Honourable Mention

Perranporth 2, Saunton West 3, Formby 8, Beau Desert 15, Brancaster 8, Silloth 13, Worpy 12, Sunny New 6, Enniscrone 5, Westward Ho! 9, Cavendish 14 and Princes Dunes 6. 

Ciao

[Michael Felton]

In no particular order:


7 Pine Valley - monster hole that's impossible to reach in 2, yet still keeps up the interest all the way through it
15 Pine Valley - might be the best of the lot. Plenty of width from the tee, but then each progressive shot gets tougher and tougher
4 Bethpage Black - options all over the place. Strategy on every shot. The more you take on (and succeed) the greater the rewards
14 Royal St Georges - I talked about this hole on another recent thread. The OOB down the right keeps the excitement level up and the bunkering, together with the shape of the green presents great strategic options along the way
14 TOC - certainly keeps the interest up on the second shot, which is the difficult thing to do
13 Walton Heath Old - I love the way this hole presents the questions. Take on the corner off the tee and you can reap the rewards (or the punishment). Layup is very awkward if you miss.
16 Walton Heath Old - probably the best hole of the 36 there IMO. The green setting is tremendous. Plays as a par 4 in the Ryder Cup course, but it's a par 5 to me
16 Deal - Also I think potentially now called a par 4, but it's not. Great hole and the green complex and surrounds are fantastic
5 Bethpage Red - I just enjoy this hole. It's reachable for me if I hit a good drive, but what is a very wide space to hit it towards plays pretty narrow if you want a chance at the green. If you don't quite get it right, it's potentially a pretty awkward lay up, especially from the right side, but it's still playable and that shot is a lot of fun.
7 Bethpage Black - I think this is a great hole. You really have to get brave off the tee if you want a shot at the green and I struggle to think of many places on a golf course that are deader than in the right hand corner of the bunker from the tee.


It's interesting to me that I've played about 270 courses and wind up with only 7 represented here. That's probably partly because there are a bunch I'm not thinking of, but I think it's also that it's hard to create a memorable par 5 and these courses have something that stands out to me about them. That and I've played some of them a lot.

[jeffwarne]

Bethpage Red 5
Pennard 17 Demands working the ball off the tee, placement for a layup(the layup is never boring), nerve as well as great skill and judgement to go for it
ANGC 13
ANGC 8
Palmetto GC 14
Dunfanaghy 16-uphill blind dogleg second-all world green
10 Aiken GC
8 Formby-hook then fade
4 Engineers
10  Narin and Portnoo Bite off drive, cool greensite tucked in a hollow



As think of these I realize how many par 5's have been neutered by modern ball sometimes creating a situation where a good par 5 is turned into a crap unreachable par 4 for most(NGLA # 5) or a hole with minimal thought for an expert (not much decision consideration when wielding a short iron in)
An example is 6 at Palmetto-a fun,delightful par 5 for most requiring a good tee shot and a shaped second-unless you're college player and you just rip driver 9 iron and it's another non thought provoking tough par 4 for elite events.
Was once a good hole when the disparity was not nearly as great and the low handicap have nots tried to hook a 3, 4 or 5 wood in and the haves were trying to shape long irons.


7 at NGLA is another example-that brilliant green running away from you is FAR less of an issue when hitting a 9 iron in vs a long iron which is infinitely harder to control the distance given the long iron must land short which of course brings the DA bunker and the road bunker far more into play.
Changing the par there doesn't change the fact that the strategy is ruined for the elite player

[Tim Gallant]

Great list Sean - a few similarities. I almost put the 6th at Cruden, but couldn't leave off the blind second shot, 13th at Needwood

[Ruediger Meyer]

Of those I've played - which is not that much - these are the ones that stand out for me, in no particular oder.
6th Pebble Beach: The second shot - and especially the walk up to the green - is one of the great adrenaline rushes in golf.
15th The Island: I just fell in love with this course and the stretch from 13 to 15 with the 15th green sitting in an amphitheatre is just magnificent.
1st Royal County Down: Opening holes are usually pretty bland, but the first hole at RCD puts you in the mood for one of the best 9 holes you'll ever play.
3rd Kingsbarnes: The favorite Par 5 on this course is the 12th hole, but I just love the 3rd with its snaking greenside bunker.
15th Saint Emilionnais: Maybe because it is one of the last holes I played before the winter break, but this hole with the green inside the mounds, just always puts a smile on my face when I think back.
17th Hamburger GC Falkenstein: It is probably too short for modern equipment, but still: Trying to attack the green with the second shot when the 70 Meter wide and long heather is in full bloom is one of the rare great sights in german golf.
8th Barnbougle Lost Farm: I am very fond of Bill Coore's Par 5s and this one was one of my absolute favorites.
5th New South Wales GC: There's not much in golf that can beat climbing up the hill after the tee shot and looking down on Botany Bay.
6th Carnoustie: Hogan's Alley. Nothing more to say about it
18th Pebble Beach: There's not much better than hitting a perfect drive on this hole

[Tommy Williamsen]

Some of my favorites.
9 at Royal North Devon
7&15 at Pine Valley
2&10 at Ballyhack
14 at The Old Course
1 at Sand Hills
9 at San Francisco
18 at The National
5 at Muirfield Village
9 at Muirfield
15 at Myopia Hunt Club

[Ally Mcintosh]

I wrote a magazine piece once which listed my five favourite par-5's in Ireland. I can't even recall all of them now but the three that are the absolute best are:

8th at Donegal / Murvagh
5th at Strandhill
15th at The Island

[Keith OHalloran]

Coming up with 10 ended up being harder than I expected.
14 at Sand Hills is my favorite par 5 of all time.
4 at Bethpage Black as has been mentioned.
14 at Pebble, I really like that it is a true 3 shot hole and so hard around the green.
7 at NGLA, the approach and angle of the green are great.
2 at Maidstone. The more I play it, the more I realize that the alignment of the green is genius.
18 St George's (LI). I am a sucker for a semi reachable finishing par 5 with a wicked green.
15 Pine Hills GC Manorville, NY. dog leg with a water carry that leads to a blind second that is reachable. risk reward at its finest on an otherwise non descriptor course.
1 Dismal Doak. Starting out with a wide fairway, full second shot and fun green.
5 Pete Dye Club at Barefoot Landing. Very long with Volcano green, has my number, I want to par it at some point.
17 Southampton GC, semi reachable, with cross bunkers that a short hitter can tack around. 4 handicap. Almost always factors into a match.

[Simon Holt]

Cool topic as I always find par 5s a bit of a let down, especially on modern courses.


I don't think I would be able to think of 10 but the ones that stand out to me usually have real interest for the second shot, even if its not the decision to go for the green, there has to be something to make you think.  LACC North 8 comes to mind, as does Streamsong Blue 17.

[Andrew Carr]

Started compiling this list in no particular order but found a pattern I created after the first two that I decided to see if I could go through all 18…sorry for not following the rules and I’m very aware that some of these holes aren’t top 18…looking at you 10 at PRC, but still a good hole.  Would have love to have seen the Principles Nose bunker that is referenced in the 1^st Confidential Guide!  If it’s not obvious, I had trouble with Holes 11, 8, 3 & 1.
 
18^th The Course at Yale
17^th Boston Golf Club
16^th Olympic Club Lake Course
15^th Pine Valley Golf Club
14^th The Old Course
13^th Augusta National Golf Club / Pasatiempo
12^th Greenbriar The Old White
11^th Kiawah Island Ocean Course
10^th Piping Rock Club
9^th National Golf Links of America
8^th Fisher’s Island Club (yes…it plays as a par 4 from the Blacks…)
7^th Huntington Country Club / Pine Valley Golf Club / National Golf Links of America
6^th Pebble Beach Golf Links
5^th Cypress Point Club
4^th Bethpage Black
3^rd Stumped…can’t think of even a mediocre par 5 that is a 3^rd hole
2^nd The Maidstone Club
1^st Los Angeles Country Club North Course / Boston Golf Club

[Scott McWethy]

Two of my absolute favorites are #1 at Sand Hills and #9 at The Country Club - Brookline.

#1 at Sand Hills gives you a wide target for your drive and you can bite off as much as you dare.  The second shot puts a premium on accuracy.  The further left you take it (beware of thick rough you must carry) gives you a straighter shot into the green that sits up on a hill and makes getting the right yardage difficult.  If you play out to the right, where there is a lot more room, your third shot becomes more difficult as you are now coming across the green and have less to work with.  The green is narrow and lengthy, but if you hit the front part of the green, you might as well wait there as the ball will roll all the way down to the bottom of the hill.  Right out of the gate you have to think your way around this hole very carefully.

#9 at The Country Club is visually stunning.  I love the way the hole flows and the beautiful rock out-croppings.  If you can carry the rock cliff on the right side, getting home in two is a reality.  Otherwise hit over the creek on your second, which will set you up for a short third to a small green.  Still remember Davis Love III hitting a shot off the rocks during the Ryder Cup.  What a fantastic shot!

I know I'm not listing 10, but these two are the first ones that popped into my head and are a few of my favorites.

[Andrew Carr]

Coming up with 10 ended up being harder than I expected.
14 at Sand Hills is my favorite par 5 of all time.
4 at Bethpage Black as has been mentioned.
14 at Pebble, I really like that it is a true 3 shot hole and so hard around the green.
7 at NGLA, the approach and angle of the green are great.
2 at Maidstone. The more I play it, the more I realize that the alignment of the green is genius.
18 St George's (LI). I am a sucker for a semi reachable finishing par 5 with a wicked green.
15 Pine Hills GC Manorville, NY. dog leg with a water carry that leads to a blind second that is reachable. risk reward at its finest on an otherwise non descriptor course.
1 Dismal Doak. Starting out with a wide fairway, full second shot and fun green.
5 Pete Dye Club at Barefoot Landing. Very long with Volcano green, has my number, I want to par it at some point.
17 Southampton GC, semi reachable, with cross bunkers that a short hitter can tack around. 4 handicap. Almost always factors into a match.

17 at Southampton is such a fun hole and it's your last realistic chance at birdie before the end of the round

[Thomas Dai]

That rascal Jeff W has got to the keyboard before me so I can't now pick the 16th at Dunfanaghy or the 10th at Narin & Portnoo. Grrrrrrrr


So here's a few more, including a surprise, mostly from under the usual radar -


18th at Newburgh-on-Ythan - 550 or so yds into the prevailing wind, narrows and kinks near the green
14th at Tenby - less than 500 and usually downwind but a lovely narrow green with severe drop offs
4th/13th at Burnham & Berrow Channel course - under 500 yds, dog leg left around ditch, lay-up can be tight, small, narrow angled green
17th at Portsalon - 550ish yds, dogleg left around ditch, uphill to plateau green
6th at Carnoustie - just a tough old hole, Hogan's Alley, angled green and all that
7th at Nairn - 550ish and with bunkers just where you would ideally want to position your ball
7th at Portstewart - 520ish yds, the further you go the narrower it gets with a long fall-off on the right side
3rd at Saunton West - 475 yds over the diagonal ditch, through the narrows, blind shot into tricky angled green
9th at Painswick - 470ish, once played unlikely to be forgotten
18th at Celtic Manor 2010 - maybe a surprise choice! So what, if you've played it you'll know, if you haven't, well whinge away!!


Atb

[Greg Tallman]

Jason:


That's the 5th at Pete Dye Golf Club you are talking about.  You should get to know your favorites!


I will wait to post for a day or two because I'm interested to see what others say.  I don't have a list off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure the 4th at Bethpage is near the top of it, along with the 8th at Crystal Downs.  And the 7th at Ekwanok.

TD, Am I delusional in seeing a strong similarity to Pebble's 6th at PDGC #5.

[Rob Marshall]

Not in any order (only ones I've played):

4th Lahinch
2nd Dunluce Portrush
1st Spyglass Hill-View is mesmerizing
18th Pebble Beach
15th Harbour Town
7th Innisbrook Island 4th Bethpage Black (would be #1 on my list.
17th Streamsong Blue (for Pat but I agree)
1st Royal County Down
13 Oak Hill East
6th Pebble Beach
18th Leatherstocking

Is the 5th at Bethpage red  a slight dog leg right uphill? If that's the 5th it's a great potentially reachable par 5.

[Carl Rogers]

None from Australia yet?  1 or 2 from Cape Kidnappers, though ...............
The 5th at the Cascades is a very unusual hole.

[Garland Bayley]

Sean,

Perranporth #2?