Most uphill and downhill holes

[Jim_Coleman]

   I attended a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Greenbrier several years ago where Trevino, Player and Nicklaus unveiled their plans for a new course that Jim Justice said would host a West Virginia US Open some day.
   Jack took the lead, and explained that the course would have 3,000 feet of elevation change and only one uphill shot. That’s either the biggest uphill hole in the world or a lot of climbing to get to tees. The course was never built.

[Ben Hollerbach]

There is a par 3 at Eagle-Vail in Colorado that drops 200ft in 200 yards!
The Country Club of Asheville has a few holes with large elevation changes. The 388 yard 1st falls 90 feet, from the original tee the 345 yard 15th climbs 103 feet, and then the tee shot on the 16th falls 100 feet over the first 350 yards.

At Lakota Canyon the 5th, 8th, and 11th all fall 200ft or more.

[Tim_Weiman]

The course I have played with most uphill and downhill holes is at Salt Fork State Park in Cambridge, Ohio.

It was a fun, very sporty course. Played it on annual get together for about five years in the early/mid 1980s.

Walked it back then. Imagine that would be tough today.

I played Salt Fork probably 30-35 years ago when I was a teenager and I don't remember much apart from it being very hilly.


Not sure it could compete with Shawnee Lookout (NLE) near North Bend Ohio for overall elevation change, but Salt Fork is very hilly.

Wow! Delighted to see someone else here has played Salt Fork. Besides how hilly it was, there was one hole on the back side that stood out. It was a downhill tee shot towards a pond and then a big uphill shot to the green. Felt great to par it.

[JLahrman]

Wow! Delighted to see someone else here has played Salt Fork. Besides how hilly it was, there was one hole on the back side that stood out. It was a downhill tee shot towards a pond and then a big uphill shot to the green. Felt great to par it.

You don't honestly think there is a course anywhere that somebody else on this website hasn't played???


I grew up in Cincinnati. My parents were self-employed so we mostly took short vacations, four or five days. We went to a bunch of the Ohio State Parks - Mohican, Hueston Woods, Deer Creek, Salt Fork, Maumee Bay, Burr Oak. Probably a few others I'm forgetting. Also places like General Butler and Carter Caves in Kentucky, Pipestem in West Virginia.


I think I played my first nine holes ever at General Butler, but I read that they closed their course a few years ago.


Those little trips weren't fancy but we had fun and I'm sure they weren't too expensive. Sometimes I think my parents did it right!

[Lawson Klotz]

The 13th at Yatesville Lake Golf Course (state park) in Lousia, KY plays over 200ft down. The 8 miles of cart path sums up a lot about the terrain.

[Tim_Weiman]

Wow! Delighted to see someone else here has played Salt Fork. Besides how hilly it was, there was one hole on the back side that stood out. It was a downhill tee shot towards a pond and then a big uphill shot to the green. Felt great to par it.

You don't honestly think there is a course anywhere that somebody else on this website hasn't played???


I grew up in Cincinnati. My parents were self-employed so we mostly took short vacations, four or five days. We went to a bunch of the Ohio State Parks - Mohican, Hueston Woods, Deer Creek, Salt Fork, Maumee Bay, Burr Oak. Probably a few others I'm forgetting. Also places like General Butler and Carter Caves in Kentucky, Pipestem in West Virginia.


I think I played my first nine holes ever at General Butler, but I read that they closed their course a few years ago.


Those little trips weren't fancy but we had fun and I'm sure they weren't too expensive. Sometimes I think my parents did it right!

Well, you’re that other guy!


FYI, my annual trip was with a group of Sohio colleagues. We were young and didn’t have loads of money. The cost for cabins and green fees at Salt Fork fit everyone’s budget. It was a very enjoyable annual trip.

[Kalen Braley]

Wow! Delighted to see someone else here has played Salt Fork. Besides how hilly it was, there was one hole on the back side that stood out. It was a downhill tee shot towards a pond and then a big uphill shot to the green. Felt great to par it.

You don't honestly think there is a course anywhere that somebody else on this website hasn't played???

Jlhar,

I know so and have done a few course reviews of them in the past.  I have another one upcoming in October that I doubt anyone else on this site has played.

But sure if you live in St. Andrews that's a tough ask.

[Bill Buthorn]

Redlands Mesa has a number of steep drops  2,5,6,10,11,17.  And a couple steep climbs, however the climbs are mostly to get to the next tee!  In light western Colorado air, the ball goes a long way!


Recent US Am host Chambers Bay also has several steep drops, especially from the back tees.  Several holes there are also steeply uphill, 7 and 12 in particular.


Speaking of Chambers, I am wondering why no one here remarked about the way it showed on TV.  I went up for the Saturday matches.  The course may well be at its all time best right now.  It is a fantastic match play course.  Birdies and bogeys abound.  Wonderful place.

[Matthew Petersen]

The course that always comes to mind in terms of up and downhill holes is one that no longer exists, Eagle's Nest in Silverthorne, CO. I believe it was a Dick Phelps design. It closed and a new course was built, was a new routing by Hurdzan-Fry (it is now called Raven at Three Peaks).


The 18th hole on the old course (I think it is now #9 on the Raven) was a par 4 playing dramatically downhill, about 195 feet from tee to green. They more or less kept that hole in the routing.


But the real reason Eagle's Nest sticks in my mind is it had one hole that fit both the downhill and uphill question. It was a par 4 that doglegged severely left, almost 90 degrees. You hit a drive straight downhill, nearly 100 feet down to the bottom of a hill where the fairway bottomed out. The hole then turned hard left around a thick grove of trees (no way you were cutting the corner here) and played straight back up the hill at least 75-80 feet to the green. It was the most steeply uphill shot I've ever encountered and one of the most ridiculous holes I've ever seen.

[JLahrman]

Jlhar,

I know so and have done a few course reviews of them in the past.  I have another one upcoming in October that I doubt anyone else on this site has played.

But sure if you live in St. Andrews that's a tough ask.

We're getting off the subject of uphill and downhill holes, but we could start a fun new thread. Have we ever had this one before? "Courses you've played that no one else on GCA has"

[Jim_Coleman]

I’ll bite. Albermarle in Newton, Mass.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hunter's Station GC in NW Pennsylvania has a par 3 with a SERIOUS ~300 foot drop. The cart ride down is downright scary! I hit the green and the ball plugged so far in that it was almost even with the green!

[Adam Lawrence]

Without doubt the nine hole Realp golf course in Andermatt, Switzerland. Located more than 1500m above sea level, just below the St Gotthard pass and built by locals, including the Olympic champion skier Bernhard Russia, for pennies. Uniquely in my experience, the tee boards include not only the length of the hole, but also the elevation change. The second hole (iirc) is about 280m (306 yards) and climbs 55m (180 feet). No carts. Hard work!

[Ben Hollerbach]

Hunter's Station GC in NW Pennsylvania has a par 3 with a SERIOUS ~300 foot drop. The cart ride down is downright scary! I hit the green and the ball plugged so far in that it was almost even with the green!

300ft for a par 3 would be absolutely insane, so I had to take a look for myself. Google earth suggest its only 148 ft downhill.
 


Even at Waterfall, where it feels like you're playing off a cliff, the hole only falls 224 feet.

[Brian Finn]

The course that always comes to mind in terms of up and downhill holes is one that no longer exists, Eagle's Nest in Silverthorne, CO. I believe it was a Dick Phelps design. It closed and a new course was built, was a new routing by Hurdzan-Fry (it is now called Raven at Three Peaks).

The 18th hole on the old course (I think it is now #9 on the Raven) was a par 4 playing dramatically downhill, about 195 feet from tee to green. They more or less kept that hole in the routing.

But the real reason Eagle's Nest sticks in my mind is it had one hole that fit both the downhill and uphill question. It was a par 4 that doglegged severely left, almost 90 degrees. You hit a drive straight downhill, nearly 100 feet down to the bottom of a hill where the fairway bottomed out. The hole then turned hard left around a thick grove of trees (no way you were cutting the corner here) and played straight back up the hill at least 75-80 feet to the green. It was the most steeply uphill shot I've ever encountered and one of the most ridiculous holes I've ever seen.

Eagle's Nest is the exact course I thought of when I read the title of this thread.  My Dad and I played there when I was in high school.  It was unlike anything we had ever seen, compounded by the fact that we played it our first day at elevation.  I recall some ridiculously fun shots and some really frustrating ones.  Extremely memorable experience.