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Andrew Mitchell

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Kyle Phillips Top 5 UK holes
« on: September 01, 2006, 08:44:42 AM »
Extracted from AmEx Centurion magazine (couldn't find a link):

"My Criteria
A hole that I like to play and that has a special personal memory
It must be on one of my favourite courses
It must not be on a course that I designed

My top five (not in any particular order)
ROYAL TROON #8 par 3, 126 yards
The size, particularly the narrowness of the green, combined with the severity of the tightly mown green surrounds, difficult gathering bunkers and the wind, make this an incredibly demanding, but equally exciting short hole.

SUNNINGDALE #1 par 5, 494 yards
A fun starting hole that plays over a heathery grass face to a split level second landing area.  The open entry green makes it possible to reach the green in two shots.  This hole must have been a Colt favourite as he replicated it at De Pan in Holland.

NORTH BERWICK #15 par 3, 193 yards
Whether its a high cut or a low running draw there are many ways to play the "Redan". However, there is no easy way to play it. Without a doubt, this is the most imitated hole in the world, but as a testimony to the real "Redan", this original is still the best.

CARNOUSTIE #14 par 5, 483 yards
Even thought this dog leg left is most remembered for the high face spectacle bunkers, 65 yards from the green, it is a well conceived short par 5 from tee to green. In order to reach the green in two shots drives must be played through a very narrow line to avoid the well placed gathering bunkers on the left and the single gathering bunker on the right.

THE OLD COURSE #18, par 4, 357 yards
This large undulating rectangle of links land has no bunkers or rough. But this hole is particularly special because it is the home hole at the Home of Golf. To stand on the tee with the long evening shadows sweeping across the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse and the town of St Andrews and drive across the Swilken Burn, approaching the green over the Valley of Sin, is bordering on being a religious experience."

ENDS

 
2014 to date: not actually played anywhere yet!
Still to come: Hollins Hall; Ripon City; Shipley; Perranporth; St Enodoc

Paul_Turner

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Re:Kyle Phillips Top 5 UK holes
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2006, 09:11:43 AM »
Sunningdale Old 1st and De Pan?  Which hole at Pan, the 1st??  
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Mark_Rowlinson

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Re:Kyle Phillips Top 5 UK holes
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2006, 12:44:10 PM »
Sorry if this is being dragged up beyond it's sell-by date.  It's an interesting list, especially, as it does, including a hole from R Troon which seems to be unpopular on this site.  It also includes a short par 5, a push-over and irrelevant to you big hitters, but often the hole to which I most often look forward on a round.  

Again in no particular order here are five off the top of my head:

11th Old Course St Andrews 174 yards par 3.  Not only is it a great short hole, but its setting backed by the Eden Estuary is magical.

4th Royal County Down 212 yards par 3.  While I don't play it at 212 yards it's still a substantial par 3 and those bunkers ringing the green are so plentiful!  But, once again, it is the majesty of the setting, backed by the Mourne Mountains which helps to define this hole.  The green and those bunkers look so tiny compared with the mountains.

14th Royal Dornoch 445 yards par 4.  One of the great par 4s, with wave upon wave of heaving dunes on the right and a hump of a green secreted away behind the last of them.

12th Swinley Forest 455 yards par 4.  A magnificent, sweeping double-dog-leg and it all looks so uncontrived, as if all Colt had to do was decide where to seed the green.

8th Royal West Norfolk 492 yards par 5.  One of the most enjoyable do-or-die holes in and out of the salt marsh at the far end of the Brancaster links. You don't easily forget the bearded reedlings either.

Paul_Turner

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Re:Kyle Phillips Top 5 UK holes
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2006, 12:56:09 PM »
Mark

I think your set is just about unbeatable. And the 8th at Brancaster is never a pushover :)
can't get to heaven with a three chord song