[George Pazin]

You're correct, obviously not perfect since it ended up behind one of THREE OUTCROPPINGS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAYUP ZONE.  Again, one of the worst holes I've ever played.

In a conceptual sense, how different is your situation from someone who rips one down the 12th fairway at The Old Course, only to roll into one of those bunkers (Coffins?)?

[Matt_Ward]

Gambers:

Have to disagree w you.

I have played BP -- the par-3 hole Whitten selected is a gem of a hole.

Plenty of fun -- and fear.

The wind can do so many things and the green appears to be like an elevated aircraft carrier in which the player must land the approach with flaps up to keep from going off.

You are right -- there is room in the rear area - but not that much.

Just a very fun hole to play because for many players it's just a very short iron. You also can't beat the scenery it provides.

[Garland Bayley]

Mr. Whitten has chosen a bunch of one and done holes. What's the point of going to the golf course if you stand on the tee make one swing and then you are done? Then dejectedly walk to the next hole. I can make my next swing on the driving range without the walk, so why go out on the course?

What is one and done? You hit it in the water, your opponent hits it on the green. You're done. You hit it deep in the ravine, your opponent hits it on the green. You're done.

I swear, those of you that support this kind of nonsense are killing the game.

[Tony Weiler]

Gambers:

Have to disagree w you.

I have played BP -- the par-3 hole Whitten selected is a gem of a hole.

Plenty of fun -- and fear.

The wind can do so many things and the green appears to be like an elevated aircraft carrier in which the player must land the approach with flaps up to keep from going off.

You are right -- there is room in the rear area - but not that much.

Just a very fun hole to play because for many players it's just a very short iron. You also can't beat the scenery it provides.

Matt, that surprises me.  I've never liked 15 at Bully.  The photo Whitten used is from the tips.  Not many people play back there, and most play from the one up tee, which is farther left, and I think even more difficult.  The reason it's so hard is there is really nowhere at all to bailout.  That may be fine, but then the recovery is also very tough.  The front of the green has a very steep front, with a large bunker.  Going over leaves very, very little room.  It may be a short iron shot, but it is always windy at Bully.  The green is much more "open" from the back tee and very narrow from the left tee.  I just don't think it's a very good hole.

[Jim Nugent]

In a conceptual sense, how different is your situation from someone who rips one down the 12th fairway at The Old Course, only to roll into one of those bunkers (Coffins?)?

How is it different from any hazard that is in a fairway? 

[JNC Lyon]

I wanted to find something wrong with this list.  However, after reading the list, I thought it was fantastic.  All of these holes looked fantastic.  The 18th at Farmstead is plenty of fun for anyone who was wondering.  My roommate, who plays golf maybe 10 times a year, made a birdie on this hole over Thanksgiving break and sent me a text about the accomplishment.  If that isn't fun, I don't know what is.

JNCL

[Kevin Lynch]

Kevin, why do you play golf? If every drive you hit went 320 down the middle, every iron was Johnny Miller at his prime stone dead, and every birdie putt ran true, would you find that fun? Even a lousy golfer like me enjoys the challenge that every shot provides. Oakmont provides a test that is unique, and I find that kinda sad.

Why?  Couldn't possibly fit all the answers to that here - but yes, I do enjoy the challenges of golf.  Like I said earlier, defining Oakmont as "fun" really depends on what version of fun you're looking for.

I think Whitten was going for the "Waterslide / RollerCoaster" version of fun in his article, rather than the "Sudoku/Kakuro" version of fun.  Tobacco Road may fit more in the former category, while Oakmont is more the latter version.

When I first challenged your definition of Oakmont as "fun," I was looking at it from the Whitten definition.  And I think Fownes would have been irked if someone said they had "Waterslide" fun on his masterpiece. 

[Greg Chambers]

I suppose the difference would be that if you were in a bunker, you probably wouldn't be stuck behind a huge rock, with zero chance to advance the ball other than to the side.  I guess I could have laid up with a 9 iron short of the rocks and then hit another 9 iron to the green.

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