[mike_malone]

 Yesterday I played  "downtheshore" at Greate Bay-I was pleasantly surprised by the course.

   There was one green complex that was the most unique I had ever seen.Sorry-no camera.

     I will try to describe it.
 
     As you looked at the green from the fairway there were plateaus on the right and left sides of the green, extending about equally 15-20 feet from the each side of the green.There were bunkers infront that one needed to carry to get to either of these plateaus.

    The middle of the green was wide open with slopes coming down from the plateaus. I imagine the pin is usually on the plateaus.The middle was like  a half bowl.

   I have never seen anything like it.

[A_Clay_Man]

You have pretty much just described the original 17th green at Pinon Hills. The overall shape is almost boomerang, with the ledges on the sides, creating the smallish shelves, farther away from the golfer.

What makes this hole great as a penultimate hole, were these small shelves. The first of back to back 3 shotters, the drive is relatively wide open, almost a breather. But depending on pin placement, the second is high strategy.

Funny that you described the green I was gonna site, before reading the rest of your post.

Others that qualify would be: #14 at Pebble, #14 at Riverview (Kirtland Nm.), #14 Meadow Valley @ BWR, #13 at Southern Dunes, #8 at Beverly Cc  etc.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I have a similar green at the Wilderness at Fortune Bay, in Minnesota.  I call it the "Gull Wing" green, and it isn't all that different than the 15th at Riviera conceptually, although I use it on a par 4 to relate it to tee shot placement.  It could be used on a par 5 second shot. Thomas used it on a par 3, I think to get different sun angles in winter when the sun is lower.

I recently toured (saw, not played, for Tim Weiman!) MacKenzies U of Michigan course.  His 5th and 14th greens (I may be off a hole) are both S curved in shape.  I hadn't seen anything quite like that.

If I had a putter, I think I could have used the contours to get from one section of the green to the other, but I am not sure.  One case where playing would help evaluate!

[T_MacWood]

#10 Columbia, #14 Pebble Beach, #1 Winged Foot, 9th Arcadia Bluffs

[Joel_Stewart]

In the USA,

16, 17 and 18 at Pasatiempo

7th at Crystal Downs

2nd at Pine Valley

7th at Friars Head

[TEPaul]

Probably the most unique green complex I've ever seen, albeit in photographs is the 12th at GCGC. If by unique you mean really interesting and good though, I'd have to list PVGC's #8 (one has to play that a number of times to really understand how amazingly interesting it can be), NGLA's #1 and #6 and perhaps even Riviera's #10 (mostly for uniqueness of approach angles!). PVGC's #2 and #3 and #15 green complexes are truly unique to me too and God knows why they've not been frequently copied! All of these green complexes I've listed probably haven't been copied simply because they're all TOO UNIQUE for general consumption and play!  

There're a couple of others that come to mind that most might not be familiar with---Misquamicutt's #6 and #15 and Maidstone's #6 and even Easthampton's #8 and #9. Man, then there're some at Friar's Head---oh well, they're too many to mention.  

[Scott_Burroughs]

OTTOMH,

-The two full-green Biarritz' I've played (Yale #9, SA #6)
-The various unique stuff at Pine Valley (seen, not played)
-Narrow #4 at Wake Forest GC (9 paces wide in front half)
-#6 Riviera
-#16 Pasa
-you name it from Strantz,#13, #15, #17, #8, #7 Tobacco Road, #6, #8, #14 Stonehouse, #3, #5, #10 Tot Hill Farm
-#3 Yeamans Hall
-#13 Rustic Canyon

[Brian_Gracely]

The most unique this year was #6 at Western Gailes.  The greensite is between the edge of a ridge on the right and a dune on the left.  The ridge on the right is about 10-15' high and juts into the green, such that it has some amount of boomerang shape to the right side.  But it's all mowed to fairway/fringe height, so you can putt over the ridge to get to a back/right pin.  

Other greats this year:
Prestwick - 1, 3, 12, 13, 16-17
CPC - 9
Rustic Canyon - 6, 12, 13, 15
Pinehurst #2 - 2, 3, 9
Southern Pines - 2, 4, 15
MPCC Dunes - 17

Looking forward to Lost Dunes in Sept.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I few of the Painswick greens belong oin a discussion of unique green complexes

[A_Clay_Man]

Just posting JB, made me think of Spy's #4. As a matter of opinion, most of the greens there, are unique.

[John Foley]

#5 @ Arcadia, great Biaritz.

#13 @ Rustic Canyon. I could play that green every day!

#4 @C Shaker Heights. Three tier at the end of a long uphill par five. Getting to a pin on the top shelf from far away is a tough, tough shot.

[Mark Brown]

Cuscowilla N0. 11, par-three makes the postage stamp look huge. A number of the greens at Cuscowilla are unique, extremely good and a major challenge because their bentgrass and usually run fairly fast.

[moth]

Dooks #13 - has to be seen to be believed. More bumps and hollows than an obese belly dancer.

[Marc Haring]

Some of the Prestwick greens are strange. Excuse the photo, I took it late in the evening and had to lighten it up but I think this is an example of #16 but half of them are like this.


Is that a GCA’er playing. It was an American with a caddy playing on his own late on the Friday before the Open.

[Philip Gawith]

sounds a bit like the 16th or 17th, can't remember which, at north berwick which is pretty memorable!

[Brian_Ewen]

How unique is the 14th green at Cruden Bay ? .  

[Scott_Burroughs]

Cool green.  What's with the proliferaton of paths around this Scottish green?  They almost look paved, as well.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

In no particular order...

Yale #9, #10,

Tobacco Road #15, #6

PVGC #1, #2, #8 Left, #9, #15, #17

NGLA #1, #16

HCEG #13

TPC #17

JWK

[Phil_the_Author]

Scott,

You asked, "Cool green.  What's with the proliferaton of paths around this Scottish green?  They almost look paved, as well."

I believe that it is a result of the laws in Scotland that allow for unfettered access for every Scottish citizen to the sea. If you notice it is right there where the path wanders off to.

[John_Cullum]

I think the most unique award should go to that stupid moveable island green at Cour d'alene (however it might be spelled.)

Also worthy of mention is the original 7th at Stone Harbor.

Now to mention some that are actually worth playing-17 at the Old Course, and 13 at North Berwick.

[Joe_Hatley]

Nothing comes close to #16 at North Berwick - a Biarritz on both steroids and LSD.

[Brian_Ewen]

Cant remember ever seeing walkers on the course at Cruden Bay , not that I am disagreeing with you Philip   .

Its just that there is much more accesible areas to the beach than at this point . On the left of the green is quite a high dune and its a very narrow corrider holding the 14th fairway and green and the 15th tee to the right of the green .
( I am sure those of you that have never played Cruden Bay cant imagine where the next green is ) .

I do think that the path on the left of the green is a bit OTT , especially considering the steps to the green are on the right but they have probably evolved  .

The green is probably deeper than the photos show , and it always feels freaky to me , when you descend into it , you suddenly cant hear the sea .

Its only on here that I will hear this green being described as cool , as I have yet to have a playing partner that appreciates it . Most dont believe its golf .

[Brian_Ewen]

Speaking of "unique greens" , does anyone know if this one survived ? .

[Jim Franklin]

#7 & #14 at Sand Hills.

[Andy Hughes]

( I am sure those of you that have never played Cruden Bay cant imagine where the next green is ) .

Brian, its been quite some time, but is 15 the blind par 3 over the edge of the hill?

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