Par 5s where interest isn't derived from hazards

[Tim Gallant]

The wonderful 7th at Pleasington in Lancashire is worthy of consideration.


Two distinct fairways offset from one another with 60 ft of elevation change between them connected by a chute which can be found from the tee. It is one of the most memorable par 5s you will ever play and undoubtedly the course's "signature hole".

https://www.pleasington-golf.co.uk/hole_7


Pleasington is an excellent and locally highly regarded course which flies completely under the GCA radar - probably because of its proximity to the links courses of Southport.

https://www.top100golfcourses.com/golf-course/pleasington

That is a mad hole (And brilliant)! So I take it if you play up the left, and to the edge of the fairway, then you have to pick an angle and hit over the trees?

[Duncan Cheslett]

Tim,


There are any number of ways of playing it. The big hitters try to get it all the way onto the lower fairway from the tee. Decent length guys can find the chute. Others stay up top and play their second shot over the trees. Shorter hitters are aiming to get down on the bottom level in two, hopefully far enough up to give them a short iron with their third shot.


You’re right - it’s mad but brilliant!

[James Reader]

I used to be a member at Pleasington.


The 7th is a genuinely unique hole. Off the tee, there’s an area about 220 yards away, which i always thought of as being about the size of a green, to try to hit (blind over a marker post).  Hit it and your ball will take a right turn and run 60-70 yards down a steep chute leaving a mid-iron to the green. Miss it and you can literally hit anything from a putter - sometimes the safest play to lay up as you can at least be guaranteed to be on the fairway - to a fairway wood over trees to the green 60 foot below.  The green used to be completely hidden by the trees but they’ve now cut a path through so you can see it from the upper fairway.


I don’t remember ever seeing someone drive it straight down to the lower fairway but I’ve no doubt the bigger hitters do nowadays.


I’d echo Duncan’s comments about the course as a whole.  It’s well worth seeing, with several other really good holes.  They’ve been redoing a number of bunkers in recent years, under Ken Moodie’s direction, I believe.  I must try to get back there again at some point this year.


Interestingly, the hole order has changed since I was a member, which threw me a bit looking at the course tour.  You used to walk across a railway (looking both ways, of course) after the 4th to play 6 holes on the other side, before crossing back to the 11th tee.  A new bridge has been built which you now cross after playing the old 11th as the 5th. 

[JMEvensky]

Haven't read the thread but instantly what I think of is a downhill dogleg par 5. Very few great uphill holes, but so many very attractive looking downhill holes.

Funny, I thought just the opposite but I'm a big fan of uphill holes. My 2 favorite 5-pars in town each play uphill.