[Mike Hendren]

The most underrated hole at Bandon Dunes Resort?

The slight turn of the fairway from the tee makes it difficult to size the fairway width, which narrows considerably in a radical departure from the balance of the course.  From my experience many decent looking long tee shots tend to run through the fairway with a pitch-out being the only recovery option.  Few of the better players I've played with there seem to grasp the wisdon in hitting 3-wood from the tee if they can't hit a straight or slightly left-to-right driver.  

The broken ground short of the green is simply stunning but also made strategically relevant by the length of the hole.  It might be my favorite spot at the resort.  The architect either did a heckuva a job finding this ground in the routing, or his shapers pulled off a coup. Trails is usually lauded for its transitions through nature, but this hole does that single-handedly at Pacific Dunes.  

You tell me since I haven't yet had the opportunity to experience heathland golf, but it seems this hole comes as close to anything in the U. S. to being a legitimate heathland hole.  

Your thoughts?

Bogey

[Bill_McBride]

+1.  Best par 4 on the property, and generally overlooked.  6-7-8 might be the best run of par 4's anywhere, and each very different in length and how you play them.  

[Carl Nichols]

+1.  Best par 4 on the property, and generally overlooked.  6-7-8 might be the best run of par 4's anywhere, and each very different in length and how you play them.  

9 is pretty darn good too; 6-7-8-9 has to be up there in the list of best set of 4 consecutive par 4's.

[JLahrman]

Not sure it's the most underrated hole on the property but it's almost certainly the most underrated hole on PD.

[Steve Salmen]

I agree that 7 is a great heathland hole. However, I think PD is a links course. Next to 18, I think 7 is my least favorite hole on the course because it does not look like it belongs with a fine collection of links holes.

[Bill_McBride]

I agree that 7 is a great heathland hole. However, I think PD is a links course. Next to 18, I think 7 is my least favorite hole on the course because it does not look like it belongs with a fine collection of links holes.

Variety is the spice of life, right?  7 is surely as linksy as 16 or 18.  It's like Cypress Point where you go from linksy to forest to ocean. 

[William_G]

#7 is very difficult to make 4

the drive is straight forward, but the second shot and green and the green surrounds are tantalizing   

very few 3's are had

great hole!

[Mike Hendren]

I agree that 7 is a great heathland hole. However, I think PD is a links course. Next to 18, I think 7 is my least favorite hole on the course because it does not look like it belongs with a fine collection of links holes.

Steve, I understand your take, but for me the issue is whether it belongs on the land it occupies, not whether it belongs with the links holes.  I happen to like it when the architect seemlessly finds and designs an outlier.  The 9th at The Old Course (OB left for a change) and the 7th at Victoria National (a nice respite from visual over-stimulation) come to mind.  

Bogey

[Mark McKeever]

Bogey, how can you start a thread like this without pictures?!!?

[Tom Jefferson]

I, as well as a few other staffers here, consider Pac Dunes #7 as the strongest and most demanding hole on the course.  The shot requirements, from tee to green, are very high.  Walking off with a 4, or even a 5, is satisfying indeed.

We are having a great run of beautiful weather and great golf here.....feeling very blessed!

Tom

[Will MacEwen]

7 on PD and 13 on BT are two of my favourite holes on the entire property. The second shot is pretty exacting,  I think both holes fly a little under the radar.

I've never even considered 3 wood but will next trip now.  

[Chris_Hufnagel]

I am not entirely positive about this, and don't have the time to research and find the quote, but I believe I read some place that Doak considered this green and surrounding complex his favorite on the course.

When I get home from work I will try to back this up with evidence...

[Brian Hilko]

agreed! To me that second shot is one of the most thrilling on the course! If your playing into a breeze those bunkers become that much bigger.  I also love hitting to the punchbowl in the back part of 8. 6 through 9 are so good.

[Tom_Doak]

The broken ground short of the green is simply stunning but also made strategically relevant by the length of the hole.  It might be my favorite spot at the resort.  The architect either did a heckuva a job finding this ground in the routing, or his shapers pulled off a coup.

My shapers do great work, but the broken ground short of the green on #7 is a natural feature.  [We did surgically remove one or two bits of it.]  Those who have known me for years will remember that just before we started to build the course, my Christmas card for the year was a "before" picture of that feature, in black and white.

One of the fun things about working on the Punchbowl is that I could sneak away for a few minutes every day and go over to #7 green which is just through the trees from the upper end of the new putting green.  We were pretty careful in our clearing work to preserve the pine tree backdrop for #7.

[Tim Pitner]

It is interesting that PD #7, which seems to me to be an obvious standout, isn't talked about all that much.  Maybe stout par 4s are out of fashion.  As Bill said above, it doesn't get much better than the ##6-8 loop.  Actually, ##2-8 are an unbroken string of great holes.  I like #9, but I perceive a clear break in the course when you finish 8 and start 9.  That probably has a lot to do with the uphill, blind drive on #9.  What a great journey PD is. 

[Mike Wagner]

My guess on why it doesn't get talked about too much is that it's so polarizing.  I guarantee if you've played it more than 10 times, you've probably not holed out at least once.  

I'll preface with the fact I think I think's it's an awesome hole.....but it's hard.  It's hard all the way from the tee shot to the last foot.  Every component of it is the most difficult on the course - tee shot, approach, green - all of it.  It's the only hole without a clean run-up option.  

I've seen folks lose balls from every yardage, angle - you name it.  4 is an awesome score in any weather, wind, or day ending in Y.

Great hole.

[Stephen Davis]

7 is a tough test indeed. I think you have it right on. Many times the best play, if you can't hit a reliable fade, is to pull out 3W and hit a long iron in. Great hole IMO. Regarding #9. I am torn on 9. I have played PD close to a couple dozen times and I have only played to the lower green ONCE. I think it is a better hole to the lower green and I don't know why they don't have it down there more, or maybe my timing is just really off.

[Chris Kurzner]

I like 7 a lot.  The only nit I have to pick with it, though, is that anything long that feeds down into the punch bowl likely will be in a divot, and stopping anything on a blind shot 20 feet above you from a divot is quite a tall order.  That's why I usually hit hybrid or 3 wood depending on the prevailing wind.  Just takes that issue away.

[Bill_McBride]

7 is a tough test indeed. I think you have it right on. Many times the best play, if you can't hit a reliable fade, is to pull out 3W and hit a long iron in. Great hole IMO. Regarding #9. I am torn on 9. I have played PD close to a couple dozen times and I have only played to the lower green ONCE. I think it is a better hole to the lower green and I don't know why they don't have it down there more, or maybe my timing is just really off.

That's pretty funny.  I've played Pacific Dunes 6x and have NEVER played the upper green!

[Will MacEwen]

7 is a tough test indeed. I think you have it right on. Many times the best play, if you can't hit a reliable fade, is to pull out 3W and hit a long iron in. Great hole IMO. Regarding #9. I am torn on 9. I have played PD close to a couple dozen times and I have only played to the lower green ONCE. I think it is a better hole to the lower green and I don't know why they don't have it down there more, or maybe my timing is just really off.

I have heard that the upper green is favoured so that the upper tee on #10, which is quite spectacular, is in play more.

[Garland Bayley]

#7 is the site of one of my greatest golf shots ever. I was in one of the bunkers left short of the green (not the closest one) and opened up a 9 iron and hit it to 3 inches. #7 abstractly seems a great hole, but in practice it beats the hell out of me. I slice my tee shots into the trees by one. I guess I need to try 3 wood off the tee.

When I got to play the upper green on 9, they were playing the lower tee on 10 because "the upper tee gets too much play".

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