[John Kavanaugh]

As can be seen in the above pic, if you happen to be a mountain goat with a penchant for the tips the 3rd is clearly the best hole on the course.

[Morgan Clawson]

All of the par 3s at Prairie Dunes play uphill.  I can't think of another course with that characteristic.


My favorite part of this hole is the green which has a very steep back to front slope.  This green is not very deep, and in my experience a lot of shots don't hit the green.  The short 2nd shots are really challenging due to the steep slope.


Terrific, beautiful hole.

[Morgan Clawson]

The 3rd green with the 4th green behind.

[V_Halyard]

When I read the title I thought it was going to say:


"...is surrounded by hazards (aka penalty areas) on all sides?"


Love PD but had same criticism of Muirfield.  If the gunch is impenetrable and balls are unfindable then it may as well be a lake, no?

I loved it, though to your point, every fairway is an isthmus to an island of sorts.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

As can be seen in the above pic, if you happen to be a mountain goat with a penchant for the tips the 3rd is clearly the best hole on the course.

JK


While not sure I'd say its the best, it is a much better hole from the tips. I usually recommend people at least go check it out just for the view. And with wind usually to your back its not super long so its on you can tip out if you're a mortal.


One thing I love about #3 is the deception of the front bunkers appearing to be green side, when in reality there's a 5-10 yard gap in between. Also, a left pin looks middle and a middle one looks right

[corey miller]

Is it a fatal flaw to have to trek to the top of the dune on #3 which by virtue of the angle, wind, line of charm make the hole a lot better?  What is it fifteen steps to the top?


Can't think of any other hole at PD where the walk to the teeing area is as disconcerting (perhaps #12).  Nonetheless, I really don't see the problem and when one considers the walks on many of the favored modern courses picking out #3 at PD seems a little over the top.

[John Kavanaugh]

I’d be shocked if it is only 15 steps. My childhood home was only 13 which I recall was never a challenge in my youth. At least until they stuck me in the attic as a teen. One of the finest players in the club, or anywhere for that matter, is a beautifully robust gentleman who takes his cart over to six tee to avoid the walk. Don’t judge a man on how he climbs or makes love, judge him on how many strokes it takes to get...

[David Kelly]

#2 was greatly improved when C&C/Axland added an additional pin location on the far left side of the green and reduced the slope on the right front.  The hole requires you to think about taking an extra club in order to climb the hill yet at the same time it is death to be above the pin or over the green.

I think the white tees work best on #3 and have stopped going up to the top tee or the new blue tee.  The white tee is a harder shot as it has reduced visibility, requires a straighter drive and doesn't give you the distance advantage of the elevated tee.  I do miss the tree they cut down to make the blue tee as it provided some nice shade. 

[PCCraig]

When was the back tee on #3 built?

[Tyler Kearns]

There is a reason that Prairie Dunes is still at championship test at less that 7,000 yds. If you have a problem with the modern ball and equipment learn how to hit it straight. Quit swinging so damn hard or hit less than driver off the tee. You rarely lose a ball at PD off a good or smart shot.


Honestly I have been playing a couple of uber tight courses for the last 20 years. It takes a couple of years to learn the discipline of the straight ball. So pony up, practice up or shut up. Only a chump would lose 6 or 7 balls each weekend for 20 years and live to talk about it.

John,


I lost one ball at Prairie Dunes over 36 holes in steady 30-40 km/hr winds because I did just that, hit hybrid and 4 iron off of most tees.  In fact I only played 2 drivers.  The result, I kept the ball in play and posted two decent scores, but the offset was longer approaches into those devilish green sites which yielded lots of bogies.


Tyler

[Tyler Kearns]

#2 was greatly improved when C&C/Axland added an additional pin location on the far left side of the green and reduced the slope on the right front.  The hole requires you to think about taking an extra club in order to climb the hill yet at the same time it is death to be above the pin or over the green.

I think the white tees work best on #3 and have stopped going up to the top tee or the new blue tee.  The white tee is a harder shot as it has reduced visibility, requires a straighter drive and doesn't give you the distance advantage of the elevated tee.  I do miss the tree they cut down to make the blue tee as it provided some nice shade.

David,


I noticed sizeable chunks of a former tree in a hollow up in front of that tee, figured it was an odd place to dispose of a tree, but I never knew there used to be a big one up there.


Tyler

[David Davis]

17 is my clear winner and favorite hole.

[David Kelly]

#2 was greatly improved when C&C/Axland added an additional pin location on the far left side of the green and reduced the slope on the right front.  The hole requires you to think about taking an extra club in order to climb the hill yet at the same time it is death to be above the pin or over the green.

I think the white tees work best on #3 and have stopped going up to the top tee or the new blue tee.  The white tee is a harder shot as it has reduced visibility, requires a straighter drive and doesn't give you the distance advantage of the elevated tee.  I do miss the tree they cut down to make the blue tee as it provided some nice shade.

David,


I noticed sizeable chunks of a former tree in a hollow up in front of that tee, figured it was an odd place to dispose of a tree, but I never knew there used to be a big one up there.


Tyler

The tree was removed last year and the new tee was built.   There also used to be a big tree that overhung the #1/#8 tees as well as a number of trees around the #9 tee.  In fact, the blue tee on #9 used to be framed by two trees and you would hit your tee shot through them.  Those were lost in an ice storm about 10-15 years ago.  Also the left side of #14 tee had a bunch of trees cleared out and then 2 or 3 years ago they thinned out the trees behind #14 green so that the air would circulate better.  All cottonwoods, I think.

[Bill Seitz]

I played the third hole 2 under in three plays with two kick in birdies.  In conclusion, the third is the best hole on the course.

[Morgan Clawson]

Back of the 3rd green and 4th hole from 4th tee.

[Morgan Clawson]

The 3rd is another dynamic green.  My observation was that approach shots needed to hit the first 1/3 of the green to hold.  The picture above shows how the green rolls off in the back. Balls would run out quite a way due to the closely mown grass.

[Terry Lavin]

I played the third hole 2 under in three plays with two kick in birdies.  In conclusion, the third is the best hole on the course.

And, clearly, the most difficult!

[Jason Thurman]

Let’s talk about 4. That doesn’t mean we need to cease all discussion of 3 though. I’m still not actually sure – is 3 a great hole? Is it a good short par 4?
 
We can ask similar questions about 4. I’m not totally sure why my initial reaction is that it isn’t as good a hole as 2. I can recall thinking it was very similar in appearance when I first played it. It’s bigger, more uphill, the green is set at a shallower angle, almost like it’s been pivoted 45 degrees or so. Living in Cincinnati, it reminds me a bit of the NLE Son of a Beast ride at Kings Island, which was built some years after the original Beast. The original Beast is one of the greatest roller coasters on earth, much like 2 at Prairie Dunes. Son of a Beast bore a family resemblance, but it was bigger, longer, wilder, and ultimately, much more dangerous (https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200607/154/). A lot like 4 at Prairie Dunes.
 
And yet, 4 at Prairie Dunes has nuance that Son of a Beast never had. Of every hole I witnessed at Prairie Dunes during the Midwest Mashie, 4 was the one where I’m certain approach shots stayed in motion the longest combined time – a characteristic of any great hole. Vaughn hit a ball to the left side of the green in fourball that released 30 feet down a ridge and fed to within a few feet for a kick-in birdie. You can’t spell Calcutta without Calcutt, and even he had to play well away from the left-side pin when he found the back bunker in Friday’s warm-up round just to keep his escape on the green. If 2 is a beautiful, classic par 3, then 4 is its more intense younger sister who’s less conventionally attractive but spunkier and incredibly charming if you crack her shell, like Vaughn’s shot did.
 
Only a dork would pick Kate over Pippa. 4 is the best hole at Prairie Dunes.

[Bill Seitz]

I'm probably directionally challenged, but standing on the tees, 2 and 4 always felt like they played in the same direction, and it was weird how different the wind was on each hole, until I looked at the aerial and saw they're at a 90 degree angle.  I played 2 pretty well, but 4 ate my lunch.

[Sean Leary]

I'm probably directionally challenged, but standing on the tees, 2 and 4 always felt like they played in the same direction, and it was weird how different the wind was on each hole, until I looked at the aerial and saw they're at a 90 degree angle.  I played 2 pretty well, but 4 ate my lunch.

Slightly different. 2 plays SW and 4 plays West, maybe even slightly NW.


I have played 3 and 4 as one hole a couple of times, playing approach from 3 fairway into 4 green.  Fun second shot..

[Jason Thurman]

Didn't somebody complain that two par 3s in the first four holes are gonna impact pace of play?


The case for 5 is easy. It's the long, stern test that I'm certain receives many accolades from the sticks when the club hosts tournaments. I find missing right is only as bad as it looks. My mother could finish, and I usually can too. But probably not always.


Say what you think about it. But if you want to play through and make the case for 6, don't let me hold you up.

[John Kavanaugh]

The 4th at Sand Hills is simply a template of the 5th at PD. That alone is a case that’s hard to beat.

[John Kirk]

...

[Morgan Clawson]

5th hole from 5th tee

[Terry Lavin]

A classic American big par 4.  And the second best two-shotter on the front nine. 

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