The 18th at Kilspindie As a Template

[Mike Hendren]

Years back I recall enjoying the well hit drive being propelled forward down the hill at Kilspindie's 18th, finishing ten feet from the hole, yielding a nice closing birdie.

Would this hole not serve as a fine template for a long (say 250 yards from the regular tees) downhill par three with a rear trench bunker replacing the clubhouse veranda?   I recall enjoying such a hole at C&C's NLE Sugarloaf Mountain with a lumpy fairway feeding down to a massive squarish green that might have sloped down to the rear.  Great fun watching the ball work its way down the fairway and across the green on that bunkerless hole. 

Maybe a little deflection shaping  near the front of the green?

Are there other examples with or without a sense of place?

Bogey

[Tim Martin]

Mike-If you knocked the first putt in you made an eagle as the scorecard has it listed as a par 4. Sounds like a fun hole.

[Thomas Dai]

The 280 yd 18th at Kington - Buda in Sept 2020 beckons.
atb



Photos by SRA from his phototour thread - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,30926.0.html

[Tim Martin]

Thomas-Thanks for those pics as I haven’t seen the vantage point you provided behind the hole.

[Ira Fishman]

It's a wonderfully fun different hole. 16-18 all fit that bill with 16 being strong strategically as well.  And low key vibe at Kilspindie just special. Having a beer at the end of the round had a feeling very similar to hanging out in the bar at Mid Pines.


Ira

[Tom_Doak]

A 250-yard par-3 to close is not going to be very popular, because most people are going to walk away with . . . bogey!   


Better a 280-yard par-4.  That way not so many groups have to wait on the tee, too.  The hole at Kington is particularly good because of the severe sideslope . . . you have to factor in how far you are going to carry the ball, and aim further and further left, the shorter that is.  A ground ball up the middle is no good there!

[Thomas Dai]

You didn't get to play the 17th at Minch' Old Tom due to the storm but it's a not dissimilar idea. And the 'best miss' isn't where it at first appears to be what with the humps front left and the green sloping downwards from front-left to right-rear.
atb






Photos from SRA's phototour -http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,48765.0.html

[Mike Hendren]

Tim, the birdie mention was my subtle way of avoiding admitting that I gagged on the eagle try. Tom, didn’t mean to suggest it as a finisher.


Happy Thanksgiving to my Glens Falls bros!


Bogey

[Tim Martin]

Tim, the birdie mention was my subtle way of avoiding admitting that I gagged on the eagle try. Tom, didn’t mean to suggest it as a finisher.


Happy Thanksgiving to my Glens Falls bros!


Bogey

Mike-Happy Thanksgiving to you! That was a fun day at Glens Falls. The course appealed to me in a way that I had to get back and was lucky enough to play again last year. I may have picked up some of the nuances on the second play but more are required to complete the study.

[Stewart Abramson]

  I recall enjoying such a hole at C&C's NLE Sugarloaf Mountain with a lumpy fairway feeding down to a massive squarish green that might have sloped down to the rear.  Great fun watching the ball work its way down the fairway and across the green on that bunkerless hole. 

Bogey

Bogey - Here's a photo of the 257 yard steeply down hill par 3 17th hole at Sugarloaf Mountain. Is that what you were thinking of? The photo was zoomed in on the green so doesn't well reflect how down hill it was.


Sugarloaf Mountain #17 by
Stew Abramson, on Flickr

[Mike Hendren]

Thanks Stu. Great pic. Your thoughts on the hole?


Bogey

[Cristian]

https://www.royalashdown.co.uk/hole_11


RAF 11th is a nice example; the firm ground and slopes accept anything from a high wood to a low 6iron to reach the green.

[Stewart Abramson]

Thanks Stu. Great pic. Your thoughts on the hole?

Bogey

It was a difficult hole for me, especially the front right pin position shown in the photo. I played it from tees that were  a lot less than 257 yards, but even at 200 or so downhill, it was probably a 5 wood or hybrid for me, so  hard to stop the ball even landing short of the green, and the "junk" on the right side can get in your head, even though there was a decent gap between the "junk" and the green. Back pins were more fun for me as you could land it short at the more open landing area (even with less club) and watch the ball trundle down to the back of the green. For a Florida course, it played pretty firm the few times I played there, so between that and the slope there were choices to make when coming in more from the left side. I like to see an occasional green  with significant slope either front to back (like the holes you mentioned) or side to side (like a redan) where you need to land the ball far from the hole and watch it run to the hole. Of course you need to land it in the right place. Knowing and executing are two different things for me.