favorite tee shots

[Geoffrey Childs]

Phil - all true but that senario you described is not using the design intent of the hole (leven).

Another inspiring tee shot is #16 at Sand Hills - I can think of no place in golf where conditions of play (wind and tee location or choice) can have you aiming as much as 200 yards apart  

[Doug Ralston]

I have talked about this one before. The sensational Eagle Ridge GC at Yatesville Lake State Park, KY; has a unique 'signature' hole. #13 Is a 325yd par-4 where the tee shot drops 240ft to a fairway that plays l-r along a stream left and steep mostly rock slope right. There is always a temptation to try for the green, but it is definitely risk/reward.

I have in about a dozen rounds there yet to see anyone only hit one shot from those tees. Even if you like your 1st, it is just so much fun [and beautiful]. Hit it, return to your cart [lol, yes, cart!], replace your club, take a sip of your 'adult beverage', walk back to the tee, and watch your ball land.

If you are ever in the area [as unlikely as that seems], go play this course. I would not say it is the best course in Kentucky, golfwise, but it is one of the most memorable you will play anywhere. Golf for joy!

Doug

[Dan Herrmann]

Here are two that are just plain fun...

#11 at Glen Abbey (Nicklaus).   A wonderful downhill tee shot to a fairway that sets up a shot to a green fronted by a creek.  Pretty cool hole.  Here's an page that shows the hole: http://www.worldwidegolfguide.com/hgg_home/glenabbey/glenabbey11.html

#2 at French Creek (Hanse) from the tips.  A wonderful view and you're up on high - the ball seems to fly forever.  I also think it's the best hole on the course.  

[peter_mcknight]

Spyglass 1
Bel-Air 1, 10
Pebble 18
Riviera 1 (with people watching you from above)
SVCC Old 5, 12
SVCC Grace 9
SVCC Weyhill 5 (original routing)
Merion 1 5 16 17 18
Oakmont 1
Pelican Hill South 1

[Mark Bourgeois]

The seventh, eighth and ninth, Turnberry Ailsa.  I know the eighth comes in for criticism here, but I find each of these drives thrilling in its own way.

And there's history laid out right before us: Robert the Bruce's castle and the cairn on the ridge honoring those who died during WWI on this ground.

An 800-year sweep of history laid before us, consecrated ground.  And of course Mother Nature on the left to remind us how short a "sweep" 800 years really is!

[Dan Boerger]

15 at Merion ... bite off as much as you want or play it too safe and watch your ball go OB. Really a more testing shot than it first appears to be.

1 at Aronimink, for the sheer majesty of it and knowing if you're having a bad day from the tee, it's going to be a long round of golf.

[Mike_Cirba]

I must be the anti-Nicklaus as nothing to me is as exciting on a tee shot is nailing one and watching it disappear over some daunting horizon.

When I saw the title of this thread the first two holes that came to mind are the steeply uphill drives on the 18th holes of Merion and Riviera.

To watch a solidly struck drive soar over the top lines of those intimidating "walls" is inspiring, to say the least.  

[Tommy Williamsen]

Mike, I know what you mean.  Similarly, the second hole at my club Four Streams, is a dogleg right with a bunker on the inside of the dogleg.  After the dogeleg the hole tumbles down a little.  Hit it over the bunker and you don't see it land.  To the right are a few trees but hit it past the trees and you are left with 150 yards.  Hit it to the left of the bunkers is safe but adds 30 or 40 yards to the hole.

Hole two


The sixth hole at Four Streams is a short par four.  For Big hitters it is reachaable.  To accomplish this you have to hit it over a hill and land to the right of the green and hope for the ground to take it left and on to the green.  Cresting the hill as you walk to the ball is exciting because you can't wait to see where it is.

[HamiltonBHearst]

Funny that Mr. GJ Childs mentions #17 at Yale and seeing a well placed drive bounce down the fairway.  At the Payne Whitney annual a few years ago my group spoke with George Bahto about the hole and we were told that the former super had bulldozed part of the hill.  It could only be genius Maybe someday Mr. Childs will also better appreciate the work of Roger Rulewich.

[mike_beene]

11 at Murfield for its blindness.2 at North Berwick favorite coastal.Downhillers:1 at Bel-Air and 7 at Gullane 1.

[Bill_McBride]

11 at Murfield for its blindness.2 at North Berwick favorite coastal.Downhillers:1 at Bel-Air and 7 at Gullane 1.

Mike, I was going to mention #2 North Berwick as well, it's really fun to play a fade as close as possible to the sea wall.  But the real fun is if you accidentally shove one out onto the beach and the tide's out.  It's not a tough shot to pick one off the sand and onto the green!  

[Sean_A]

There are so many wonderful tee shots.  To try and name even a handful would be tedious so I will stick to two from the old country.  I don't think I have come across a better tee shot (especially for an opener) than #1 Machrihanish.  Is there a more strategic shot out there with the consequences tragic, but not instant death?  Its  grand that OTM DESIGNED this hole and I don't think any of the lauded archies following him have done it better.  The second at North Berwick - sort of a reverse and a bit more severe version of Battery - is great as well, the combination of the playable beach and elephant mounds on the left of the fairway (for a relatively conservative line) is all-world.

Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

Shots where, even while the ball is in the air, you don't don't if you've achieved your aim.  The 12th at Northumberland is a 400+yd dogleg left to right.  To get a short iron in requires flying two bunkers on the inside of the dogleg.  Hit it over them and watch to see if you make the carry.  I haven't been in one of those bunkers all season but that wait is still a nervous one.

I love No 1 at Machrihanish and No 2 at North Berwick,perhaps for similar reasons.  No 9 at Muirfield is another great tee shot.  I love No 1 at Elie, one where you hit over a steep hill, which has to be climbed before you see your result.

[Tom Birkert]

I would agree as to loving a downhill tee shot, although I would wager that a large number of handicap golfers end up in more trouble after inviting, downhill tee shots than they would on a flatter shot, as they tend to try and swing harder and this normally results in a worse shot. My favourite downhill tee shots are the 1st at Riviera and the 5th and 10th of Sunningdale Old.

Personally I love hitting a tee shot and seeing it fly against the backdrop of a close mountain, so I love playing the Tradition or Hideaway in Palm Springs for that feeling. It completely messes with my perception of how far hazards are and I think it’s a really fun sensation to track a little white ball against a huge mountain.

I also love tee shots where there’s pressure on to hit a good shot. The 4th at Royal St George’s springs to mind here. It’s intimidating but the satisfaction of rising to the challenge and hitting a good drive is immense.

[Jim_Coleman]

    #1 at The Judge.  I played there last October and the ball still hasn't come down.

[redanman]

On the aforementioned Member's Club at Four Streams, I really like #1 and #11. #1 is blind over a ridge and eventually downhill, but with a massive fairway - a leap of faith to start off.  #11 is also downhill and semi-blind, I've heard a lot of people snivel and whine about these tee shots - all the reasons more to love them.

I cannot stand whiny sniveling complaining players like the guy I already had to give 14 shots in a handicap match recently sniveling "Is it good?" as I stand over my putt on the same hole ready to draw back the putter. Where the hell is lightning when you need it?

At my home club of Lehigh CC I really like #10 downhill (Maybe if we're lucky we'll lengthen the hole from 420 to about 470 one of thse days if we can remove some precious irreplaceable trees), left to right fairway cant, blind landing and I like #14 over a ridge (aka "Sissy Ridge"), 50 feet (maybe 75) above the tee ground, fairway sloping hard left to right (And I do not play a draw.)

In general JWN's favorite kind of "see it all the way" downhill tee shots are abhorrent to me, the combo of the blind and slope (Starting about halfway out)  of #10 at Lehigh makes it one of the better tee shots and that's just the start of my favorite home hole.

So on my home club I like a blind uphill and a blind downhill tee shot that both work against my preferred shot shape!  What would my psychiatrist say??

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike, I know what you mean.  Similarly, the second hole at my club Four Streams, is a dogleg right with a bunker on the inside of the dogleg.  After the dogeleg the hole tumbles down a little.  Hit it over the bunker and you don't see it land.  To the right are a few trees but hit it past the trees and you are left with 150 yards.  Hit it to the left of the bunkers is safe but adds 30 or 40 yards to the hole.

Hole two


The sixth hole at Four Streams is a short par four.  For Big hitters it is reachaable.  To accomplish this you have to hit it over a hill and land to the right of the green and hope for the ground to take it left and on to the green.  Cresting the hill as you walk to the ball is exciting because you can't wait to see where it is.

Tommy,

I've heard really good things about Four Streams and Smyers certainly designs some very strategic holes.

Sometimes when I hear Nicklaus say things like "the golfer likes to watch his ball land", I realize that I'm playing a game that he's completely unfamiliar with!  

[Jonathan McCord]

3rd and 7th at San Francisco GC

1st and 5th at Crystal Downs

4th and 8th at Ballyneal

18th at Olympic Lake

1st at Monterey Pen. Shore

[Tim Leahy]

I'll name a few that I'm fond of:

10 at Sandpiper

Interesting choice, wondered why? For the view from the tee? Because it is basically a layup hole that I have never liked. My favorite hole there was always 13.