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Tim Gallant

  • Total Karma: 1
Best 18 Golf Holes (In the World)
« on: July 08, 2020, 08:16:45 AM »
Our very own Simon Holt is much too modest to post this here, but a really fun and interesting exercise that he did with Golf Monthly. If you have 25 minutes, it's well worth a watch to hear his thoughts on some of his eclectic 18:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuBFfOS5v6E


I'm sure we have an eclectic thread somewhere, but with downtime due to Covid this summer, it might be time to resurrect that discussion just for a bit of daydreaming.




Simon Holt

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Best 18 Golf Holes (In the World)
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2020, 10:46:47 AM »
I'm not sure whether to thank you or curse you, Tim!


It was a fun exercise that they asked me to do during lockdown here in Scotland.  I'll give the caveat that when they asked me, I was guided towards a nice mix of courses that UK golfers could relate to, and ones around the world they would have heard of - plus courses we could get pictures of.  I make no apologies for me going on a sales pitch for UK golfers to use this time to visit the very best courses we have to offer, while other countries may be off the menu due to the pandemic.


In terms of a GCA exercise what it showed me how many courses came up time and time again for "best hole" of a respective number.  You could pretty much pick any hole on RCD front 9 for example, many from the back-9 at Augusta, back 9 of North Berwick, and a good handful at Cypress.  No surprises there to anyone, I'm sure.


The hole I had the toughest time with was 2 and 4, so in the end went with holes that really put a smile on my face rather than get too analytical about the absolute quality.


To some extent it's a name dropping exercise but apparently that's what the audience want on that type of forum.  Like many of us on this site, I'm very lucky to have visited the places I have.  I don't feel that makes my opinion any more valuable than the next golfer on what we "should" have as the best holes at any course.
2011 highlights- Royal Aberdeen, Loch Lomond, Moray Old, NGLA (always a pleasure), Muirfield Village, Saucon Valley, watching the new holes coming along at The Renaissance Club.

Thomas Dai

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Best 18 Golf Holes (In the World)
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2020, 11:50:53 AM »
Well done Simon for putting your head above the parapet. Plenty of fine choices.
Atb

Simon Holt

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Best 18 Golf Holes (In the World)
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2020, 12:12:57 PM »
Thank you, Thomas.  For those who haven't clicked here was my list.  I set myself the usual GCA rules of hole numbers matching real life and only one hole from a course.


1. Machrihanish
2. NGLA
3. Tara Iti
4. Cruden Bay
5. NSW
6. Royal Melbourne West
7. PV
8. Pebble
9. RCD
10. Sunningdale Old
11. Shinnecock
12. ANGC
13. North Berwick
14. Royal Dornoch
15. Ohoopee Match Club
16. Cypress Point
17. Old Course
18. Muirfield


I didn't think about routing or length until after but I think it's a 37/33 for par 70.  Some fun elements being back to back par 3s on 11 and 12.  Unsurprisingly heavy on links golf, and I suppose I'm aware there would be fair too much blindness for most golfers if this was a real life 18 hole routing.


It was a lot harder than I thought.  In many cases I didn't feature what I deem the best hole on a particular course because I would have had to break the rules.
2011 highlights- Royal Aberdeen, Loch Lomond, Moray Old, NGLA (always a pleasure), Muirfield Village, Saucon Valley, watching the new holes coming along at The Renaissance Club.

Dan_Callahan

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Best 18 Golf Holes (In the World)
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2020, 08:02:58 PM »
I love the choices at 13 and 14.