Best first teeing areas?

[Steve Lapper]

Two of my favorites, both conspicuous by their absence:

Bel-Air.......where a topper is likely to elicit a snicker from the likes of a Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, et.al

LACC.....your tee shot gets an up close panoramic review from dining room, patio, putting green, caddy deck, and pro shop

[Robert Kimball]

Pebble (high anticipation)

Oakmont (where's the fairway?)

Isleworth (big 'ol bull)

La Jolla CC (there is a plaque there that will make you say "Really?!?")

Inverness (so much fairway and yet somehow I find ways to miss it)

....and any first tee I split the fairway!

Joe, you got my interest. What exactly is the deal the plaque on the first tee @ La Jolla?  Thanks, Rob

[Doug Siebert]

I might be alone of this point, but I am not a huge fan of public teeing areas--  I think it tends to slow down play and puts undue pressure on players.

Agreed.  First tee jitters are bad enough without the risk of everyone having brunch at the club witnessing you duck hook one OB.

Does that really matter if it isn't your club?  I don't care if strangers think I'm a hack

[Joe Leenheer]

Pebble (high anticipation)

Oakmont (where's the fairway?)

Isleworth (big 'ol bull)

La Jolla CC (there is a plaque there that will make you say "Really?!?")

Inverness (so much fairway and yet somehow I find ways to miss it)

....and any first tee I split the fairway!

Joe, you got my interest. What exactly is the deal the plaque on the first tee @ La Jolla?  Thanks, Rob

Each year Phil (you know...Lefty) tees it up with the Head Pro and two others in the clubs annual "Beat the Pro".  The membership gathers to watch them tee off.  One year he dunked it in front of everyone.  It's 305 from the backs and is uphill the entire way.  I busted one and still had 40-50 yards in.

[Dave Falkner]

Westhampton CC.

I recall sitting in a comfortable chair on the sidewalk just outside the proshop only 10 feet away from the 1st tee. It was magical.

The Westhampton 3 day Member guest is a pretty big deal, it is a madhouse around the 1st tee.  Out of bounds right, fairly deep bunkers left, and a very well protected almost island green.

It was pretty hard finding oxygen on that tee. 

One year I witnessed perhaps the worst shot I ever saw during that tourney,  guy somehow hits it between his legs ball bounces off of the mens grill and lodges in some bushes along the drip line

[John Burnes]

Aronimink

Bethpage (Black)

Merion (East)

[Will Lozier]

Springfield Country Club - Springfield, OH - one of the highest points on the course hitting the most fun opening tee shot I can think of...would love to hear from someone who's played it.

CPC - already mentioned for hitting over 17MD but quirky for the fact that you could lose your ball on the first fairway given all the brand-new range balls yanked from the TINY practice area just to the right!

Alwoodley - also already mentioned but even better (or more nerveracking) when your name has been called to start your round in an OPEN Qualifier with 100+ members/competitors/officials surrounding you on the veranda!

Cheers

[Mark Bourgeois]

Seriously, are you people masochists? TOC is a brutal first tee. First of all, as some have noted, it feels like speed dating in a train station. Second, you can't see much golf course. It's not particularly inviting like Rich's pic of Aberdour. Third and most significantly, it "inspires" many to just try to make a swing of some sort.

I can see TOC getting thoughtful support from two groups:
1) members of the R&A, playing it in a comp, and experienced enough to focus on the golf and not the circus.
2) the Xanaxed and the drunk.

For the rest of us, no.

[Doug Wright]

Always loved how Cherry Hills (used to?) keep the Palmer/'60 Open tee maintained for guests to see and use.

Haven't been back in many years, so I don't know if that's still the case.

Yes it is still used most of the time.

The first @ Minikahda hard by the clubhouse is a fun opening teeing area.