[Max Caulkins]

Without a doubt, #6 at Seminole........A great easy hole!  A true example of a Ross short 4 par......And, Hogan loved this hole too.....................

A great easy hole?? I beg to differ. It is undoubtedly one of the great SHORT 4 pars but there is nothing easy about it. If you find yourself in either of those greenside bunkers, pick it up and take a double bogey...or at least that has been my experience! I don't even think it was easy for Hogan!

[Glenn Spencer]

#11 at Camargo
#16 and #17 at Holston Hills
#16 at the Wolf

[Pete Garvey]

Without a doubt, #6 at Seminole........A great easy hole!  A true example of a Ross short 4 par......And, Hogan loved this hole too.....................

A great easy hole?? I beg to differ. It is undoubtedly one of the great SHORT 4 pars but there is nothing easy about it. If you find yourself in either of those greenside bunkers, pick it up and take a double bogey...or at least that has been my experience! I don't even think it was easy for Hogan!

3 iron, 9 iron, putt.......not a problem......go ahead and hit the driver and make 6.........Play the hole as it was designed.....

[Pete Garvey]

#11 at Camargo

Are you kidding me?  Miss the green and welcome to the Double Bogey Train!  I agree, a great hole but not easy!

[John Kirk]

Max,

Would it be fair to say that a medium length par 4 that we characterize as both easy and great has to be beautiful?  I'd also submit it has to be wide.

14 at Bandon Dunes is a really nice medium length par 4, a bit on the short side.  Not too hard, beautiful sand dune behind the green.

Sand Hills #8
Ballyneal #12

Three easy 350-400 yard holes I like very much.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Pete,

I'd have to agree with Max, I don't see # 6 at Seminole as easy, especially when the prevailing wind is in your face.

Tom Huckaby,

You doubt the great Houdini ?

[Pete Garvey]

Nonetheless, a great hole!

[Mark_Rowlinson]

One or two UK 400+ par 4s that are possibly great and certainly offer a birdie chance - even very occasionally to me, in fact I have birdied each of these at some point in the last 15 years - yet can put egg on face:

Royal Troon 7th 403 yards
Royal Dornoch 17th 405 yards
Royal Lytham 8th 419 yards
Sunningdale 5th 419 yards
Royal Birkdale 11th 408 yards
Woodhall Spa 7th 470 yards (and, yes, I have been on there in two shots only some four years ago - doubt if I could do it now, though)
Ganton 4th 406 yards
Royal County Down 8th 429 yards
Royal St David's 15th 432 yards
Little Aston 10th 438 yards
Formby 11th 422 yards
Hunstanton 11th 439 yards
Walton Heath 5th 437 yards
Royal West Norfolk 9th 403 yards
Alwoodley 16th 414 yards

[Sean_A]

Mark

You have picked some doozies to label easy!  

btw  did you get my package?

Ciao

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom Huckaby,

You doubt the great Houdini ?

Never.  Well done.  

[JESII]

Huck,

We've not yet met, and hopefully someday we will, in part because that response to Houdini was absolutely perfect...

[Tom Huckaby]

Huck,

We've not yet met, and hopefully someday we will, in part because that response to Houdini was absolutely perfect...

Oh that day will come Sully... some how, some way.  But as for the Great Houdini, well... I know too many of his secrets to ever doubt him.

And that did give me audible yuks.

 

BTW, back on track here, I thought of a 400+ yard hole that might work for this - and Max when you read this, man this is a tough question but fun for sure....

#1 Riviera.

OK, it's called a par 5.  But that's part of what makes it fun... Isn't it about 500 at max?  And the tee shot is significantly downhill, shortening things.  It's a pretty easy golf hole in the context of a par 5... but it's also a great hole.  Miss your drive and the cross-bunker comes into play.  Said drive is pretty damn dramatic too from that perch...

OK, maybe a stretch.  But this is a tough question!

[ForkaB]

Any great hole with a punchbowl green, e.g. 16 NGLA, 8 or 17 at Dornoch, etc.

[David Panzarasa]

I will say 17th at TPC Sawgrass. If you just think about it, its as easy a hole as they come. you practice 130-160 irons shots your entire life, straight and right in front of you. Big green, I dont think you can say anything about wind because all holes can be effected by wind, and much much more then this hole.
 In my mind, its such a blah par 3 hole, yet its great. because how famous it is, 17th hole in a huge tourament, and surrounded by water. Easier then the 7th? par 4 at pebble beach. because its less wind, and level to the tee box and I believe a bigger target.
 easiest great hole

[JESII]

I'm betting that in 100 plays my stroke average on #7 at Pebble would be nearly a stroke lower than at #17 at Sawgrass...on top of that I would rather play #7 at Pebble 85 times to 15 at Sawgrass...

[Ron Farris]

I often hear people say "That was a great little hole" for very short par 4 holes.  I agree with Tom Doak that it is the 1/2 pars that often become the most enjoyable.  Short par 4 holes that you scratch your head after you play them and say how the heck did I get a six on that hole are the type of holes I really enjoy.  That does not necessarily make them Great!  Greatness can be in the eyes of the beholder.  

I love tall bombshell looking supermodels, but I married a girl who is 5'1" and that suits me just fine.

I have played a lot of easy holes but not so many great holes. One hole that sticks in my mind is the first par 5 at Pacific Dunes.  I felt like I should have birdied that hole everytime, but walked away with bogey, bogey, par, par in the times that I played it.

[David Panzarasa]

I'm betting that in 100 plays my stroke average on #7 at Pebble would be nearly a stroke lower than at #17 at Sawgrass...on top of that I would rather play #7 at Pebble 85 times to 15 at Sawgrass...

Jess
 I agree with you in that I would rather play Pebble 9 time out of 10 over the 17th at TPC. But what I think you not taking notice on is "EASIEST" I firmly believe, and will argue that 17th TPC is easier still....even if pebble has lower scores. and this is what makes it the Easiest Great hole to me. There is no wind, no downs, hitting pw-6 irons depending no how hard the wind is, elevation change., I think a bigger green as well, no tricks, just a straight shot the average goler practices at the range all the time...and it still yeilds higher scores. now, that WOULD mean it is harder, but it is an easier hole..its the mind game the water plays with you that makes it great. There are not options that so many people like on here, its just right in front of you, 130-160yards (and i think 160 is too long if I remember?), just hit it on the green. The design is nothing special, the backdrop and is not the ocean or amazing vistas,,,Its a simple simple hole that has tricked the minds of average golfers to major champions for years. That is why I say its the easiest great hole.

[Kalen Braley]

I'm not seeing #17 at TPC on this one.

As a 13 handicapper, I'm better than the average golfer which I think is anywhere to the 16-18 range?  I calculated my GIRs recently and I'm about 40% when playing well and it just goes down from there.

So using the above, I'm guessing the 16-18 handicapper is probably only hitting greens at 25% on thier best days.

Conclusion, the average golfer still has a 75% chance, best case scenario, that thier ball is going in the water.  And it just gets worse from there.  So that is not an easy hole, by any stretch of the imagination, in my book!

[Jim Nugent]

Any hole like 17 Sawgrass, that the world's top pro's double and quadruple bogey pretty regularly, is not easy.  Anyone have scoring averages for that hole?  

I also question how great the hole is, considering it's all or nothing.   Have never played it, though.  

[Scott Szabo]

Any hole like 17 Sawgrass, that the world's top pro's double and quadruple bogey pretty regularly, is not easy.  Anyone have scoring averages for that hole?  

I also question how great the hole is, considering it's all or nothing.   Have never played it, though.  

Jim, you beat me to the comment.  It's tough for the tour pros, imagine what it's like for the handicap golfer....

[David Panzarasa]

Karlen,
 Ok, I hear you..but can you name an easier hole that we all might know (par 3) then the 17th? basically before hitting the shot, how is this not one of the easiest holes out there. its short, in front of you, no tricks, no trees, no options, it is a mid to mainly short iron with a big landing area.
Jim,
 That is why it is a GREAT hole. as I wrote before, nothing special about the hole at all design wise. yet it kills you because of the fame, nerves, importance of it being the  17th, and people dreading the water. Hence it is a Great hole, and It is as easy as any par 3 I have ever played anywhere..point blank! just mentally it is different the other par 3's. so I give it a EASY GREAT hole. Jim you need to play it before saying different. you might say its even harder then you thought, who knows,,,,but you will get to the tee and ask "what the hell is the big deal here? its closer then you can believe, there is nothing but a simple shot in your way" Actually it is the easiest shot on the course from 130-150yards,,,,yet you keep saying "i have to be careful!" you dont say that with your other 130-150 yard shots on the course, they dont screw you up in the head. Your MIND plays games on you.
 Isnt that what everyone on here always loves or complains about golf holes...options??? what are options? options are something your mind gives you. you see 1,2,3 different angels and you take the best one or the wrong one.
 This hole has not options, yet plays more of a mind game then a hole with 10 different options. GREAT! yet easy as pie as a hole could ever be made.
 

[JESII]

David,

Not to pile on, but what is your handicap? and to be clear, I'm not asking to be an asshole, I want to help you see your position the way I see your position.

[David Panzarasa]

I'm a 12 right now.
 and your not being an ass!!!

[David Panzarasa]

Actually since I dont know how to post pics,,,can someone post a pic of the 7th a Pebble and the 17th a TPC?
 I dont think they are in the same ball park actually with which one is actually "easier".

[JESII]

Jess
 I agree with you in that I would rather play Pebble 9 time out of 10 over the 17th at TPC. But what I think you not taking notice on is "EASIEST" I firmly believe, and will argue that 17th TPC is easier still....even if pebble has lower scores. and this is what makes it the Easiest Great hole to me. There is no wind, no downs, hitting pw-6 irons depending no how hard the wind is, elevation change., I think a bigger green as well, no tricks, just a straight shot the average goler practices at the range all the time...and it still yeilds higher scores. now, that WOULD mean it is harder, but it is an easier hole..... The design is nothing special, the backdrop is not the ocean or amazing vistas,,,Its a simple simple hole that has tricked the minds of average golfers to major champions for years. That is why I say its the easiest great hole.

This logic of your I have in quotes above would equate to you giving me 6 a side tomorrow since I am a 0.

Harder is harder, it cannot be easier. As to the greatness, even you admit you'd rather play PB 9 out of 10, do you always choose the lesser option the majority of the time?

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