Your Heart is Beating Fast...

[Chris Pike]

…you grip the driver a little tighter than usual…you’re about to play one of the most intimidating tee shots you’ve ever seen…Where are you?

My personal experience...

#1 Tobacco Road


#18 Tobacco Road


#7 Highlands Links (Killiecrankie)


#4 Yale (looking back at the tee - photo: Mike S.)


Let’s limit the discussion to just include those tee shots that you have personally experienced and where you’ve had to hit driver or 3-wood (basically eliminates Par 3’s – which I believe may be too many to list).

Let's get to it…

[Kyle Harris]

From my local muni... bunker needs some work, but still a scary tee shot...

#16 Five Ponds Golf Club


Don't have a picture, but #3 PSU Blue is equally intimidating.

[Sam Sikes]

That first hole at TR looks almost exactly 1 at Royal New Kent.  I get the feeling that RNK got the good early rep it did because the Strantz look was something fresh.  However, is it possible that the overly bold style will result in some disrepute for the maverick himself?  

MPCC shore and Caledonia look pretty good though

[THuckaby2]

My friends, these are all great.

But this conversation begins and ends with:

#16 Cypress Point.

I've played a lot of tough tee shots in my 30+ years in this game, but only one made my knees shake.

And the difficulty was only about 10% of why my knees were shaking.

BTW, on pure difficulty and intimidation, #2 Sand Hills from the tips has to be up there.  That takes one big rip to make the fairway.

There's also a course called Hidden Valley in Norco, CA (SoCal) that has what has to be the world's most intimidating tee shot... from the tips it's about 260 carry up to the top of a cliff that has to be at least 40 feet above you.  Its been awhile since I've been there but I think it's like the 5th or 6th hole.  Mind-blowing.

Sorry, I have no pics of any of these.  But methinks you know 16 Cypress, anyway.

 

[Kyle Harris]

The course of my employment has a 260 forced carry over a man made pond to a green 370 yards away...

It's dumb, but it's intimidating.

Oh, and a slice lands on someone's patio.

#17 Talamore at Oak Terrace

[JohnV]

I've said this before on this forum and I'll say it again.  The scariest tee shot to me is #1 at the Old Course.  It is the easiest shot in the world (except maybe if your initials are IBF) but there you are standing in front of the big window of the R&A with the folks in there watching, along with others who will stop and be quiet while you hit it.  You know they are all evaluating you and your game.  It was especially scary the last time I was there because I had just introduced myself to my playing compainions and one was named Hord Hardin, Jr.

Likewise putting #18 is as scary.

[Brian_Gracely]

I love the tee-shot on #1 at Tobacco Road, but considering that
 the driving range is only about 180-200yds long, I've often wondered if they shouldn't have flip-flopped the nines to improve pace of play?  The current #9 would still make a great finisher, and starting on the current #10 might get things started a little faster.  
I've just seen way too many foursome start the day with 4 reloads, or 3-4 people looking for their ball on the hill.

#9 at Turnberry, from the back tee that hangs over the ocean.


The carry...


The landing area...you're actually aiming at a white rock in the hogbacked fairway.

[THuckaby2]

BG - GREAT call re Turnberry Ailsa.  That tee shot from the tips on 9, with any sort of wind, is a knee-shaker without a doubt.

And nice hat.

 

[Ted Kramer]

#1 at the Black is very intimidating.
Tons of Flids standing around watching.
The sign that says that the Black is only for skilled golfers.

-Ted

[Jim Franklin]

#18 Oakmont.

[Allan Long]

Two that come mind quickly are 18 at Doral (Blue) and 18 at TPC Sawgrass (Stadium). When I first played them I was only 18 and not much scares you when you are young. I had seen the holes on TV, but this was my first cross-country golf trip, and finally seeing them in person, I had never seen holes quite so intimidating. This was especially true of TPC as it was relatively new and hadn't been "softened" yet.

[Kyle Harris]

LOL, sorry Ted,

I've tempered the Black #1 both shots I've hit there in the fairway at the corner  

Now that I've said that, my next one ends up on the Green Course.

[THuckaby2]

Didn't see JV's post - my bad.  GREAT call re TOC #1 also - and of course the heart tremors there have nothing to do with difficulty as it is not a difficult shot.  But oh how nervous one does get.  

And I too bow in your direction for your playing with Hord Hardin.  Maybe it was his name, I don't know... but me and my buddies were just like shivas in that we elevated him to golf god status also.

TH

[Chris Pike]

But this conversation begins and ends with:

#16 Cypress Point.

Tom - I was actually trying to exclude Par 3's, but I'll count the 16th at Cypress, since it probably should be a Par 3.5.  Maybe the only Par 3 on earth where laying-up is not a bad play  

[Ted Kramer]

LOL, sorry Ted,

I've tempered the Black #1 both shots I've hit there in the fairway at the corner  

Now that I've said that, my next one ends up on the Green Course.

I tend to have success there too . . .
but it is VERY intimidating.
How good do flushed drives feel on that hole?

-Ted

[Kyle Harris]

Chris,

#4 Riviera, Par three, lay up not bad.

[Andy Hughes]

I love the tee-shot on #1 at Tobacco Road, but considering that
the driving range is only about 180-200yds long, I've often wondered if they shouldn't have flip-flopped the nines to improve pace of play?  The current #9 would still make a great finisher, and starting on the current #10 might get things started a little faster.
I've just seen way too many foursome start the day with 4 reloads, or 3-4 people looking for their ball on the hill.

Brian, I think you are exactly right and I wondered the same thing myself. I'm a huge fan of the place, but that is such a scary tee shot after only being able to hit some irons on the range, and then to suffer the inevitable ball-searching that results.
(but it sure feels good when your ball zips past the mountains )

[THuckaby2]

Chris:

I figured you just were asking for shots where driver or three-wood were necessary.  For damn near all golfers, given any sort of wind and normal dead air there, it's at least a 3wood, even today.  Oh, I guess the big hitters can get over with less... But I'm a decent player, not long but not a complete weakstick, and I've never had a play less than 3wood there.

So it counts.  

Only bite your freakin' tongue, young man.  A layup there is NEVER a good play unless:

a) it's in a tournament or you have serious money on the line; or
b) you are over the age of 60.

We've had a few good discussions about that in here from time to time.  One doesn't give up shots at glory.  

[Allan Long]

Tom,

What's so hard about 16 at CPC? It's an easy par 4.

I think I know that hole at Hidden Valley. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it looks like there is no fairway and absolutely no landing area other than rocks and desert. While at Hidden Valley I hope you stayed away from the corporate tents.

[THuckaby2]

Allan:

Who ever said it's hard?  It's a very manageable three also.

Tom "three pars out of four tries and it would have been four if not for too much faith in the caddie" Huckaby

ps - you too bite your tongue about this being a par4.  I will not stand for this group to degenerate into wussitude.

[Allan Long]

Tom,

Just to get back on your good side and off the wussie list, I will let you know that I did take a go at it and made it. But I was a lot younger then, and I had better nerves.

[THuckaby2]

Huck, I realize that with hybrids, the line is getting blurred, but you must have woods and irons confused today.

Only people who have actually MADE the carry need talk to me.

 

OK, I know, for you big hitters it's less than 3wood.  Well boo hoo for the rest of us.  I just don't see a reality where it's less than 3wood for me, and I'd have to guess I am at about 90% percentile in length of the tee when all golfers are considered.

I also actually MAKE the carry though.  I suppose dealing in hypotheticals anything is possible.

 

TH

[Kyle Harris]

Come to think of it, Bethpage has a lot of intimidating tee shots...

1, 5 (especially from the new back tee... wow), 7, 9, 12, 17, 18 come to mind...

[JohnV]

you got to play with the one and only Hord Hardin?  John, that is a feat of epic proportions to some of my buddies.  We LOVED that guy.  My buddies and I turned him into a quasi-deity every year around Masters time back in the day.  I don't say this often, but I bow to your presence for playing with Hord Hardin.  

No, it was Hord Hardin, Jr, the son of the famous one.  My wife and I had the tee time behind him and a friend and since it was late and the pace was going to be slow we asked if we could join up and they agreed.

His friend was a kick.  He called gorse "That Damned Yellow Scottish Bush" all day.  Also, if he hit a putt that rolled up near the hole and you said "Good putt", he said, "Good putts go in", always in a fun way.

They had played Muirfield in the morning and driven around and were playing TOC in the late afternoon before flying home.

And, no, he didn't invite me to come and play Augusta.

[THuckaby2]

JV:

DAMN.  OK, you're still good in my book.  Brush with the son of the golf god is still pretty cool.  But damn.... you did have us going there.

TH

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