Surveying the Biarritz Hole

[Michael Felton]

1. I think 5 - Yale, The Creek, Southampton, Westhampton, Forsgate Banks


2. 7 - The Creek is the only one I've played more than once and I've played it 3 times (I've hit the tee shot four times...)


3. None - I've typically played them into the wind and I hit it fairly high and spinny, which doesn't lend itself to running out.


4. N/A


5. They're definitely impressive and stand out. They're definitely memorable. I'd love to play one firm and downwind to a back pin. Just hasn't happened yet.


If Kalen is correct and this is about long par 3s, I think 5 at PV, 13 at the Addington and 9 at Brancepeth Castle are all better long par 3s than the Biarritz. All have pretty big ground movements between tee and green, so maybe that's not fair to the theorized question.

[Kyle Harris]

Tim,


The gathering back-right slope on Red #16 enhances the Biarritzitude of the hole, IMO. Especially juxtaposed with the rejection left. Not often you can hit a cut-shot into a biarritz and have it "work."

[Brian Finn]

1. 15 different courses
2. ~30 times played
3. ~20 run-up attempts (67%)
4. ~5 successful run-ups (25%), including Fox Chapel, The Creek, Piping Rock
5. When the run-up shot is a genuine option, yes.  Otherwise, it is just another long par 3.

[Kalen Braley]

So I compiled all the answers so far and put them in 3 categories: Positive, Neutral, and Negative

Positive - 22 Overall
Breakdown:
Great - 17
Enjoyable/Fun - 5

Neutral - 10 Overall
Fine/OK - 4
Depends - 4
Historic - 2

Negative - 7 Overall
Hard Hole - 2
Not Great - 5

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

I have been very fortunate in the past to regularly play curses with Biarritz holes.  For the most part, I really enjoy them and find that they have held up as a good challenge with all the technological advances in club and ball design.  Though, I have rarely seen a good player use the front portion, the greens are usually very difficult to get the tee shot close.


1.  21
2.  At least 100
3.   Probably less than 10
4.  Successful runups were mostly at Tamarack
       when it was playing firm. One time into a
       two club wind at Fishers Island.  A couple
       times at Creek when it was downwind and
        greens were both firm and blazing fast
5.  Since the hole is not very common, I really do
      enjoy it. I always look forward to playing Creek,
       PRC, Yale, Fishers Island, Tamarack,
        Whippoorwill, and Fox Chapel