Ok, as a sort of OT listing thread... what are the most intimidating opening tee shots you have played around the world apart from the Old Course... meaning purely clubhouse location in relation to first tee or pro shop? not so much golf course architecture related although that can be added in...

After visiting Olympic a few weeks ago, i thought that was an intimidating first tee shot with the professionals staring out at your back swing..

Tough to beat Merion and Pebble Beach.

The Old Course, without question.  If you don't have a sense of "place" there, you have no soul.  And you can just FEEL the R&A members and their guests staring at you through the darkened glass... I know, I was in there, I did the staring for awhile.... then factor in the hundreds of tourists watching (like at Pebble)... the miles-wide fairway that any hack can hit, but scratches tend to miss too often... Oh man, add all that up and that is ass-tightening tee-shot #1 in my book.  Pebble is #2.  I hear Merion is right up there also.  Odd, but I've never felt any nerves on Olympic Lake... but I see your point re the pro shop folks watching... I'm sure NOW I'll be nervous as hell next time - thanks, James.  

A man of your calibre Thomas....  nerves... never!

A man of your calibre Thomas....  nerves... never!

Well...I must admit I don't get that nervous in general... but that's because I don't take the game very seriously any more.

It's funny, the times I get really nervous are in partners' and team events.  Get me playing for someone else and the obligations start to gnaw at the psyche...

But anyway, I was nervous as hell last summer on #1 tee at the Old Course.  You just don't want to blow that shot, you know?  Part of it was the same feeling I get on any really famous golf hole... the "once-in-a-lifetime, here I am about to create a memory, please don't make it a bad one" feelings can't help but creep in... My way of conquering it is to step back and treat it like any other golf shot, and then try to focus on a swing thought, and hard.  It tends to work well... maybe for this reason, maybe because the golf gods love me, I do tend to have success on famous holes.  For example, I made a birdie the other day on #14 at Valley Club - at least the most photographed hole on the course, hell it's on the front of the scorecard - by following this method.

Note to self - maybe play every hole this way?  Nah, too much work involved.  

The most nervous I have ever been was at Pine Valley.  Shit, I was scared of my caddy Rocky Carbone.

After a few holes everything went and I even won a whisky off him!!

Merion is bad but what about Royal Aberdeen?

Brian

Steve - re Riviera, what I find causes the nervousness is this:

a) right up against the clubhouse, same sorta feel James was describing at OClub Lake; and

b) as I say, it's one of few biridie holes on that golf course, so a good player puts that kind of expectation on it, and birdie starts with a solid tee shot.

c) it's kinda like TOC in that it is really VERY wide, so the "can't possibly miss it, but people still do" thoughts creep in.

So no, it's not the same type of nervousness as really tough openers... but still the nervousness is there, in these different ways.

Or at least I think so!

Steve - interesting, I've never found Bel-Air to be that bad at all.. funny how people can look at this differently.

TH

Steve - re Riviera, what I find causes the nervousness is this:

a) right up against the clubhouse, same sorta feel James was describing at OClub Lake; and

b) as I say, it's one of few biridie holes on that golf course, so a good player puts that kind of expectation on it, and birdie starts with a solid tee shot.


c) it's kinda like TOC in that it is really VERY wide, so the "can't possibly miss it, but people still do" thoughts creep in.

So no, it's not the same type of nervousness as really tough openers... but still the nervousness is there, in these different ways.

Or at least I think so!

Tom:

   Nervousness about not making a birdie??? I'd think most, including all but the pro and 0-4hcp would equate nervousness with avoiding a bogey.

   Unlike a Merion or Bel-Air, most of those specatators are not afforded direct views of the shot and its result...hardly a case for real nervousness!

Don't diss Riviera.

 With a crowd around the tee and on the verandah, the opening shot can be intimidating. Too much right hand in the drive and you can go OB left. Get wishy-washy on the the downswing and the ball is in the trees right. With the kikiyu up, either side of the fairway can be sudden death.

I played Bel Air C.C. behind Rick Barry in the So.CAl. Amateur many years ago, he hit an eight iron second to the first hole. I cannot recollect, but I don't remember any hazards on the hole. It's a pussy cat compared to Riviera.

I know the old course is not supposed to be mentioned, but I will share the story of a friend..  In 00, my friend and his father played the last round of the day on the day before the course closed for the open.  He described the tee shot as the toughest he has ever had to hit because of the overwhelming presence of members that were visible in and outside of the clubhouse.  
Sounds a bit scary, but I can't wait to try it for myself someday.

Jeff

James,

The thing with PVGC is that you have been allowed at last to walk that hallowed ground with a golf club in your hand.  You are standing with the guy who got you invited and with the guy who is your host....

the last thing you want to do is chunk it in front of the tee.

My caddie was a guy called Rocky and Tom Paul will tell you what he is like....he is imtimidating...to say the least.  He is even written about in a book called 'Golfers'.....

'One time,' says Rocky, 'I was caddying for Terry Francona, manager of the Phillies. Now, I'm five feet six and he's maybe six-three. We're on the 17th, a short par 4 but it's uphill and the green sits up pretty high.  So he hits his second shot from maybe 130 yards out and says 'Rock, is that on the green?'  I said 'Terr, come over here a minute.' I says 'Sootch down a little.' He squats down a little, and I tell him to get down a little lower. He squats down a little more, and I says. 'Just a little bit lower.' Finally he gets down to where his head's about level with mine and I says, 'Now, that's what I see. How the frig do I know if it's on!'

That story there sums up Rocky!!  He signed the book I bought in the pro shop:

'To Brian, Cheers you were the worst till the back 37.'

I had something like 24 putts on the front nine and was hitting most of the greens...luckily he got me round the back nine in 2 over par for a respectable 18 over par.

One thing Rocky taught me was to enjoy my golf and not to worry so much about how crap I am.

Brian

Brian,

A great quote from White men can't jump with wesley snipes:

"white men don't hear the music, they only listen to the music"...  now we really hear the music...

I hear your story at PV..

James