[Mark Bourgeois]

#1 at New South Wales.  Classic risk / reward from the Good Doctor: driving the green within the realm of possibility; risk via sand not water. And the start gives you a good idea of what's to come.

[A_Clay_Man]

One of the more unique openers I have ever seen belongs to Harbottles Stevenson Ranch. A huge half moon par 5.  Not saying its my favorite, just unique and memorable.

[Lloyd_Cole]

Royal County Down. If you can hit a decent drive and a good long iron/fairway wood you might just have a shortish eagle putt.  And if that's not enough to give you the yipps for your first putt.. yes I yipped it in.
Seriously though, I love the idea of a first hole that you can stumble through without causing too much havoc so long as you don't hit it sideways but if you come out shining, a relatively easy par/birdie is fair reward for the prepared golfer.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Black Mesa's opener for me.
It is mostly blind...once.
And it is still thrilling after multiple plays, and the green complex is super, and the surrounds are beautiful.

[plabatt]

The first tee at Crail Balcomie with the North Sea wind blowing and knowing you are in Scotland.

The most intimidating first tee in golf is at the Old Course.  There may be fifty or more watchers waiting for you to screw up on this historic hole.  My buddy was ready to puke from nerves as he put the tee in the ground.  How he hit the ball and ended up in the fairway, only the Golf Gods know.  To this day, he does not remember swinging the club!

[Ian Andrew]

Crystal Downs

-great view, let's you see almost the entire front nine
-inviting drive, wide enough to allow you to be aggressive
-dangerous second, makes you play timid which is a good lesson for the rest of the day
-tough green, aren't they all at Crystal

Hands down my favourite start.

[TEPaul]

One I really like it's so memorable is the 1st at Misquamicut. The tee is just about smack up against the long wall of the clubhouse, although there's a walk-way behind you, the door to the pro shop sticks out perpindicular behind you etc. There just a whole lot going on around the first tee, people milling around, God knows what. You've got to say to yourself "I'm going to really concentrate no matter what happens when I'm trying to hit it".

If that's not enough you're looking straight out at one of the God-damnedest fairways you've ever seen. The thing looks like a massive giant's washboard---there're about 3-4 perpendicular rolls down that fairway with troughs and ridges that must be six to seven feet high. The hole's not very long so the strategy isn't much more than to take "Whatever" and see if you can get lucky enough to stop the ball on the top of one of the ridges.

I bet no one would dare build a hole like that today, unfortunately. They'd probably just take a big dozer and flatten out that fairway.

[Paul Payne]

I have to agree with the post on Merion for the same reason (the proxility to tinkling china and discrete observers). I think my first choice however would have to be Sandhills. Not just for the view (which is stunning) but it is the sensation.

The first time you play you are in awe of the landing, unnerved by the approach and utterly rejected by the green. Every other time you play it you are still awed by the fairway ahead, but from the moment you sink your tee into the turf you can think of nothing but the green. It consumes your thoughts on every shot and you will either rise or fall by your own efforts. Misses are not tolerated well. I love it.

[AndrewB]

I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but the opener at Pather Valley (Allamuchy, NJ) is certainly worth noting.

The hole is a steeply-downhill par 5 that bends left the whole way.  From the tee, you can't see any ground because it drops so sharply, and from the back tee you can only see a very small portion of the trees that line the fairway.  Only playing it a handful of times over several years, it's tough to know how far to hit it (because it plays so much shorter) and what line to take (because it bends considerably through the landing area).  These aspects, combined with the fact that you cannot see anything that you are hitting to, make this the most unsettling tee shot I've played.

The second and third shots are tough as well because the hole continues to drop and bend, and there's water short of the green to consider.  It's certainly a hole where a big number can be made very fast.

I kind of enjoy the uncommon challenges this hole presents, though more so once I get to the second tee safely.

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