Top 50 Par 5's in Britain

[Michael Whitaker]

OK folks, time to unveil the very best par 5 in GB&I, and it is............




12th Old Head, County Cork


Obvious really when you think about it  .

Niall

VISUALS!

[mike_malone]

18RCD?

[Tommy Williamsen]

I realize the hole has been changed to a par four but when it wa a five, nine at Westward Ho! was brilliant.

[Niall C]

18RCD?

It was 5th

[Adrian_Stiff]

There would be a lot of singular great par 5 holes in the GB & I. This list is pretty naff just visiting the first tier courses.
If the 1st at Sunningdale is really in the best 30 par 5 holes then I don't know sh!t from pudding. I reckon I have designed 30 better than that.

[Niall C]

All round to Adrian's for a dinner party, NOT.


Adrian,


I can understand why when you think of great golf you tend to think of the best courses but even fairly poor courses might have a cracking hole or two. The problem is you tend to doubt whether they are really that good because of the quality of the rest of the course. I can't think of an obvious example off hand but I'd sure I've played better than many of those listed. Indeed some of them that I have played, I can't actually recall them that well which kind of tells you something about their quality.


Niall

[Ally Mcintosh]

All round to Adrian's for a dinner party, NOT.


Adrian,


I can understand why when you think of great golf you tend to think of the best courses but even fairly poor courses might have a cracking hole or two. The problem is you tend to doubt whether they are really that good because of the quality of the rest of the course. I can't think of an obvious example off hand but I'd sure I've played better than many of those listed. Indeed some of them that I have played, I can't actually recall them that well which kind of tells you something about their quality.


Niall

This I agree with. The 15th at Westport (one of my four top par-5’s in Ireland) is a case in point.


For par-3’s, I always use the 13th at Royal Tarlair as the best example.

[Adrian_Stiff]

If the list was top 50 par 3 holes then it would be dominated with lesser courses if it was a proper list. Most clubs have one to be proud off.


Good par 5s are hard to come by and great ones are quite rare.


The list highlights the importance of views.


The list highlights the lack of love for Wentworth. The one stand out with Wentworth is great par five holes, probably the strongest reason it holds so many tournaments.

[David McIntosh]

16 at S&A is a cracker which hasn’t been mentioned yet. It’s got a massive bunker over which a blind second shot must be played and a nice green benched into a dune but not enough visual appeal for this list it seems! 

[Peter Flory]

The 3rd at RCP is my favorite:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOvttl-vQ6A&list=PLJ-JGP5Nhm1GjUHBCAduR16UwyXFSXsBc&index=3

[mike_malone]

18RCD?

It was 5th

Hard to believe. Unless it has changed in the last 20 years it was nothing special.

[Sean_A]

Did Perranporth's 2nd get a mention?

One course which always gets ignored for 5s is Pennard. It probably has the most varied set of quality 5s of any course I know. I would probably include 4 and 16 on the list.

Ciao

[Peter Pallotta]

Interesting thread for me, and a bit of an eye opener: one of the many reasons I've so enjoyed watching The Open all these years is because of those courses on the rota that *don't* have two Par 5s (and two Par 3s) per side. For me, it's too bad that for all the praise architects have heaped on the Old Course over so many decades so few of them have copied *that* aspect of its charm! But I suppose now I'll have to admit that there are many high quality Par 5s in GB&I.

[jeffwarne]

Thought we were doing Britain but if we're including Ireland, 16 at Dunfanaghy is pretty sporty, with an all world green

[Thomas Dai]

Thought we were doing Britain but if we're including Ireland, 16 at Dunfanaghy is pretty sporty, with an all world green

+1
Played a couple of fine ones on the back-9 at Narin & Portnoo, 10th and 15th, not sure they still exist since the recent changes to the course.
15th and 17th on The Cashen at Ballyb' too.
atb

[Kevin Markham]

I was a bit surprised to see Royal County Down's 18th in there. 18 bunkers does not make for a great par five. I'd rank the 1st above it... that narrow channel into a low green adds a very different dimension when you go for it in two.


Narin & Portnoo has indeed changed and both the 10th and 15th are no more. The 10th uses the same chute between the dunes but then doglegs late and rises up to the right. It is still a great hole. The 15th has become a par four.


Once you reach the dogleg on Ballybunion Cashen's 15th it is, for me, one of the most spectacular views of a golf hole.


Shame not to see Waterville's 'Tranquility' (11th) anywhere. It's an interesting hole.


I agree with Ally on Donegal's 8th, which is a standout hole, while the 5th at Strandhill is unlike anything else I've played anywhere.


+1 for Cruden Bay's 6th

[James Reader]

OK folks, time to unveil the very best par 5 in GB&I, and it is............




12th Old Head, County Cork


Obvious really when you think about it  .

Niall

VISUALS!

This article by Mike Clayton seems apt - [size=78%]https://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/design-rankings-or-beauty-contests[/size]

[Tim Gallant]

18RCD?

It was 5th

Hard to believe. Unless it has changed in the last 20 years it was nothing special.

It might be the worst hole on the course. Would certainly be an interesting discussion!


Niall - thanks for posting, and interesting to see the choices. I might have missed it, but I don't see our beloved 13th at Silloth on here (know it was mentioned earlier). Like Mark, I also can't fathom how none of Muirfield's par 5s didn't make the list (although I see the 17th got an honourable mention).


Lists will always be subjective, and there are some pretty random choices, but the one that sticks out to me is 16 Gleneagles (PGA) over Prestwick's 3rd.

[Michael Whitaker]

OK folks, time to unveil the very best par 5 in GB&I, and it is............




12th Old Head, County Cork


Obvious really when you think about it  .

Niall

VISUALS!

This article by Mike Clayton seems apt - [size=78%]https://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/design-rankings-or-beauty-contests[/size]

Great news that Clayton and colleagues are beginning a renovation of The Addington. Great news, indeed!