difficult 2nd on a short par 4???

[PThomas]

saw an old thread re third shots to a par 5 which, for some reason, made me think of the 2nd to 13th at Blackwolf Run's Meadow Valley Course..

the hole is only about 300 yards, so I ususally hit a 5 wood about 200 yards to leave a full pitch shot...but it's way uphill to a small green with a lateral hazard right of the green

it's not an easy shot, at least for me

[Donnie Beck]

Does it get any more difficult that this?

[Robert Emmons]

Donnie , your right that is a great 2nd shot...RHE

[ed_getka]

The second to #7 at Sand Hills is tough for a player of my caliber. I have tried every possible approach and have never gotten closer than 10-12 feet.

The second shot to #13 Kingsley Club is one of my favorites. That green is so demanding in areas (some say unfair) that any birdie on that hole feels extra good.

#7 at Olympic Lake is tough to get close on that long tiered green.

#9 Cypress is one of the ultimate tests of controlling an approach shot.

There are so many great short par 4's, and they are some of my favorite holes, since I don't have enough game for the stout backbreaker long par 4's.

#5 Crystal Downs is another fave. The green slopes so much from left to right I never seem to be able to get close to the hole even though I am usually hitting 8I-PW in to the green.

[Evan_Green]

A couple more contenders:

#5 at Long Cove

#6 at Winged Foot West

[TEPaul]

Donnie:

What is that---the 6th, the 7th, the 10th?

[Steve Lapper]

A few more:

11 at Merion (definitively the most mentally difficult)

8 at Pine Valley (perhaps the most penal, if missed)

17 at Oakmont (you are seriously worn down by this point)

10th at Royal Melbourne West (probably the most deceptive)

3rd at Kingston Heath (enough to give you fear of the beach)

11 at Quaker Ridge (perpetual thief of good rounds)

The Dell at Lahinch (go ahead, find the farmer)

And with a twist:

The 2nd shots at Royal Dornoch's #2 and Shinnecock's #11 .....because, if you miss these greens on your 1st pass, you are seriously praying for par

[Steve Curry]

2, 5  , 8, 12 and 17 At Pine Valley.

Steve

[Ted Kramer]

The 2nd into #6 at Pac Dunes is no picnic.

-Ted

[A_Clay_Man]

Paul Thomas- The first time I golfed that hole you site, I was privy to seeing a 76 year old named Hans, hole out for a deuce. He was apparently rewarded for having just made the statement that the River-Valley course was better than Augusta Nat'l.

In case you've never seen a 76 yr old, jump up and down like a kid who just won the lottery, it's unforgetable and priceless.

[jim_lewis]

#3 a ANGC, especially when the pin is left.

[PThomas]

Adam  -- I will try that strategy next time I play it with hopefully similar results!

[Tom Dunne]

How about #9 at Harbour Town? You can barely even aim for the middle of the green, because there IS no middle of the green. And the three little pot bunkers, rising in a line as if they're leading to a cartoon character's thought bubble, almost never yield a "normal" greenside bunker shot. I think it's a very good short par-4...not one for the ground game though   !

[Donnie Beck]

Tom,

That is the 3rd. It is the toughest easy hole you will ever play.

[Tom Jefferson]

Here at Bandon, the 6th at Pacific is no easy feat.  And the 16th as well, particularly downwind.  And 16 downwind at Bandon Dunes can be nearly impossible to keep the ball on the green, through the air or on the ground.

Tom

[Tom Dunne]

Well, the whole Bandon complex is just a treasure trove for the type of shot featured in this thread. #16 at Pacific also immediately springs to mind, and #14 at Bandon Trails will definitely fit the bill too. Even the blind short iron second at #10 Bandon Dunes seems to get botched with surprising frequency.

[Tyler Kearns]

Personally, the hardest aspect of short par fours are half-pitches to tightly guarded greens, especially if the green area is fairly small, and/or running at a diagonal to the fairway. Often a quick glance at the scorecard will cause of sense of overwhelming confidence, but if the drive is not placed properly in terms of distance and angle of approch into the green, such short holes can yield more bogies than birdies. What I find so brilliant about hole's of this nature, is the pyschological impact they can bear upon the player who has failed strategically to master the hole. That bogey can linger in the mind for the rest of the game!

TK

[PThomas]

well said Tyler

yea, those holes that look easy and you wind up with a bogey (or worse ) can really drive you nuts

[Mark Brown]

TPC at Prestancia 15(?)
May River at Palmetto Bluff 6 very exacting and penal
Old Marsh 5(?) blind shot with marsh left, right and back
Long Cove 11
Valhalla 14
Secession 14

[Martin Del Vecchio]

My favorite:  the 13th at Myopia Hunt Club.  It's only 350 yards.

I also like the second shot on #4 at Myopia.  It's not quite as short, but it extremely demanding.

[Chris Kane]

Is there such a thing as a truly great short par-4 which doesn't leave a difficult second shot?

[Brad Tufts]

#2 at Essex County Club.  Narrow, angled green with steep fall-offs short and long.  The green also slopes severely from back right to front left.  The tee shot is wide-open on this 325-yarder, but i've been in the fescue because I was thinking of the green already on the tee.

I also second the mention of Myopia's #13, the most difficult 105-yd PW in the northeast.

-Brad

[David_Tepper]

One could argue that #16 at Doral was the pivotal hole in the tournament this weekend.  Driving the green on Saturday clearly got Tiger's game to another level.  On the other hand, who would have bet the Tiger, Phil and Vijay would all bogey #16 on Sunday?
Phil missing his par putt, after Tiger missed his longer one, was a turning point for sure.    

[David Kelly]

I agree with everyone who mentioned #6 at Pacific Dunes.  Especialy when the wind is howling either way.  A very good match play hole.

[Martin Del Vecchio]

#2 at Essex County Club.  Narrow, angled green with steep fall-offs short and long.  

I concur.  I also get trepidatious about the approach to #6, again because of the green.