Opportunity missed...The land of 10 and 11 at Pacific Dunes...

[Tim Bert]

Michael,

I love it was off the green excuse...What ever you do don't tell about my tee shot on 17...The hole was anything but a par 3 for me that day..

Sounds as if you are now agreeing that there are fewer than four par 3s on the back nine after all.  

As for your question about key tee shots or great closing match play holes, I think PD offers some excitement for a match:
14 - my group saw everything from a 2 to an 8 on this hole last June.  We ranged from about a 6 to a 14 in handicap.  The front pin position really caught a few of us gambling.

I think that 15 is a good driver hole in the summer wind.  A good poke puts you in a great spot to reach the hole in two, and unless you are a really long hitter then hitting less than driver will sacrifice this opportunity.

16 is a great match play hole no matter what club you choose off the tee.  Lots of options and no matter what you select for the first shot almost any number comes into play depending upon your approach.

17 is another great match play hole.  I hit everything from 8 iron to 3 wood on this hole in the same week, depending upon wind and tee location.  It was a tough par for everyone.

18 was more enjoyable for me on our first trip when the green tees were back on the elevated tee box and you could let it rip.  I thought it was a great driver hole on that trip, but we were really limited in club selection this time around because the tees were way up.  The bunkers on the left and the trouble on the right were coming into play with even a 7-wood off the tee.  Now that I mention it, I think I played this hole about 4 strokes worse on average than the first time we visited, so maybe shortening it made it harder after all.

[John Kirk]

John,

First of all, I'm amazed by the amount of responses your post generated.

As you know, I really like Pacific Dunes, but I haven't played it as often the last couple years.  In a sense, I've moved on, and I'm putting time and energy into enjoying other courses.

To me, stepping onto the 10th tee, knowing I have to play the next four holes into the strong prevailing wind, is very exciting.  If I've scored well on the front nine, then the next four can make or break the round.  Furthermore, the holes make a long trek up along the coast, culminating with the dramatic 13th.  After that, we turn around and make thye long downwind waqlk to the clubhouse.

14 is a pretty easy par.  On 15 I disagree with Tim Bert.  I believe that 15 is a 3 wood hole in the summer, as driver puts you right where the gorse and fairway bunkers pinch in.  I'm a medium long hitter, and that hole plays as a 3 wood (300 yards), 5 wood (250 yards) combination with the typical 15-20 mph breeze.  I usually try to drive the green at 16, and usually end up trying to make par from short right of the green.  17 is back into the wind, the hardest hgole coming in.  I usually try to run a low hook in there with a 3 or 4 iron.  18 is definitely a driver-3 iron-wedge.  It helps to be in the fairway for the third shot; otherwise the ball can get way past the hole, making par difficult.

I never worry about the par combinations when I'm playing Pacific.  I just think about the long, beautiful walk up to the top of the world at the 13th green, and the long walk back down to the clubhouse.

From the looks of it, I am truly the threadkiller.