Does anyone know of any good (in bold) examples of reverse tiers? i.e. greens where the front level is elevated from the back, rather than the more common front being lower than than back.

I know of one on the 15th at the Dunes, Victoria (a par 5), which works reasonably well.  It makes for an intersting shot when the pin is at the front - with no backstop, and when its at the back, encourages a great range of shots, including a running / skipping pitch.

Whilst not a tier the only other scenario I can think of at the moment that is similar is the 3rd at Royal Cinque Ports, where the green is in a punch bowl lower than the fairway, with only the top of the flag visible.  I remember hitting similar shots to a front pin into the wind - a bouncing shot.  

I remeber Mike (Clayton) telling me about one in New Zealand - a Bob Charles designed course - where the contractor / project manager read the plan upside down!  Its a three tiered green falling away from the player and is by all accounts terrible.  I can't remember the name of the course though.

The is one of the best I have ever played it's at Kawartha Golf & Country Club (Stanley Thompson) in Peterbrough. The front quarter of the green is flat with the fairway running downhill into the green. A two foot roll on the right side will hold a "bounced in" approach, but anything left runs through and down below. The ledge is about two feet and the lower green is essentially a bowl that drains left behind the bunker. I hope this shows up in the photo. Of note, Stan's bunkers were ruined although fortunately the rear bunker mounding still remains intact.

Mike,

One of the best examples I've seen is in Rocky River, Ohio, the 3rd hole at Westwood Country Club, built by Charles Alison.

It is a short par 4 - playing between 290 - 320, but quite risky to try and drive. So, you lay up and face a very tricky little pitch. Land on the downslope and you are likely to go off the green. Land short and you face a difficult two putt if the pin is back

No. 3, Grande Valley Golf Club — Eloy, Arizona.

Mike,

In a similar area to Royal Cinque Ports, a little further up the coast is a gem of a golf course called North Foreland.

Holes 3,4,5 and 6 most notably.

Hole 3 has the biggest reverse tier I've ever seen or played with a good metre + of drop, then the fourth has again another reverse tier of half that just mentioned.

Following from this, the fifth has an enormous positive tier of 1m followed by the sixth again with a positive tier of just under a metre.

4 great examples of tier work which sits within the strategyu of the holes - take my word for it.

Forrest,

I can see, why you passed comment, and I apologise.

I support an English Football Team called Nottingham Forest.

Regards

James

Michael:  I've done two of these, the 5th at Apache Stronghold and the 3rd at Riverfront.

I got the idea from the 13th at Crystal Downs.  I always figured that was a MacKenzie original, until I went to Old Town Club, which Perry Maxwell designed a couple before he went to Crystal Downs.  It has a similar green with a higher front tier, on the par-3 6th.

I think Maxwell used this green complex fairly often.

The original green on the sixth hole at the TPC - Sawgrass had a higher front tier, but that version of the green only lasted a year ... they never even played the tournament on it!

Ian: What about the 12th green at Credit Valley

The is one of the best I have ever played it's at Kawartha Golf & Country Club (Stanley Thompson) in Peterbrough. The front quarter of the green is flat with the fairway running downhill into the green. A two foot roll on the right side will hold a "bounced in" approach, but anything left runs through and down below. The ledge is about two feet and the lower green is essentially a bowl that drains left behind the bunker. I hope this shows up in the photo. Of note, Stan's bunkers were ruined although fortunately the rear bunker mounding still remains intact.

Arcadia Bluffs 8th green has a back tier lower than the front.  From the back tees it is a 486 yard par 4, many times into the wind.  If the pin is in the back on the lower tier, and you are putting from the front tier, your main objective is to try to keep it on the green.  A 3 putt from the front tier is good.

Tommy — "Diamondback", one word, pelase.

The Fazio course at Treetops has one of the boldest reverse tiers I've ever seen on a reachable par 4 (#14?). The course is very enjoyable too.

Mike,

The 9th hole at Hollywood has one of the best greens of this nature.

The green seamlessly transitions from a rising fairway with the green continueing to rise until it crests, and then falls away dramatically to the rear tier.

Although not necessarily "front to back", I've always loved the way the 12th at Pine Valley runs away right to left (which is the orientation of most approach shots) almost imperceptibly from the fairway, but with much more slope and speed than is apparent.  

One of the best I've seen is the 7th hole at Hawk Pointe in NJ, which is a par five.  The green is narrow and long from front to back.  The first 20% of the green rises up quickly, and then the rest of the green falls away (I'd estimate almost a 4-5 foot drop from the highest point to the very back of the green), ending in a chipping area behind the green.  There are almost an infinite variety of shots that can be played depending on the variables of hole location, length of approach shot, angle of approach shot...just great stuff!

There is also one on a completely unknown public course in central PA called White Birch GC that deserves mention.  The par four 10th hole has a green with a front half that flows out of the downhill fairway approach, and then DROPS precipitiously...as much as the Biarritz dip on Yale's 9th...probably 6 or more feet, to a lower level and continues out for the rest of the back half of the green.  It was designed by the owner back in the 60s, who minimally deserves style points for something unusual and fun.