Bad Hole / Fun to play?

[Jason Topp]

I occassionally have played golf holes that are poorly designed from any logical perspective, but were simply fun to play.  I'd be interested if others have examples of this type of hole.

Around 10 years ago, I played a hole in Arizona that meets my definition of a bad hole.  It was a 280 yard par four, slightly downhill, with a small green.  There was a line of tall pine trees running down the left side of the fairway, scrub brush behind and to the right of the green and a pond that started around 100 yards off the tee and ran to within 30 yards of the green.

Standing on the tee, it became pretty clear that there was no layup on the hole.  The ground sloped down from the tee to the pond, thus short of the water left a 200+ yd tight shot from a downhill lie.  There was a very small area left of the pond, but on the dormant winter grass, such a shot was likely to bounce in the trees or in the water.  Left of the trees did not make sense because the trees were close enough to each other to require you to go over them and tall enough to require an akward shot to the green.

In short, the only real option was to try and drive the green.  We had three groups playing that day, and most people with less than 10 handicaps reached the same conclusion.  Higher handicaps generally did not par the hole and muddled through as best they could.

I think most people would agree that this is a stupid golf hole.  Nonetheless, once I concluded that there was no other option, it was fun to try and drive the green.  

[Sean_A]

Beau Desert has a short 2 shotter, the 8th I believe.  The hole is about 260 with the tee shot over a large swale, perhaps a 30 foot drop.  The "fairway" slopes dramatically from right to left.  In the summer it takes a good shot just to hold the fairway.  The green is well guarded with bunkers right and left, a sharp fall-off on the left and long.  There is room to kick the ball on.  I don't think much of the hole strategically as a par 4, because the lay-up is very difficult.  Even if you do hold the fairway, you are faced with a sharply up-hill approach (I hate these).  Consequently, I always go for the green.  It is very fun to play, if you can reach.

Kington has a cracker of a finishing hole.  A 275ish par 4 down the hill.  The hill slopes harshly from left to right.  This leaves virtually no lay-up for the guy who can't reach.  The green is narrow and long, but you can play the slopes and bounce it in.  The clubhouse is behind and to the left.  It is common to see guys who have gone long trying to bang the ball off the clubhouse back onto the green.  I think the hole is poor strategically, but great fun, especially in match play.  Eagles are common.

Ciao

Sean

[Andy Hodson]

To piggy back on the Kapalua thread...

The 6th at Plantation is the best example of this. Par 4 with a central bunker at about 265-285 off the tee. From there the fairway drops like the first fall on a roller coaster to the green some 150 yds away. From the tee the first time player cannot make out what the hole does, or where it is for that fact, so they have placed the tallest eye-in-the-sky target for an aiming point. Its ugly, a bit strange looking, but very utilitarian. Very long players, when not into the prevailings, could concievably carry the bunker off the tee and have his ball bound down the ski-like slope and end up on the green. I can't wait to watch the guys at the Mercedes to see how many try this.

Technically, IMO not a great hole and a bit contrived. But certainly a blast to play. In match play, of course.

[mike_beene]

Andy,you don't have to carry the bunker to catch the speed slot.It seems like as long as the ball runs just right of the bunker it goes down.More than 10 yards right of bunker won't catch it,at least according to my nonscientific tests.

[Jay Cox]

I'm a big fan of the 6th at Kapalua; it certainly cannot be placed in the same type as Jason's original hole.

I'd nominate the 16th at Innisbrook Copperhead.  From the back tees the day I played (not sure if this was typical), you had to start your tee shot at a pond and hook it into the fairway.  Good fun, once in a long while...