[Patrick_Mucci]

What is the/your ideal first hole ?

If you were designing a golf course what would your first hole be like, what message would you want it to convey to those about to take your 18 hole journey ?

What hole that you've played, best exemplifies the first hole that you would create ?

[BCrosby]

Cuscowilla no. 1. Short par 4.

It is the simplest, most elegant, most strategic opening hole I've played.

You know standing on the first tee that this is a special course.

Bob

[golfnooch]

it would be a par 4.

trouble all along one side.

length would be under 400.

small green with lots of undulations.

The mood would be set by how the player attacks the hole, with the hole being easy enough to start with a birdie, but enough danger to cause bogey or worse.

#1 at Running Deer in Pitts Grove NJ would be a good example...they also do a good job of complimenting the first hole with a very, very difficult 475 par 4 with significant elevation changes, a large green with multi-tiers and a requirement for two well struck shots to get there in regulation.

[Chris_Clouser]

To me the ideal first hole is a hole that really symbolizes what the course is about.  It should be like a good introduction to a book.  It gives you a feel of what the book is about and just whets the appetite for more.  I think the best example I have seen is the 1st at Crystal Downs.

[TEPaul]

I've always been a big advocate of the sometimes applied architectural principle of an opening hole that let's golfers "get into the round" easily as some of the old architects used to phrase it.

Obviously there was a practical reason for designing and offering holes of that type in the old days as so many of those old courses had no practice facility and this was a way of letting golfers get warmed up a bit in the very beginning of the round.

The best of those holes are obviously the short par 4 openers but occasionally a short par 5 is used. I'll list some openers of that short par 4 (and a few short par 5s) type in order of admiration;

NGLA
GCGC
Philly C.C
Merion
Torresdale Frankford
Westhampton
Riviera
Maidstone
Ganton
TOC
Pacific Dunes
Friar's Head

All those holes you have the option of hitting an iron off the first tee and being able to reach the green easily enough. I love the option of using an iron on your first tee shot of the day!

[A_Clay_Man]

I'm with Chris all the way. The first hole of a great course should be like an intro or a preface. It needn't be all easy but it should reflect some of the features that will be prominent throughout your round.

Thats not to say courses that start with a big bang can't be good, but I think as far as a "great" course is concerned, having a climax too early will certainly detract from any greatness.

[Mike Hendren]

Chris and Adam have described the first at Sand Hills.  

The "A" player is presented with an immediate opportunity for birdie if he is bold enough to flirt with the blow-out at the left corner of the landing zone and is confident enough to thread a long fairway metal uphill to the green.  

Weenies (according to Matt & Lou) such as myself see this as an accomodating hole to jump-start the round.  I also like such holes in that I get to try out the driver, long-iron and short-iron from the git-go to see where I'll be mishitting each that day.  Driver, 3-iron, wedge.  

Mike

[A_Clay_Man]

Mike- The first time we teed off at SH the wind was a calm 45mph out of the NW(?) Mostly in your face with a slight quarter from the left. I can remember not being able to get the fact that I was putting for par out of my head. Of course that led to more.

Black Mesa'a first is great start because the shot demand is minimal, compared the vexing look.

[Rob_Waldron]

There is nothing quite like standing on the first tee at Manufacturers G & CC (Manny's) in Oreland, PA. The hole is a short par four with about a 100 foot drop off the tee. The view of the golf course nestled into the valley below is truly  something special!

The pressure of the gallery around the first tee also adds to the excitement!

[jim_lewis]

Can be either a par 4 or par 5, but MUST allow players of all skill levels to hit a driver. I doubt if many long hitters can hit driver at NGLA, but what do I know about long hitters! Some of the worst opening holes I have seen encourage  even average hitters to hit an iron off the tee (Pinehurst #8, Beaver Creek, and Cliffs of Glassy).

Avoid placing serious trouble on the right as most players tend to hit their first tee shot right. At least, I do.

Never tee off into the morning sun.

Jim Lewis

[SteveC]

Machrihanish. Over the water; see how much you can bite off; and the setting. A fabulous golf hole.

[RT]

Quite like Long Cove no. 1 as a starter.

Close 2nd is NGLA, by a micron.

RT

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

I like Crystal Downs’s opener as a hole, but not as the opener. The hole has to be the second hardest par four on the course, not truly indicative of the great short par fours that make up the front.

NGLA is among the best, along with St. Georges, which is a gentle opener.

Loading the first with the most difficult hole on the course has never been my favourite style. Courses like Aronimink, which despite having a great hole are a bit rough to start with.

[Ben_Hogan_NJ]

Ballybunion (Old).  There's something about trouble right being a graveyard.

[JBStansell]

I've never played it, but it is hard to imagine too many opening holes better than the 1st at Prairie Dunes.  

[Steve Lapper]

My favorites that haven't been mentioned include:

Royal Melbourne East
Royal County Down
Cherry Hills
Medinah #3
Seminole
Sunningdale Old
Cypress Point
Spyglass
Fenway
Quaker Ridge
Aronimink



All of the above feel like they let the player get going without too much terror. They do ask the player to "get into the round" and begin to think about shotmaking.

[Big B]

#1 at Caves Valley.  426yds down hill with an elevated tee, mid iron approach for 2nd shot to a slightly raised green with a couple of bunkers.  The hole is framed by some huge trees.

[bg_in_rtp]

Some thing are a complete no, no...
- Par 3s
- Carry over water
- Drivable Par 4s

All of these lead to unnecessary delays to being the round.

I'd prefer one of two types of opening hole.  Either a shorter Par 4 that has some outside "character" which gets you into the mood of the course, or a moderately reachable Par 5 that requires thought and challenge on the 2nd shot.

The first holes at Pinehurst and Prestwick fit that first model.  Either could be played with an iron or fairwood off the tee, and not only do they offer a glimse into the character of the course (ie. the pushed up green at Pinehurst or the narrow fairway and gorse at Prestwick), but there is nothing that speaks to those course more than hearing the church bells from Pinehurst Village or seeing the starkness of the railroad tracks at Prestwick.  

The 1st at my home club, Raleigh CC, offers a great example of a Ross 1st hole.  It's 515 from the tips and plays slightly downhill.  The tee-shot is fairly open, but the long hitters are constrained by a small pond at about 300yds (but downhill, so reachable).  The second shot could be a simple lay-up or you can go for the green, but those going for the green are faced with a 2-3 iron, from a downhill / sidehill lie....early in the round.  A duff is in the pond, a slide is in the trees or potentially OB, but a well played shot can run onto the green.  For those that lay back, the approach (60-100yds) is to a narrow, Pinehurst-like undulating green that slope back to front, but falls off hard to the back.  So you're faced with an accurate approach early in the round.

There is also something compelling about a 1st tee on a course that doesn't have a practice area (ie. Prestwick, Royal County Down).

[Patrick_Mucci]

Brian Gracely,

Some thing are a complete no, no...

- Par 3s
Westchester CC has one

- Carry over water
Yale has one

- Drivable Par 4s
NGLA and GCGC have one.
     Garden City has always been known as a course where,
     even on days of heavy play, a four ball match may expect
     to complete its round in three and one-half hours.

All of these lead to unnecessary delays to being the round.

[George Pazin]

If you like the first hole to preface what's to come, how about Oakmont's kick in the teeth first? That green alone would wake anyone up.

Brian Gracely -

I used to think the same way, about beginning things slowly. But lately I've started to wonder if this isn't the ideal. It forces the starter to spread out the groups. It's not ideal in terms of getting golfers out quickly, but I think it might do a lot better job keeping them moving. Getting more golfers onto the course quickly seems like a formula for slow play, to me anyway.

[jim_lewis]

If we are now nominating favorite opening holes, I am surprised that no one has mentioned my personal favorite, Merion East, especially if you take into account the "experience" factor. Then there is also the opening at Pine Valley with that scarey approach.

But for the thrill of a lifetime, you can't beat the first time you tee it up at The Old Course.

[bg_in_rtp]

George,

I never said that the round should start slowly.  In fact, I believe my "no, no" list would actually add to players standing and waiting on the first tee longer than necessary.  I'm not advocating the need to have 8 minute intervals vs. 10 minute intervals to speed up play.  Those 2 minutes usually end up getting lost by players talking or hitting mulligans or comparing their new drivers.  I'm all for getting off the tee, finding the ball quickly, approach the green and getting the round moving.

Patrick,

Sure, there are always examples of holes that fit a description.  But that doesn't mean they are always a good idea.  For things like opening Par 3s, I'd argue that most of them were only done because of the surrounding land near the clubhouse.  And having ponds directly in front of the tee does absolutely nothing for me in terms of challenge...stand on tee, don't look down, hit the ball over the water.  Where is the strategy or challenge in that?  

[Tim_Weiman]

Pat Mucci:

I became a big fan of the first hole on the new course at Stonewall. It features a very wide fairway that most players should be able to hit. The fairway also rises gently so that a good drive is required to avoid a blind approach to the green. I don't know the exact yardage but I'm guessing you'll need a drive of about 260 yards from the middle tees and maybe 280 yards from the back tees to get a look at the green.

This strikes me as an appropriate balance: it is not an intimidating tee shot by any means, but you do need to play it well.

The green is fairly large and though less severe than many at Stonewall, it falls away making approach shot placement and scoring tricky.

All in all, an excellent way to start a round. The hole doesn't beat you up, but it does quickly get you into the game.


Brian Gracely:

My first inclination is to agree with you about par3 and driveable par fours being a no, no.

But, I wonder if some case can be made for them. In short, might they not be good for spreading groups out? Here I'm thinking aout a heavily played public access course where the tendency is to send groups off as quickly as possible. With the par 3 and drivable par 4, maybe this wouldn't happen as much.

[Tim_Weiman]

George Pazin:

I wrote my post without seeing yours. Interesting that we both have come to this feeling.......and believe me, I don't personally like the idea of starting on a par three.

[Jeff Goldman]

I don't think you can generalize about ideal first holes; it depends on the land, course etc.  Otherwise, did starting Banff on the dramatic original (and difficult) 1st hole detract from the course?  Is it better now, starting with a relatively benign par-4?  As to less dramatic starts, I'm starting to love no. 1 at Olympia Fields North.  A par-5 where I can take a nice big cut at the ball, and better players have a good chance at birdie.  Great start to a journey.

Jeff Goldman

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()