Just counting: fairways disconnected from greens

[Matt_Cohn]

Bethpage Black has only 7 holes where the fairway runs into the green. Since all of the par-5's have this feature, only 4 out of 11 par-4's have fairways running into the green, which seems incredibly low.


What courses have fewer, either on the par-4's or overall?


Pine Valley came to mind, but even it has 9 out of 18, if you count holes where the fairway stops 100 yards short of the green but re-starts at least 30 or 40 yards before the green itself.

[Eric LeFante]

I think 7 holes is being generous. The 4th hole has the fairway out to the right of the green but you cannot run the ball up on that green from 100 yards out. I wouldn't count 13 either. There may only be 10-15 yards of fairway after the front bunker to the front edge of the green, another unlikely place to run the ball up.


Great question Matt, one I'm struggling to come up with an answer to.

[Tom_Doak]

Matt:  when I read your post I thought you must have counted wrong!  I remembered that holes like 2 and 6 had forced carries to the green, but not that 5 and 9 and 10 and 15 did also.  I have to say that I think less of the course, after reviewing it again for the first time in years because of your post.