‘Over the back’ of greens hazards and ..

[Thomas Dai]

What are some good examples of ‘over the back’ of greens hazards and how can they be best used to effect the play of a hole?
Atb

[Rob Marshall]

15 at Augusta

[David_Tepper]

There is a wee burn directly behind the 1st green at Crail Balcomie. It would certainly make you think twice about attacking a back pin position.

And don't forget #17 at TPC Sawgrass.

[Tom_Doak]

One of my favorite holes at High Pointe was the old 7th, a short par-4.  It had a shelf at the back of the green and a nasty pot bunker just behind it, which you couldn't see.  First-timers were not afraid to hit their ball right up to the back shelf, but those who knew the course and had tangled with the bunker before had a very hard time getting their approach past the hollow in the front part of the green.


I personally do not like water at the back of a green, as it raises issues about where the drop should be.  But Lido has that as a feature of the 2nd & 11th greens.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Two examples I put in on Carne Kilmore that have a huge effect on the strategy of the hole:


- On the short, steeply downhill par-4 third, the safe tee-shot is out left. This, however, means that you have to play a short approach over the corner of a dune, down the length of the small green with a bunker back right… this works so well because the hole is so short and the fairway so wide that the approach angle is exaggerated. The bunker does not come in to play for those approaching from the right.


- On the Postage Stamp 4th, there is a sucker-pin shelf front left with a bunker placed right behind it. Play well away from this shelf and the hole becomes quite easy (albeit with the likelihood of a longish putt when the pin is front-left).

[Jeff Schley]

Well you asked, almost a hallmark of his courses......

[Jim Sherma]

CC of Scranton 10th hole is an example of this being done very well. Downhill hole to a great and crazy Travis green. The back section of the green rolls off to a down to a stream. This is a wonderful approach shot from a downhill lie. CC of Scranton hole-tour website link is below.


The back of green hazard coupled with the downhill approach from a downhill lie makes for a very unique challenge based on having many different options in how to try getting the ball to stop in the proper part of the green.


https://www.ccscranton.com/Golf/Old_Course/Hole_10

[Ira Fishman]

Southern Pines 7 is a terrific Par 3 with an angled green that is fronted by a wetlands chasm. There is a bunker on the far back corner that comes into play because one wants to carry to the green. It is a nasty delicate downhill bunker shot.

[Ben Sims]

Number 6 at Old Macdonald, the Long hole, has a small pot bunker with gathering slopes in the back of the green. It’s one of my favorite bunkers at the resort and also one of my favorite features on a par five anywhere.


Firstly, once you’ve played the course, if you’re going for the green in two shots, you absolutely know about and remember that bunker. Secondly, if you’ve played well short of the green and have a shorter  shot in, a shot to a pin in the center back or left back of that green is influenced by that bunker. It’s a smallish feature that has a profound effect on play in my opinion.


It’s the best over the back of the green feature at the resort in my opinion, and that includes the creative relocation of “the road” on #11 OM.

[Ira Fishman]

If memory serves, Ballyneal has several holes with bunkers over the back.

[Sean_A]

13 Rosses Point has a burn behind the green. It's a drop shot hole so it's a cool wrinkle for a concept I don't generally like. Cullen has a similar hole (but longer), is it 6?

Ciao

[Mark Lester]

# 5 at Maidstone is Hook Pond. Ball drop is to the left behind 6 tee.
# 7 The Cape hole is the same scenario. Hook Pond awaits again.
# 11 at Shinnecock is not a hazard but a terrifying recovery shot to a downhill green.
 Not to be outdone though, Mr. Warne can attest that long over the mighty  # 2 at Goat Hill can be in the swamp across the road.

Cheers !

[Cal Seifert]

# 5 at Maidstone is Hook Pond. Ball drop is to the left behind 6 tee.
# 7 The Cape hole is the same scenario. Hook Pond awaits again.
# 11 at Shinnecock is not a hazard but a terrifying recovery shot to a downhill green.
 Not to be outdone though, Mr. Warne can attest that long over the mighty  # 2 at Goat Hill can be in the swamp across the road.

Cheers !

Do you mean long over #5 at Goat Hill? The road behind #2 is set back a good 20-30 yards. #5 green sits hard against the same road.

[David Cronan]

It's been awhile but I seem to remember that the 16th at Wolf Run (Smyers) had a bunker behind the hole. It was a relatively short par 3 of maybe 130-140 yards from the back tees, but had a very steep vertical drop to the green and a creek abutted the left side of the green so accuracy was at a premium.


It was a fun hole on a course filled with fun, albeit difficult, holes.

[Jason Topp]

The road on the Road Hole would be the poster child.


I am somewhat partial to the tough shot that results when the back of a green is built up as it is so often.  It appears all over, affects better players more than poor players and provides a chance for a difficult recovery. 

[Tom_Doak]

Number 6 at Old Macdonald, the Long hole, has a small pot bunker with gathering slopes in the back of the green. It’s one of my favorite bunkers at the resort and also one of my favorite features on a par five anywhere.

Firstly, once you’ve played the course, if you’re going for the green in two shots, you absolutely know about and remember that bunker. Secondly, if you’ve played well short of the green and have a shorter  shot in, a shot to a pin in the center back or left back of that green is influenced by that bunker. It’s a smallish feature that has a profound effect on play in my opinion.

It’s the best over the back of the green feature at the resort in my opinion, and that includes the creative relocation of “the road” on #11 OM.

You will probably enjoy the 17th at Lido for the same reasons, although the bunkers take up more space along the back flank of the green there.

[Sean_A]

The road on the Road Hole would be the poster child.

I am somewhat partial to the tough shot that results when the back of a green is built up as it is so often.  It appears all over, affects better players more than poor players and provides a chance for a difficult recovery.

One beauty of the road is that it is progressively more to the side of the green depending on the quality of the tee shot and the part of the green one is playing to. Hence one reason the fairway should be much wider.

Ciao

[James Boon]

As its only cut grass, I suppose its not strictly speaking a hazard, but the first hole that springs to mind is the short 5th at Saunton East:
https://www.sauntongolf.co.uk/east_5
A pretty big drop off over the back, all short grass, so if you do go long the ball will have ran some way and its a devilish pitch, lob, bump and run or putt, back up to the green, where the fear of course is leaving it short and it coming back to your feet.

I think every time I've played it its been downwind and I've gone over the back? Next time I'm playing for the front bunkers!!!


Cheers,


James

[Thomas Dai]

As its only cut grass, I suppose its not strictly speaking a hazard, but the first hole that springs to mind is the short 5th at Saunton East:
https://www.sauntongolf.co.uk/east_5
A pretty big drop off over the back, all short grass, so if you do go long the ball will have ran some way and its a devilish pitch, lob, bump and run or putt, back up to the green, where the fear of course is leaving it short and it coming back to your feet.
I think every time I've played it its been downwind and I've gone over the back? Next time I'm playing for the front bunkers!!!
Cheers,
James

This 'Tiddler' par-3 is a particularly fine example.
The fear factor of a ball going over the back and in this example bouncing and rolling a long distance away from the green with potentially a very challenging recovery ahead can also adversely effect the space between a players ears.
Numerous outcomes thus become possible including a player to being too cute with their tee shot and rolling back down the high false front either into one of the deep bunkers or way back down the fairway.
atb

[Enno Gerdes]

The road on the Road Hole would be the poster child.


I am somewhat partial to the tough shot that results when the back of a green is built up as it is so often.  It appears all over, affects better players more than poor players and provides a chance for a difficult recovery.

And speaking of the Old Course: when played in reverse, the 17th (3rd tee to 1st green) has the Swilcan Burn as an over the back hazard.

[Tim Fitz]

Beverly has a few, all on par 4s.


#s 4 and 13 have the traditional bunker behind.  Due to the pronounced back to front tilt of most greens, finding oneself in these bunkers can lead to a long putt if you are able to keep it on the green unless the pin is way down front.  In particular #13’s green can be challenging from behind.  The green has a lobe to the right side that is pinched by bunkers and pitched back to front.  If the pin is tucked on this right lobe, the bunker behind the green could be the scariest spot on the course.  The risk of going Saddam Hussein (bunker-to-bunker) is high.


More pronounced is the behind the green trouble on the first hole.  #1 is a fairly welcoming start to the round ( a short par 4), but it sits pressed up against the edge of a significant drop off created by a pre-historic lake bed.  Going over the first green means descending a steep slope to a pitch straight up a 30 foot hill to a green that runs back to front.  Again, absent a front pin position, there is almost no hope of putting the pitch anywhere near the hole.  The trouble behind the green is avoidable, but a bunker short right of the green means approach shots coming from the right side of the fairway cannot really run a shot up and must fly it to a firm green.  A terrific hazard that is not necessarily apparent your first time around the course.

[Mike Hendren]

One of golf’s most difficult shots us from the bunker behind the 16th green - an Eden, at Lookout Mountain.