Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: Neil White on March 02, 2012, 11:28:44 AM
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All,
Is there a definitive answer to this? :-\
Do you have any examples?
Neil.
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A few characteristics of holes I think of as being great:
* An element of risk-reward
* Some aspect of serendipity
* A beautiful setting
Examples of holes I've found "great":
* 14th at Chambers Bay
* 16th at Bandon Dunes
* 6th at Pacific Dunes
* 7th at Wine Valley
* 15th at Wildhorse
Of course, what's great to me may not be great to others. So, no, there is no definitive answer.
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Geoff Shack's book, Art in Golf Architecture (or something like that), touched on this very topic. I think he said, Options (strategy), Temptation, and beauty. But check me on those I might have forgotten one.
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If you are hitting a shot you know you probably should not attempt, but you are doing so because you want to anyway, you are probably playing a great hole - or a really bad one.
For most of us, the best tee shot on 16 at Cypress Point is probably a layup, but none of would probably choose that option.
If you have 210 yards into the green at 13 at Augusta National from a sidehill lie, you are probably going to try and hit the green, even though laying up probably would yield a better score on average.
On the other extreme, I recall hitting a tee ball over a house on a hole that doglegged right. There was no real advantage to doing so but it was a fun thing to try. That is a bad hole and hopefully a house that never sold.