Best Easy Holes

[Jeff Goldman]

There's always been a lot of discussion about the best hard par x or the shortest great or hard hole, but what about great "easy" holes?  What are great par 3, 4 and 5s that aren't difficult, but terrific designs and a ton of fun to play?  The one that comes to my mind is 7 at Pebble (maybe 6 too).  Without wind, its a pitch and putt; heck even I hit the green and barely missed a birdie.  So what are the great "easy" holes?

Jeff Goldman

[Norbert P]

 #1 at Pacific Dunes is nice - even when the approach is from the 7th fairway.

 # 16 PD is pretty cool too. (Stay left on approach to green)

 # 2 at Royal Dornoch is representative of the greens of the course.  Short and straight will keep you from volleying back and forth from the sides and adding up #'s.  

 #18 at North Berwick.

 

[CHC1948]

How 'bout #1 at lineville GC, and #1 at Hope Valley CC, they are easy in relation to par but offer a great start to your round.  Not any bold features, but sometimes less is more!

[Mike Hendren]

Having only seen it, how about the 5th at CPC?  Unless you are a big, high ball hitter, the green is not reachable in two and the stellar fairway bunkers dicate both the line of play and the distance of the lay-up second shot.  

Regards,

Mike

[TEPaul]

I'd definitely have to nominate #4 at my course, Gulph Mills. It's a 112 yarder over a quarry to a smallish bowl shaped green. You don't want to miss the green but if you hit it, being basically a bowl, it's pretty easy to birdie. I've had a lot of aces in my life and I think I've probably had about 5-6 on this hole.

Somewhat to my surprise Tom Doak in his Confidential Guide had some nice things to say about this little hole. It's a very good hole but it is easy as long as you don't miss it!

[SPDB]

Tom - I don't know about that. I've never found the extreme right pin all that "easy."

#11 at Misquamicut is a pretty good easy hole.
#10 at The Creek, the same.

Both of these holes are probably good because they are both hard by the water, driving is not a problem, and both only require little pitches to relatively innocuous greens.

[Bob_Huntley]

Shivas,

Amen.

[THuckaby2]

Hmmmm... far be it from me to disagree with two of my heroes, and maybe with some clarification I won't disagree...

But since when is 15 CPC all that easy of a golf hole?  With any wind at all hitting the green becomes quite a feat... and that green isn't exactly easy to putt also.

Great hole?  Yes.

Easy hole?  Not compared to some of the truly easy holes on the mundane courses that are my normal fare....

Re-word this to be "best holes that should be easy but really aren't" and yes, it begins and ends with 15 CPC.

I also shudder to think what's become of golf when #2 Dornoch is called an easy golf hole... good lord, last time I was there that was a full-throated 2-iron into the gale!

TH

[THuckaby2]

Ok, fair enough.  I guess this turns on how far one wants to stretch "easy".  Hell in no wind at all, 135 yards over all that ocean and all that sand, with a miss to the right at all meaning re-load, any ball in the bunker being a very tough up and down, any ball on the green anywhere being very three-jackable, well... I'm never going to call that "easy."

I play easy golf holes all the time, where one can miss anywhere and still have a pretty simple next shot.  Of course those aren't "great", but I'd bet I can think of many in that category that come closer to "great" than 15 CPC does to "easy", if you have any idea what I mean by that!

TH

[Stan Dodd]

TH
As I recall 15 at CPC was a pushover and the next one was pretty easy as well.

[THuckaby2]

They sure were for you, Stan!
 

TH

[Stan Dodd]

Shivas,
I got lucky on both holes in a round with Huck.  But one time I did bounce my first reload off the rocks to about 6 feet on 16.

[Matthew Schulte]

I am of the opinion that #2 at Royal Dornoch is a hard hole, and was meant to be a hard hole.  Meanwhile, #6 at Royal Dornoch appears to be a benign par 3 at first glance.  Then you realize how small the area is in which you must land the ball, you go mental, your knees knock, and you either pull it into the bunkers left or block it right.  Tom Watson, I think, called the second shot to #2 at RD the toughest in golf.  I would put the flop shot recovery, from a very tight lie, right of #6 right there with it.  Besides, throw in the back drop in bloom and sea views and #6 is world class.

[TEPaul]

Speaking of bouncing one off the rocks did you guys ever hear about the time Bobby Cruikshank was playing the last nine of the US Open at Merion with about a 2-3 shot lead. On #11 Bobby hits a lousy shot and the ball heads for the creek in front of the green, hits a rock and bounces onto the green. In relief Bobby throws his club in the air, sort of forgets its up there, the club comes down on Bobby's head, bloodies the hell out of him and Bobby loses his lead and the US Open in the remaining seven holes!

[ian]

Here is Tom's since many have not seen the hole at Gulph Mills


My favourite easy hole is the 475 yard 16th at Highland Golf Links. You play to hit the green in two, but you have one of those crazy lies seen in the photo. Picture is looking back at the fairway.

[ChipOat]

This thread is an oxymoron to me.  I like a certain degree of difficulty before a hole rings my chimes.  To me, an easy hole isn't really all that good.

Slag:

#2 at Dornoch is easy?  You must have never missed that green anywhere but short & straight.

[DPL11]

I'm going with my home track on this one also. I think #11 at Hidden Creek is a great short 3. About 133 yards from the tips, well bunkered, small green, and loads of fun to play.

[CHrisB]

#18 at The Old Course
#10 at The Old Course
The Dell Hole at Lahinch

[ian]

Chip Oat,

Let's use Gleneagles....
13-465 yards, really tough 4
14-275 yards, very driveable
15-460 yards, very tough

The 14th is the break in the middle of very, very tough holes
It is a technically easy hole, but it is also the key to changing pace on the course. The hole is stunningly beautiful too.

A great easy hole.

[Jeff Fortson]

#18 St. Andrews (Old)

#6 Winged Foot (West)

#8 Cruden Bay

Jeff F.

[ian]

Jeff,

You have my vote on 18 at St. Andrews being the best of all.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Ian's suggestion of the 14th at Gleneagles hits the nail on the head for me - a short par 4 that is generally easy, yet can put egg on your face if you get it just the littlest bit wrong.  Perhaps add, from this side of the pond, 12th TOC, 15th Royal Dornoch, 10th Royal Lytham, 11th Sunningdale Old, 3rd Ganton, 15th Nairn, 4th Little Aston, 6th Hunstanton, 9th Royal Worlington, 18th Conwy.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

10 and 18 TOC do not get any easier. 18 at N Berwick is the same. Yet all three provide drama and good strategic options. I do not find 15 CPC that easy. The cross winds and small green with the contouring make this a solid hole period. #3 at CPC is the nearest thing to an easy hole I know of there.

[Bill Weber]

The 13th at BDR is 18 handicap plays 200 yards to a back pin 160 to front pin. OB front, right, and behind green, bunkers front, right and left. Framing?

[SPDB]

Speaking of bouncing one off the rocks did you guys ever hear about the time Bobby Cruikshank was playing the last nine of the US Open at Merion with about a 2-3 shot lead. On #11 Bobby hits a lousy shot and the ball heads for the creek in front of the green, hits a rock and bounces onto the green. In relief Bobby throws his club in the air, sort of forgets its up there, the club comes down on Bobby's head, bloodies the hell out of him and Bobby loses his lead and the US Open in the remaining seven holes!

Tom - you left out the best part of that story, Cruickshank's comment to the effect of: "That's the first time I've ever made par by hitting two rocks on the same hole."