Island Fairways

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The 6th hole at Stone Harbor GC in New Jersey, a 400y par4 designed by Desmond Muirhead, is one example of an " island fairway." Are there others?







Photo courtesy of The Bausch Collection

[Peter Flory]

Seven Bridges in Chicagoland has a hole that is all island, except for the tee.  It used to be the first hole, but they switched the nines, I believe because it was too difficult for a start. 


Par 5.  I played in a tournament a while ago there and as the first hole, it really gave people trouble. 

[Evan_Green]

The 9th Hole at The S at Rancho Mirage (fka Desert Island CC)

Also a Desmond Muirhead design...

Here is an aerial

https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+S+at+Rancho+Mirage/@33.7699625,-116.4158003,539m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80db029b63c7c309:0x9d57f35db96478d5!8m2!3d33.7692798!4d-116.4149627

[Ally Mcintosh]

Here’s an exercise: Discuss the merits / demerits of the above holes versus the 4th at Lido...

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The 4th @ Lido:

[Matthew Rose]

I was gonna say #7 at Valhalla but technically it isn't a complete island.

[Anthony_Nysse]

#6 on King's North at Myrtle Beach National. Named "The Gambler." 220yd carry on a Par 5

[Stewart Abramson]

#6 on King's North at Myrtle Beach National. Named "The Gambler." 220yd carry on a Par 5

Kings North @ Myrtle Beach National #6 - par 5 the Gambler from front  tee


 
Kings North @ Myrtle Beach National #6 - par 5 the Gambler on island fairway



Kings North @ Myrtle Beach National #6 - par 5 the Gambler - approach from end of  island fairway

[Alan Ritchie]

the 17th at the lakes in sydney is as close as I have played to an island fairway ( though it might be more of a jutting out peninsula). It certainly feels pretty intimidating off the tee

[Thomas Dai]

Not just an island.......there seems to be a band of rough across the fairway as well.
atb

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Baywood Greens in Delaware has one: No. 14, a longish par-4 (425, 409, 385, 325, 227).



Here's a rendered flyover: https://youtu.be/eMvnFSosZ5c

And the Bausch Collection: http://www.myphillygolf.com/uploads/bausch/Baywood/pages/page_63.html

If I recall correctly, if you can successfully hit the island fairway on your tee shot, it plays much easier than if you go to the right fairway.

[Matthew Petersen]

Muirhead strikes again at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale.


The Palm Course's 9th hole features an island fairway, which makes the hole play pretty short, or you can play it much longer around the water's edge with a banana fairway that doglegs from right to left around the water.


You can kind of see if it this fairway that looks back from the green:





As I wrote in an old review of the courses, the way to tell the Pine and Palm courses apart at McCormick Ranch is that one has a hole with an island fairway played to a peninsula green; the other has a hole with a peninsula fairway played to an island green.

[Buck Wolter]

#17 at Owatonna CC. It's a turtleback to make it even tougher but only 300 yards. Either two 150 yard shots or hit it as far as you can and drop near the green if you miss.

https://goo.gl/maps/eGwXbps9TBP2

[MCirba]

#18 at The Wizard GC in Myrtle Beach.   I'd post a picture but don't have time. 
Also, to Ally's comment regarding Lido.
I'll posit;
Island fairways partially visually obstructed by reeds, cattails, natural sea growth = COOL
Island fairways blockaded with railroad ties surrounded by clear, fountain-pumped waters = UNCOOL
Doesn't make sense but there you have it.

[Jerry Kluger]

Aberdeen CC in Boynton Beach, Fl is a Desmond Muirhead course and has a par 5, I believe it is the 4th, with an island fairway - to me, it is the worst golf hole I have ever seen.

[Edward Glidewell]

18th hole at Healy Point CC in Macon, GA (Gary Player design from the 70s, I think). It's a really bad hole -- we used to lay up with an iron short of the island fairway landing zone and have a 200+ yard approach on a 365 yard hole because that was a higher percentage play than trying to keep a ball on the island.

[James Brown]

18 at Kingwood in Houston is a de facto island fairway.  BTW, This is the hole in the background of the bar contest near the end of Tin Cup.