[SPDB]

This is a hole (heck the whole course) that never gets talked about. I think it is a rather interesting hole with the tree in the middle of the fairway and the two huge sandhills through which you need to shoot your approach.

What does the board (including club members) think about the hole? I always found it a lot of fun to play. Also, last time I was there the green-end, everything beyond the hilled corridor, was closed off for work. Unknowledgeable about such matters, my host could offer me nothing about the work being done.

[Gerry B]

SPDB:

 I really like this hole as well. Looks like theyborrowed the Mae West mounds from Bel Air and never returned them. There are a few other great ones especially on the backside -ie.  the dog leg par 5 near the edge of the property and the closing hole. I liken the Ocean to Oak Hill West - not as strong as the East Course or in this case the Lakes Course but has 4-5 holes that would hold their own against most of the holes on the more famous "other" course.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Also, last time I was there the green-end, everything beyond the hilled corridor, was closed off for work. Unknowledgeable about such matters, my host could offer me nothing about the work being done.

I agree that it is one of the best wholes on the course, in that you have to give some thought to the placement of the drive, else the hillocks present a blind approach.  Wind typically moves from left to right.

The construction beyond the green could have been additional tree barriers because beyond the hole lies the far end of the driving range.  Occasional long hits can carry the trees/shrubs at the end of the range.

[David_Tepper]

SPDB -

I have played golf at the OC for 25 years. Over this period, the Ocean Course has gone thru several changes and had multiple configurations.

It may be a combination of nostalgia and creeping old fogey-ism, but I still like the course the way it was in the very early 1980's, when there were three par-4's west of of Skyline Blvd (on the bluff where the par-3 Cliffs Course now sits).

That being said, the Weiskopf re-design of the course completed several years ago turned out pretty well. The back nine is especially good and has a very nice feel to it. I like #12, with its Ross/Pinehurst crowned green, and #13, with its 'church pew' bunker.

#15 is the best hole on the course.  The tree in the fairway does encourage you to drive to the right of it, but it is very easy to go too far right and be stuck with a blind 2nd shot into the green. Aiming your tee shot directly at the tree is not a bad line.

Walking thru the gap in the ridge after your 2nd shot does have an element of drama to it and reminds me a little of one or two holes at Lahinch.

When the course opened after the re-design, both sides of the ridge were covered with very long grass, which made any balls hit on to the ridge very hard to find and very difficult to play. After 3-6 months, that grass were trimmed back substantially.

     

[Mike Benham]

I have mixed feelings about this hole.  It is the most difficult (at least for me) hole on the course but it is, from a design view, a somewhat odd hole.  

The obvious play off the tee is right of the tree but with the prevailing wind beign left to right, you are hitting into the shortest part of the fairway.  The fairway rumples like no other on the course, with the fairway bumping up against hillside in a couple of spots.  The green is relatively flat with standard, flat bunkers flanking both sides.  

In one regard, the cutout between the sand dunes looks like a break in the levy facing the Mississippi River and something that Hootie might do to lengthen the hole by 50 yards.

The Ocean course is a miss-mash of styles post-Weiskopf/Moorish redo with some holes entirely new while others remained status quo.  Because of the loss of land west of Skyline, it feels like 2 or 3 holes were squeezed into the property.  I too like the table top 12th green with Pinehurst #2 fall offs but with a piece of property that has natural elevation changes and is sand based (and assuming W/M had cart blanche to redo the holes) I would have hoped that they could have come up with a design that was unique to the property.

Google Satellite of Olympic Ocean

[Joel_Stewart]

I assume you all know they are about to move the green on 15 closer to the mounds to accomidate the expansion of the driving range.   The back tee on 16 will also be eliminated.

The 13th church pew bunkers are also going to be rebuilt.  The consulting architect was able to convince the greens committee that a club with the reputation as Olympic should not have a Oakmont signature bunker.  A new bunker is going to be placed on the outside of the fairway and the small round bunker on the back left of the green will also be eliminated.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I too like 15. I am sorry they are moving the green for that was part of the appeal of the hole. I am fine with losing the church pew bunker but the replacement bunker sounds oh so nonevent and makes the hole weaker. I hope i read what Joel said wrong.

[Mike Benham]

I assume you all know they are about to move the green on 15 closer to the mounds to accomidate the expansion of the driving range.  

Why don't they just put the 15th green on top of dunes ... it could be like one of those mini-golf "volcano holes" ...

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