[Mark Brown]

 There's a Scottish course that can only be reached by plane (or perhaps water) and has the most blind approach shots of any course I've ever played. And I'm sure many of you know what course I'm talking about.

For those who don't, it's The Machrie on a small island more well known for its peat bogs and production of Scotch whiskey.

It's a charming, isolated and peaceful place and from my recollection has about 10 blind approach shots to its 18 greens. To score well you need a good imagination, a good feel for distance, the ability to visualize shots, a good short game.. and a pint of Scotch.

Most Americans would hate it but I thought it was a hoot -- and actually scored fairly well.

Anyone have any Machrie experiences or other unusual courses that have quirky things like 10 blind approaches, or whatever?

[Adam_F_Collins]

My home course, Brightwood, here in Nova Scotia has 9 blind and two semi blind approaches, plus 4 blind tee shots.

Ross/Park Jr. 1914 and '29

[SPDB]

Here in the states, Round Hill Club has as many blind shots as any course I know. There are numerous blind and semi-blind approaches, and a bunch of blind drives. Combined with the myriad  uneven lies, the course is a joy to play.

[Jason Topp]

The course I played as a kid (Waveland in Des Moines) had a very rudimentary, but I thought enjoyable set of fairways.  On quite hilly terrain, the natural undulation is in place, but on 8 of the holes it appears they levelled off flat areas, where you would have a level lie and a visible shot.  On other holes similar spots seem to generally exist naturally.

If you are short, long or crooked, you generally have a blind shot from a very uneven lie.  Thus, if you hit it well off the tee, you can have only one partially blind shot in the round.  If you do not, you can have blind shots on 13 of the 14 two and three shot holes.  Most of them completely blind.

I still enjoy playing the course despite probably the most bland and unnatural greens possible and pretty rough conditions much of the year.  

[Bill Weber]

I tied in a trip to Machrie with Machrihanish and contrary to the conventional wisdom felt the travel time well worth the effort.
In regards to the blind shots, during my visit, I didn't need to worry about anyone clearing the greens ahead of me because there wasn't anyone!

[Tom_Doak]

White Bear Yacht Club is a lot like Waveland sounds.  You can have a lot of blind approaches if you're not driving it well.

In Darwin's day, the course famous for its blind approaches was Wallasey, down near Hoylake.  I understand it has been changed some since then to minimize the blindness.  It was also much longer and tougher than Machrie.

Mark, did you find the old Mount Zion green?  The hole was abandoned by the time I saw the course (Donald Steel had rerouted several holes c. 1980) and that hole was abandoned because of an adjacent trailer park or something, but it was a WILD green and it was a shame to lose it.

[Mark Brown]

Tom,

I must have missed the Mount Zion green, but I had a great time, the only one on the course and I just took a 3 wood, 7 iron, wedge and putter (I putt left handed) and shot 78 - go figure.

And Macrihanish (sp.?) was a joy to play.

[peter_p]

The old Mt Zion green was out in the pastures beyond the #2 green. The New Mount Zion hole is a very good skyline green in the 160-180 range. It is scheduled to be replaced by a mild drop shot of the same length, which was fleshed out about 4 years ago when I last was there. Will it be renamed Zion Valley?

[Wayne_Kozun]

It's a charming, isolated and peaceful place and from my recollection has about 10 blind approach shots to its 18 greens. To score well you need a good imagination, a good feel for distance, the ability to visualize shots, a good short game.. and a pint of Scotch.

I believe it was Old Tom who said that a blind hole is only blind the first time you play the course.  Dan King would likely have the quote.  

My home course, Scarboro, has up to 8 blind shots on: 3 (approach), 8 (tee), 9 (tee), 13 (both tee and approach), 15 (both tee and approach usually), and 18 (approach).

[Tom Zeni]

If you've played Myrtle Beach, Gary Player's Blackmoor has 6 blind doglegs. They're so blind, Stevie Wonder could have played the hole as well as you.  I'm saying, no clue as to where you were headed after the tee shot.

No wonder the Pro Shop gave each of us a dozen balls prior to teeing off.

[BCrosby]

Pinehurst No. 8.

A not very good course made worse by the fact that one time visitors have to deal with an inordinate amount of blind stuff.

[Ian Andrew]

Wayne,

You can see the flags on most of those you mentioned, would you really consider that blind?

[Bill_McBride]

My old home course, CC of Fairfax, Virginia, of ambiguous 1940's derivation, has a lot of blind shots, typical of the local terrain with many ridges to be navigated.

#5 tee shot and second shot(!), 585 yd par 5
#7 tee shot over the ridge
#8 tee shot into thin air over the hill, blind second up the hill (top flag visible), 335 yd par 4
#9 second shot on par 5 blind to valley in front of green
#13 drop shot 135 yds, blind to front pins over the creek!
#15, blind tee shot over a hill
#16 tee shot over the same ridge parallel to #7
#17 tee shot into thin air parallel to #8, second shot uphill to 440 yd par 4 generally blind to nice skyline green

Not many approach shots, so once you've played it, no problems.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Wayne,

You can see the flags on most of those you mentioned, would you really consider that blind?

True, but what is the definition of blind?  I thought it is where you can't see the surface.  I have played very few golf holes where you can't see the flag at all, and most of those were in Scotland.  Most clubs in North America have flagsticks that are very long so that you can at least glimpse the flagstick.

And for most (80%+) golfers the placement of the flag is irrelevant as they are just hoping to hit the green.  This is particularly the case when you have small greens such as at Scarboro.

[Doug Siebert]

I don't consider a shot blind if I can see the flag.  Every damn uphill hole in the world is blind by your definition, because you can't see the green surface, but you can see the flag!

[Jack_Marr]

There's a Scottish course that can only be reached by plane (or perhaps water) and has the most blind approach shots of any course I've ever played. And I'm sure many of you know what course I'm talking about.

For those who don't, it's The Machrie on a small island more well known for its peat bogs and production of Scotch whiskey.

It's a charming, isolated and peaceful place and from my recollection has about 10 blind approach shots to its 18 greens. To score well you need a good imagination, a good feel for distance, the ability to visualize shots, a good short game.. and a pint of Scotch.

Most Americans would hate it but I thought it was a hoot -- and actually scored fairly well.

Anyone have any Machrie experiences or other unusual courses that have quirky things like 10 blind approaches, or whatever?

I was supposed to play it on a visit to Islay. I was actually itching to play on a warm October day, but our hosts were not able to go in the end. Had some 41 year Bowmore straight from the cask instead...

[Gerry B]

wayne:

respectfully disagree your assessment of scarboro - i was a member there for a few years and have to go with ian andrews opinion - some great approach shots however

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