Best four hole stretch in US golf

[Patrick_Mucci]

David Wigler,

7-10  Boca Rio
8-11  Boca Rio
9-12  Boca Rio
10-13 Boca Rio
11-14 Boca Rio
12-15 Boca Rio
13-16 Boca Rio
14-17 Boca Rio
15-18 Boca Rio

[ChipOat]

Having thought about this away from the office, I've changed my mind.

My first choice's weren't all bad but:

Augusta National #'s 10-13 has the edge, I think.  And I've not played them from the new back tees or the Nicklaus green on #13.  The only question mark is that, for a player of my (non) caliber, #13 is a pretty boring second shot.  So maybe Merion 2-5 isn't such a bad call (no boring shots).  But ANGC #'s 10-11 are awesome 2nd shot holes and #12 seemed excellent to me without any of that magic wind.

Augusta it is.

[mark chalfant]

    Firethorn        (Dye)          11-14

    Moraine          (Campbell)   1-4

   
    *Harrison  Hills   (Langford)    15-18

   
     
    Cuscowilla       (C&C )       1-4

[Patrick_Mucci]

Chipoat,

Some deranged person has adopted your moniker and has been posting about the 2nd shot on # 13 at ANGC as a boring shot.

Please, try to prevent lunatics from having access to your computer.

[Jonathan Cummings]

14-17 at CPC....next question!

[SteveTL]

Matt,

It's hard to complain too much about 8 and 9 at PB..!

I might bump my choice back to 7-10 at PB.  

Steve

[Jonathan Cummings]

How many have seen the Fazio course in Washington -- Members Club at Alderra?  The final four holes, from a tournament standpoint, may be the best going.  Cos - what do you think?  JC

[ChipOat]

Patrick Mucci:

Please consider what the writer might mean more closely before you criticize.

Let me try again: For a player of my (non) caliber, the 2nd shot on the 13th hole at Augusta is always a lay-up 8, 9 or wedge as there is no possibility of my hitting my drive in a position to ever try for the green in 2 shots.  This is because 1) I cannot draw the ball and 2) I'm not long enough.

Since I can never attempt the long approach shot to which you are almost assuredly referring, the excitement of the hole is enormously diluted for me and those like me.  In short, the 2nd shot becomes somewhat boring - just as I said.

A similar situation used to exist for me on the 2nd hole at Deepdale and the 4th at Garden City - a pair of par 5's with which you have indicated familiarity in the past.  Until the recent advent of titanium drivers and Pro V1 balls, I couldn't hit even my best tee shot far enough on either hole to do anything other than lay up on my 2nd shot with some kind of short iron.  Pretty boring stuff IMO despite interesting green complexes on each.

Conversely, while neither the 12th at Deepdale or the 7th at GCGC are my favorite par 5's on earth, at least I can give my 2nd shot a good rip on each after a decent drive.

Those are the FACTS based on my experience playing each of those holes.

In the future, please continue in your role as one of my golfing pals and refrain from telling me what I mean when I say or write something.  My wife and my ex-wife both have that covered already.

[ian]

Why limit this to the US? My answer is 7 thru 10 at Pebble for the US. Never saw 6 as a great hole, 10 is a better hole.

In the world I have trouble topping 4,5,6 and 7 at Highland Golf Links is worthy for sheer diversity.

4- an uphill short par four to a plateau green (this is from the orginal tee, not the new one )


4- a mid length three over a huge bowl, to a wonderfully contoured armchair green, with ocean views on the right


6- a mid length flat par five requiring an ocean carry to a fairway extension green


7- a brutal long par five going up and down over massive rolls finally heading to a raised green. The setting is a mountain pass through boreal forest

An extreme mix of settings, difficulty and contour all in four holes.

[Jonathan Cummings]

Ian - best stretch with a nice cart path running up the side?!  I'm sorry, but to qualify for best finishing stretches I gotta believe candidates would be devoid of paths, houses and and anything that distracts from the character of the hole....  JC

[Tony_Chapman]

Mark - I can say with 100% honesty that I never thought I would see a Nebraska course (Firethorn) in this thread with the exception of Sand Hills. At Firethorn, though, I like 2-5.

You have a blind short-4, par-5, short-3 and brutal-4 on that stretch. Your 11-14 journey is quite good as well, especially the par-3 13th.

There are many other great stretches in Nebraska golf, but I won't bore everyone here.

My tops are still as follows (that I have played):

7-10 at Pebble, 8-11 at Prairie Dunes, 3-6 at Pinehurst #2 and for good measure I am going to throw in 13-16 at Pasatiempo. A good mixture of 5,4,3,4. And, if 16 is the best Mackenzie hole ever (according to him) then how do we argue with that?

[David Wigler]

David Wigler,

7-10  Boca Rio
8-11  Boca Rio
9-12  Boca Rio
10-13 Boca Rio
11-14 Boca Rio
12-15 Boca Rio
13-16 Boca Rio
14-17 Boca Rio
15-18 Boca Rio

Patrick,

I have never played Boca Rio.  Is it really this good or are you making a joke that I am not getting.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Jonathon,
Last 4 at Members CLub at Aldarra is truly a possibility.  I hate to admit it but in the couple of times I have played #18 I am not sure I have finished it.  It is a tough one.  The Par Three #15 is a ball buster.  Uphill #12 at Augusta copy except that it is a mere 220 yards.  These four may qualify as the 4 most difficult finishers in the State of Washington.  

[David Wigler]

It's hard to argue with most of the choices mentioned thus far. BUT, It is hard to beat the stretch from 8-11 at Maidstone, which I had the pleasure of playing last week.


Why confine the question to the U.S.?

World wide, I go with Carnoustie 15-18.

Jim - I said just US because I have not really played in the rest of the world and was curious about answers on courses I had played.  If I added Canada, Capilano might have an entry (Although its best holes are fairly well spread out).  

[Cory Lewis]

7-10 at Maidstone

8-11 at Fishers Island

1-4 at Winged Foot (West), hardest four hole stretch of my life!

[CHC1948]

Seminole (second set of dunes)

#4-pwind-helps you but can hurt you
#5-pwind-pick the right club and ball flight
#6-pwind-pick the right point and thread the needle
#7-pwind-better hit it straight and pure

[John_Cullum]

I'll go with 3,4,5,6 at Augusta National, or 4,5,6,7 at Augusta National.

[Michael Moore]

3,4,5,6

Old Sandwich, Plymouth MA

(under construction, serious answer)

[Tommy Williamsen]

4,5,6,7,
Musgrove Mill SC

[Evan_Green]

2-5 Olympic/ maybe the toughest stretch in major championship golf

[Steve Lapper]

Chris et.al.,

      On the merits of the Prairie Dunes sequence, I have no arguement with the 8th and 10th holes being among its finest. The 9th is also a solid one, but other than the fairway rolls and good green, not a spectacular hole. The 11th has alwsy been the one PD hole that feels, for me, very slightly out of place. Nowhere else does water come into play and I am not sure it rivals #3 for risk/reward. Just my opinion.

    On the other hand, #1 is as stout an opener as anyone should have to face, #2 probably PD's finest of all its wonderful 3 pars. #3 has a great feel to contend with so early in the round and the risk/reward quotient is considerable. #4 is again one of the toughest of PD's great threes.

   I will defer, however, to Mr. Miller's judgement as he is, without a doubt, the treehouse's acknowledged expert on PD.

[Paul Richards]

Shivas:

You're darn right when you said:
>>I take it nobody is willing to take my bet that they can't par the first 4 at the Peter Jans National

which, BTW, is one HELLUVA stretch of great golf.


Of course, you can pick any combination of four holes at Peter Jans National and have a candidate for "Best four hole stretch in US golf."

 

[Jeff Fortson]

Ok, ok, ok.  

Shivas,

Next time I am in Chicago I'll take you up on your bet.  Peter Jans huh?  Is it a par-3 course?  I bet that it is, and the first four holes are of the par-3 course tricked-up type, right?

Anyway, I look forward to the challenge someday!

Jeff F.

[Patrick_Mucci]

David Wigler,

I was being serious.

Chipoat,

My memory could be failing, but laying up to the flattest part of the 13th fairway, and attaining the ideal angle of attack, based on the hole location isn't as easy as you would indicate.

Perhaps you current and ex never discussed course management with you, leaving that task to me.  

In addition, the more you lay back, the more difficult the approach shot, and the more you attack the lay up, the narrower and possibly more difficult certain other shots become.

Perhaps your automatic lay-up routine has blinded you to the difficulty of the shot you hit, and the shot you leave.
However, I don't want this new awareness that I am instilling to be held responsible for a triple bogie the next time you play the hole.  Ignorance may be bliss  

I tend to think there is far more to the shot, results, and set up for the next shot then you do.  Have you ever pulled/hooked or pushed/sliced an eight iron in your lay-up attempts ?  If so, what kind of shot were you left with ?