courses with a par 5 1st hole

« **Reply #25 on:** March 17, 2005, 01:09:56 PM »

The Kingsley Club starts out with a strong par 5. It's a somewhat intimidating tee shot if you choose to play aggressively and carry the fairway bunkers. The green is reachable in two if you do it successfully. Below are pics from the tee and also from the landing area. I've never been a big fan of par 5 openers. They are "scoring" holes and it often takes me a few holes to get in a groove, especially if not hitting the range before teeing off.

« **Reply #26 on:** March 17, 2005, 01:14:01 PM »

George Thomas' theory was that an easy par-5 is a quick "get-away" hole. And in most cases, he followed it up with a difficult par 4. I think the concept works really well at Stanford.

« **Reply #27 on:** March 17, 2005, 01:24:03 PM »

Quote from: John Krystynak on March 17, 2005, 01:14:01 PM

George Thomas' theory was that an easy par-5 is a quick "get-away" hole. And in most cases, he followed it up with a difficult par 4. I think the concept works really well at Stanford.

Riviera, too.

« **Reply #28 on:** March 17, 2005, 01:27:14 PM »

« **Reply #29 on:** March 17, 2005, 01:29:03 PM »

The Coal Creek course at Newcastle Golf Club opens with 621 yard par 5. It plays significantly downhill, and if you hit your drive too far your in the wetlands. Not a very good hole or start.

« **Reply #30 on:** March 17, 2005, 01:31:24 PM »

Jimmy Murratt and john m kirk,

Thanks for agreeing with my sentiment! To me a par 5 opening hole puts to much scoring pressure on your too early in the round.... But we appear to be outvoted.

Tom Doak,
I dont object to a par 5 opening hole if, as you say, it make the routing work well. and i do like the par 5 first on apache stronghold. its such a long, and somewhat open, hole that, for me, the scoring pressure isnt there. It does warm you up, letting you make several hard swings, without too much risk.

Ted,
I also like the first at Pine Hill. I just wish it came at a different point at the round. A somewhat blind, somewhat narrow tee shot. too much risk/reward for an opening hole.

Rustic Canyon #1: I also like that hole, but again, not as a starting hole. Despite what Ran says in the profile he wrote, the fairway is not all that wide-especially if you are trying to hit all out to shorten the second shot and get home in 2.

Of course if I either played safely or warmed up, my points would be somewhat moot, but where is the fun in those things. ;-)

« **Reply #31 on:** March 17, 2005, 01:34:37 PM »

One nice thing about a par 5 opener - esp. a long one, like #1 at Apache Stronghold - is that after just one hole, I feel totally into the round. Sometimes, on courses that start with a couple of short par 4's maybe, I don't feel like I'm really on my way until I've played 3 or 4 holes.

A couple of long holes do make for a good "getaway".

« **Reply #32 on:** March 17, 2005, 02:32:18 PM »

I think a par 5 starter is ideal. A six isn't so bad! The greatest course I know that starts with a three shotter is Royal County Down. It is also one of the easiet holes on the course.

Ciao

Sean

« **Reply #33 on:** March 17, 2005, 02:34:01 PM »

Pasatiempo used to have a beautiful par 5 to start. What a great hole, and it's always nice to get off to a birdie start. It's now a par 4, and a very hard par it is..

« **Reply #34 on:** March 17, 2005, 03:26:49 PM »

Jeff Barr's new book "1001 Golf Holes You Must Play Before You Die" lists the 1001 by hole and by Par. The five he lists are Spyglass Hill, Le Querce GC (Fazio, Italy), Sand Hills, Blackwolf Run (River) and Doonbeg. I am -1 on them careerwise, only having played Spyglass in the morning fog.

« **Reply #35 on:** March 17, 2005, 03:46:14 PM »

Peter,

Wow, out of a 1001 golf holes only five opening par fives. The first hole at Doonbeg is one of my favorites.

« **Reply #36 on:** March 17, 2005, 04:21:03 PM »

Grandfather......good shape

« **Reply #37 on:** March 17, 2005, 04:29:05 PM »

Oregon has three I can quickly think of. One of JVB's favorites Black Butte (Glaze Meadows), best played with a five iron, Columbia Edgewater and Reserve Vineyards' (Cupp/North) which was designed as #10.

« **Reply #38 on:** March 17, 2005, 04:43:46 PM »

Four Streams Golf Club (now the Members' Club at Four Streams), the Steve Smyers course in Maryland, has a very good par 5 opener. It's a difficult opening tee shot as you hit to a blind fairway that slopes to the right although the hole bends to the left.

It's a very unique opener that I really like. The green is heavily contoured and can make approach shots difficult as well.

« **Reply #39 on:** March 17, 2005, 05:03:18 PM »

Quote from: redanman on March 17, 2005, 04:07:20 PM

Quote from: Kevin_Reilly on March 17, 2005, 12:27:51 PM
Quote from: redanman on March 17, 2005, 09:41:06 AM

I prefer not to see a par 5 #1, 9, 10 or 18,

I know of one course, close by, that violates 3 out of 4!
Kev
Those aren't the holes that I hold against them (documented elsewhere earlier this month. )

LOL, very true!

« **Reply #40 on:** March 17, 2005, 06:46:14 PM »

Quote from: Dan_Callahan on March 17, 2005, 09:28:22 AM

Taconic opens with a par 5 that is dead straight and not incredibly long. I find it is a nice way to get into the round. No real trouble on the hole, although I have a friend who popped up his tee shot on 1 during a tournament. The ball landed on the 18th green (about 50 yards to the right) that was surrounded by specatators watching groups finish.

Dan

reminds me of the story of the guy playing TOC, with a crusty caddie. A rank heel of #1 tee dribbled across onto #18 green near the pin. The caddies reply 'yeel have that to go roun the Old Course in 2, sir'.

« **Reply #41 on:** March 17, 2005, 07:15:44 PM »

Colleton River -Dye has an ideal start. Short 4, Medium 5, medium 3

« **Reply #42 on:** March 17, 2005, 08:20:47 PM »

add to the list - from memory - apologies if there is a mistake or 2:

Medinah #1
Capilano - very short - they have 3 par 5's in the first 6 holes
Scarboro in Toronto (Tillinghast) -straight away 576 yards
San Francisco GC
Indianwood Old
Shaughnessy
Kaanapali
Blackwolf Run
Calgary Golf Club - under 500 yards but the severe uphill adds 60 - 70 yards

I like an opening par 5 ala Olympic, SFGC, Bel Air, LACC, Shoreacres -not too tough - one can probably avoid a blow up out of the gate even with a mediocre tee shot.

Beats starting with a potential round wrecking long tough par 4 that can be found at such courses as Oak Hill East (the #1 index hole which Ben Hogan called the toughest opening hole in golf) Aronomink and Lionhead in Toronto to name a few.

« **Reply #43 on:** March 17, 2005, 08:30:35 PM »

Tom

So far, six is proving to be a very good score at the opener at Barnbougle.
Into the wind, 550 yards off the back and with that narrow landing area for the second makes it more difficult than anyone suspected.

It is probably the third most difficult hole, behind the last two.

« **Reply #44 on:** March 17, 2005, 08:34:53 PM »

The Valley Club (the good doctor) starts with two par fives! (At least it did when I caddied and played there in the late 60s.) Baywood Golf and Country Club (Bob Baldock designer) in Arcata, Ca. also starts with two par 5 holes. And if my memory serves me, the Meadow Club (also Dr. Mac) starts with a par five.

Tom

« **Reply #45 on:** March 18, 2005, 12:38:24 AM »

I loved the par 5 1st hole at San Francisco GC the only time I played it. Medium length (530 or so), wide fairway, with gorgeous, large bunkers on the sides. Really great.

« **Reply #46 on:** March 18, 2005, 12:57:36 AM »

How about the longest stretch of holes between par-5s (and the shortest, all in the same course ...)?

As noted, the 1st at Olympic Lake is a par-5 and then not another one until the long 16th followed by the 17th.

« **Reply #47 on:** March 18, 2005, 01:18:10 AM »

Mike Benham

do people play Olympic Lake from an alternate nearby tee at times (on some courses the 10th if adjacent is used). If so, they would play 3 par 5's in a row in the middle of the round. That would be quirky.

« **Reply #48 on:** March 18, 2005, 02:30:23 AM »

All three courses at Osprey Valley north of Toronto open with par 5's. I guess Doug Carrick really likes opening with a par 5. Probably helps the pace of play, unless players think they can reach them in two.

My favourite WOW opening par 5 is at Wolf Creek in Mesquite, it gets the heart pumping on the first tee.

« **Reply #49 on:** March 18, 2005, 02:36:32 AM »

Mike Benham:

stretches of holes between par 5's

Yale does not have a par 5 until the 16th
Merion east does not have a par 5 after the 4th hole
chicago golf club - holes 5 through 15

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