World Class Holes on Mediocre Courses?

[Ian_L]

With tens of thousands of golf courses and hundreds of thousands of golf holes in the world, I have to imagine there must be several "world class" holes on otherwise average courses. Even if the designer were unskilled, someone is bound to luck into something great or come across a wonderful landform for a single hole. Right?


I can't think of any myself, but I am sure my judgment would be too clouded by the overall quality/reputation of the course to identify a true gem of a hole. I have also only seen ~120 courses, so my sample size is small.


Can anyone think of a world class golf hole on a mediocre golf course? For the sake of some parameters, if you'd like them, I am thinking of courses rated as a Doak 4 or lower. Maybe this single hole would push it up to a Doak 5 for some.


I haven't been, but having read the new Confidential Guide, perhaps some would put Club de Golf Magallanes in this category.


Ian

[Matt Schoolfield]

I'm pretty obsessed with the opening hole at Gleneagles GC at McLaren Park in San Francisco. I did a extremely long write up on it as part of the series I'm doing on the course as it teeters on the edge of being repurposed. I think the course itself is extremely underrated, but it is unkempt, and there are some holes on the course I think have problems. I wouldn't call the course mediocre, but I think most people here would.

There is something about that hole that feels like the whole thing is tilting away from where you want to be, as if it's falling off the side of the hill, but if you can shape your shots into the tilt, you can get yourself in to some uniquely advantageous positions. The way the green contours interact with the approach positions, and thus the tee shot, is really something I think is special.

[Ally Mcintosh]

We’ve been here before:


I always mention the 13th at Royal Tarlair. It is one spectacular cliff carry par-3 on a very average course. However, it’s been so long that I can’t remember whether the hole is great or merely very dramatic.


The par-5 15th at Westport in Co Mayo surely is great though. One of the best three shotters in Ireland.

[Thomas Dai]

17th at TPC Sawgrass!
Apologies, couldn’t resist.

Atb

[Blake Conant]

The 3rd hole at Linton Country Club in Linton, North Dakota. Long par 5 on big heaving landforms similar to White Bear.


The land along the Missouri River in the Dakota’s is beautiful, so I’m sure there’s more cases of a one off hole like this on other rural 9-holers in the area.

[mike_malone]

Porky Oliver used to be Greenhill after it was Wilmington CC. They keep changing the nines as well. So I’ll just say the long par four that runs along the property and rises to a green site with a severe hill right and a small green to accept a long shot.

[astavrides]

Porky Oliver used to be Greenhill after it was Wilmington CC. They keep changing the nines as well. So I’ll just say the long par four that runs along the property and rises to a green site with a severe hill right and a small green to accept a long shot.

Are you thinking of Rock Manor?

[Tim Martin]

2nd hole at Hay Harbor on Fishers Island. It plays uphill with the coastline on the right leaving a blind approach to a green sited at the apex of the climb. The hole narrows as you get closer to the green making the tee shot tougher to find the sloping left to right fairway the farther it’s hit.The views from this hole are spectacular and at 352 yards affords some decision making from the tee.

[mike_malone]

Porky Oliver used to be Greenhill after it was Wilmington CC. They keep changing the nines as well. So I’ll just say the long par four that runs along the property and rises to a green site with a severe hill right and a small green to accept a long shot.

Are you thinking of Rock Manor?

It’s Porky Oliver.  There is a great par four at Rock Manor which is in the middle of the property that also goes up hill to a perched green. It’s probably the best hole from the old course and the new completely redone course. I miss a few of the old holes particularly a short par four that ran along the reservoir.

[Tim_Weiman]

Ian,


On a few recent threads, there has been mention of Stanley Thompson’s work in Cleveland, including at the lessor known and respected Big Met, which is often cited as the busiest course in Ohio.


#14 at Big Met may meet your definition of a “world class hole on a mediocre course”. According to local legend this 440 yard dogleg Par 4 had the admiration of Arnold Palmer in his young days. Given the technology of his era, the hole required a demanding drive just to get a clear shot at the green. Then, the green  itself, especially the front, was very hard to hit and hold with its inverted saucer shaping.


That said, technology has probably changed things, at least for elite players hitting 300 yard drives. For the masses, however, the sharp dogleg and length required to have a clear shot at the green, is still too much, effectively making the hole a short Par 5.


Tim

[Jason Thurman]

I've spun up a series of threads over the years on this topic, really focusing on great holes on otherwise totally unremarkable courses that would typically be called "goat tracks," in American parlance. The short two-shot 5th hole at Devou Park in Covington, KY is probably my favorite example that's been profiled in a thread on GCA - a search for "Great holes in unexpected places" will pull up a few others.

[Ian_L]

Thanks Jason, what a cool looking hole. Seeing just those pictures, it's hard to believe the rest of the course could be so bad.

[Ronald Montesano]

Gary Player used to accidentally build a good hole on his courses. Start there.

[Paul Jones]

Mauna Kay - 3rd hole
McLemore - 18th hole