Are there any par-5's these days that are unreachable in 2 shots?

[Thomas Dai]

Couldn't find this via the search engine so forgive me if it's been covered before.


Any examples?


Atb

[Kalen Braley]

I'll go with the obvious one.


Pebble 14

[Ari Techner]

Now that we have seen the pros reach a 670y uphill par 5 in 2 with less than their 2 biggest shots I think we are left with a very small handful of par 5s that are truly unreachable in 2.  I can't think of any examples myself where I dont think Justin Thomas or another massively long hitting Tour pro couldn't reach in 2. 

[A.G._Crockett]

For me?  At age 64, now receiving both Social Security AND Medicare?

Yes; ALL of them!

I don't really care about anybody else, much less the guys on TV.  As for me, I find myself equidistant on my life/golf journey between being able to reach par 5's in two and not being able to reach par 3's in one.  The former is in the rearview mirror and disappearing fast, while the latter is on the horizon but approaching at a high rate of speed.

[Tom_Doak]

Thomas:


That was the subject of my first article for GOLF Magazine, in 1982.  We identified about twenty such holes, and readers submitted a few more.


All of them have been hit in two since then.  Many more long holes have been built in the years since, but I don't think there are any that are totally unreachable, if you gave a full field of Tour pros a couple of practice rounds on them.


The most likely way to stop them is to have a huge cross-hazard [aka Hell's Half Acre on #7 at Pine Valley] far enough from the green that it's impossible to reach if you can't get over it ... and make it big enough that it's impossible to get over.  So, the cross hazard would have to start +/- 300 yards off the tee, and the hole would have to be 330+ yards from there, with the first 100 yards being water, or sand where you could never expect a good enough lie to try to go for the green.


Is that a great hole?  No.

[David_Tepper]

Was #16 at Olympic Lake reached in 2 when the 2012 US Open was held there?

[Kalen Braley]

If Pebble has been hit and held in 2 that would be news to me.   Perhaps this is different than "unreachable"

[Tom_Doak]

Was #16 at Olympic Lake reached in 2 when the 2012 US Open was held there?

I don't know about that.  I think it had been reached in two at 605 yards or whatever it was ... not sure it's been reached since they put the new back tee in, but surely it will be, sooner or later.


Kalen, I am not sure about Pebble, but impossible for me to believe it has not been hit in two.  Yes, most times the ball would not stay on the green, but surely someone has stayed on the lower right.

[David_Tepper]

Tom D. -

It will be interesting to see how the women play #16 on the Lake when the Women's US Open is held there in 2021.

Where will they set the tees and will any of the women reach it in two?

And, by the way, major props to Brooke Henderson & Danielle Kang for both reaching the par-5 18th hole at Olympia Fields in two in the final round of the Ladies' PGA to make birdies 10 days ago. They both needed to hit two great shots under pressure and they both did it.

And while we are at it, let's not forget Mo Martin hitting the flagstick with her 2nd shot on the par-5 18th in the final round at Royal Birkdale on the way the winning the 2014 Ladies' British Open.

DT   

[Ally Mcintosh]

5th hole on the Kilmore at Carne.


Not particularly long but you'd be mad to have a go in two.


I'm sure the top pro's could on occasion. Whether they would try is another matter.

[JESII]

Tiger hit 14 at Pebble in 2000...with an iron. Front right corner.

[Dean Paolucci]

The 5th hole at The International in Bolton Massachusetts is 715 yards from the Tiger tees.  Does this qualify?
http://456zv92qnc6x3vq4653diszf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/scorecard-02.jpg

[Thomas Dai]

9th at Celtic Manor 2010 has a tee at 700+ yds. Not sure it's ever been officially used though. Scorecard candy?
Atb

[MikeJones]

On any given day there are lots of Par 5's that cannot be reached in two. I think a more pertinent question is what sort of risk should a tour pro have to take in order to reach a par 5 in two shots?

[Rich Goodale]

#17 at TPC Sawgrass.

[paul cowley]

Was #16 at Olympic Lake reached in 2 when the 2012 US Open was held there?

I don't know about that.  I think it had been reached in two at 605 yards or whatever it was ... not sure it's been reached since they put the new back tee in, but surely it will be, sooner or later.


Kalen, I am not sure about Pebble, but impossible for me to believe it has not been hit in two.  Yes, most times the ball would not stay on the green, but surely someone has stayed on the lower right.

As a greens keeper there 45 years ago I can say I hit it quite often...I was longish then and the lower right part of the green was very receptive (and I remember it had 1 pin location, but not used much...I need to check that though). The right side of the green also had a strip bunker that was below some live oaks that were actually part of the right side of the bunker...I raked it many times! NLE, things sure change!

[Bill_McBride]

Not on tour, but at the RTJ Trail course in Dothan, AL there is a 748 yard hole that says par 5 on the card. There is a steep speed slot down the left over a bunker that could let you get there in three, but I can't see anyone reaching in two shots.

[Kalen Braley]

Even the Par 6 at Lake Chabot has been reached in two from what I've heard.  How about a putt for Albatross??