GCA Weekend Edition-"Which Are the [Best &] Most Difficult Holes in the World?"

[JMorgan]

A Golf Illustrated article written by Horace Hutchinson in 1901 is said in part to have inspired Macdonald to build NGLA.  

Hutchinson posed the following question to readers:  

Which do you consider the best and most difficult:   1.) one-shot hole; 2.) two-shot hole; and 3.) three-shot hole?

Everyone from Braid, Taylor, Fowler, Vardon, Low, and Park, Jr. chimed in.  From the responses, the top choices were...

For par 3:  Eden and Redan
For par 4: Alps and Sahara
For par 5: Long and Road

Over one hundred years have passed since Hutchinson's article.  In the meantime, golf architects have designed thousands of courses.  We've seen the likes of Tillinghast and Mackenzie, Colt and Alison, Ross, Wilson and Strong, Crump, Fowler, Fownes, Flynn and Travis and Thomas, Emmet and Tull, RTJ and the Jones Bros, Fazio and Dye, Cornish & Muirhead, Morrish and Weiskopf, Doak, Hanse, Strantz, Steel, C&C, Nicklaus, Brauer, Richardson, Hurzdan, Liddy, Young, Silva, Nuzzo, and Engh etc. -- in short, quite a few architects designing a lot of golf holes.  

How would you answer Hutchinson's question today?  

Which holes would you choose?

Would the holes you choose inspire you to build a great home of golf, whatever your geography?

[cary lichtenstein]

All 18 at Oakmont

#9 at Royal Dornock
#9 at Pebble Beach
#18 at Pine Valley
#10 at Augusta
#17 at the Ocean
#18 at Cypress Pt

[wsmorrison]

Among many possibilities, here are some noteworthy holes:

Long Par 3:  3rd at Merion (new back tee)
honorable mention:  15th at Philadelphia Country Club

Short Par 3:  11th at Shinnecock Hills
honorable mention:  2nd at Royal Dornoch

Long Par 4:  18th at Merion (new back tee)
honorable mention:  12th at Swinley Forest

Short Par 4:  5th at Royal St. George's (if 420 is short these days)
honorable mention:  11th at Huntingdon Valley

Long Par 5:  12th at Oakmont CC
honorable mention:  3rd at Philadelphia Country Club

Short Par 5:  16th at Shinnecock Hills
honorable mention:  4th at Bethpage Black

[TEPaul]

Year in and year out I doubt you could find a more difficult par 3 in golf than PV's #5. It's not just because it's so long, it's because of the penalty of missing it on either side. And relative to the amount of its play I would wager it's been birdied less than any other par 3 in the world.

[wsmorrison]

Tom,

I'll wager you a bottle of your Chairman's Select versus the same one we had at dinner the other night (my last bottle) that Phila Country's 15th has been aced less than Pine Valley's 5th even prorated on the basis of the number of years open for play.

By the way, the new back tee on 14 at Rolling Green (230 y) is certainly making that hole a lot harder!

[wsmorrison]

Hey, Tom.  Didn't Chet Walsh have more than one hole-in-one during a Crump Cup?

[Adam Clayman]

There are no more difficult holes. Only poor shots. Thanks to all the physicists.

As has been deleted before..."Anyone can build a hard golf course. Not just anyone can build a great one."--- Ben Crenshaw's paraphrased answer to the speculation that Sand Hills would be a very difficult course.

[John Kirk]

Speaking of the mighty Sand Hills, I would characterize #13 and #18 as very difficult holes.

#14 Bandon Trails yields some big numbers.
#3 Pasatiempo

Though one of my least favorite holes at the club, #9 Pumpkin Ridge (Ghost Creek) is very difficult.

#13 Pacific Dunes into the summer breeze

There are very difficult holes everywhere.  My guess is we'd dislike most of them.

#10 DeLaveaga was recently mentioned as a difficult par 5.

[Joe Hancock]

1-18 at The Ocean Course. And Adam, you can use whatever technology you can get your hands on...these holes are still difficult.  

Joe

[JESII]

If #15 at Pine Valley isn't the toughest par 5, I don't want to see which is...

[wsmorrison]

Jim,

You know the course better than I do, but what is so supremely difficult about the 15th at Pine Valley?  I haven't played it from the new back tee as yet, but the first two shots are not difficult (you have to hit two good shots but there is plenty of width and the stances aren't demanding) though the approach needs to be excellent as the green can be extremely difficult.  Sure if you stray there is a big price to pay but you consider it the hardest par 5 you've ever played?  While it is long and hard, there are no diagonals and other than length, it isn't the hardest par 5 in our district.  I think there are a number of harder par 5s and shorter ones at that.

[Doug Ralston]

No way ..... on this one I certainly have a winner. Can you believe it?

#4 at Eagle Ridge is certainly among the toughest par-5's on this or any other planet. Better hit 3 VERY straight and well struck shots. And then there's the putting survice.

Doug

[Jesse Jones]

Par 3-#17 Whistling Straits

Par 4- #5 Pinehurst#2

Par 5-#16 Kiawah Island

[michael j fay]

# 3 Essex County Club 620 yard par 5 that plays into the prevailing wind.

# 4 Brae Burn Country Club 440 yard par four with magnificent and deadly bunkering and a true ball-buster green.

# 16 Carnoustie 245 yard par three with treacherous bunkering and a toadstool for a green.

[JESII]

Wayne,

There's actually a par 5 in Tampa at the University of South Florida's course that's by far more difficult tee-to-green, but I pick #15 PV for the total package. If you get down there for spring training at all, check out the course...not bad.

I played the hole three days in a row this fall in the Crump and hit three good (not great, but solid and straight) drives, three great iron's laying up and three great approach irons (3/4 nine iron, full smash 4 iron, full 8 iron) and still made a bogey and two pars.

The drive may not be all that demanding on its own, but think about what you must do to make par if you mess up the drive at all...

[Kyle Harris]

Wayne,

There's actually a par 5 in Tampa at the University of South Florida's course that's by far more difficult tee-to-green, but I pick #15 PV for the total package. If you get down there for spring training at all, check out the course...not bad.

I played the hole three days in a row this fall in the Crump and hit three good (not great, but solid and straight) drives, three great iron's laying up and three great approach irons (3/4 nine iron, full smash 4 iron, full 8 iron) and still made a bogey and two pars.

The drive may not be all that demanding on its own, but think about what you must do to make par if you mess up the drive at all...

Jim,

Are you speaking of the 6th at The Claw? I know it oh so well. Really not a bad hole, but the rest of the course is Doak 2-3 at best.

[JESII]

Kyle,

I believe it's the 14th...Is the 6th the one that sweeps around a lake the whole way? #14 is the one that gave the course the name The Claw.


By the way Wayne, the only par five in our district (that I have played) that compares to #15 PV in terms of difficulty is Merions 4th, but that's only because I can't find the fairway with the second shot...

[Kyle Harris]

Jim/Wayne,

How about Rolling Green's 9th? Surprised that hasn't made any of your lists.

Jim, you're be correct about the 14th. TIGHT. (Interesting I forgot all about it) Standing on 15 tee trying to hit off Fletcher Ave. is no picnic either.

[JESII]

#9 at Rolling Green is great, and difficult, but it ain't #15 at Pine Valley.

[wsmorrison]

Jim,

You're right about the 4th at Merion.  The second fairway is shifted a bit to the left so that you really have to play over the left third of the cross bunker.  There's a hardwood amongst the evergreens that is the aiming point.  If you think about going along the line of the middle of the first fairway you are in deep rough with a downhill lie to a green fronted by a creek and two bunkers.  That's a tough shot.

How much harder is the 15th from the new back tees?  The angle of the fairway is now offset from there, right?  That does add to the difficulty.

Kyle,

The tee shot isn't that hard at RGGC's 9th, but it does play a lot longer than the 614 yards (1926 opening day yardage by the way) because it is uphill from the start of the fairway.  The second shot is the tough one though.  The ball is well below your feet and you have to hit it a long way uphill to have a short iron in to the demanding green.  The approach and tee shots aren't difficult enough to make it one of the toughest par 5s in the district though.  I think they should move the tee back another 20 yards by moving the storm shelter.

[JESII]

Wayne,

I could be convinced that the new tee makes the drive a bit easier. I used to be a bit cramped off that tee and would be wise to hit a 3 wood or even a hybrid since it's a three shot hole anyway...unless, that is, you really catch the drive...ah, temptation...

The new tee adds 30 or 40 yards, but does not make the tee shot more difficult, IMO.

[wsmorrison]

Thanks, Jim.  By the way, any comments on my selections of Oakmont's 12th or Philadelphia Country's 3rd?

[JESII]

Haven't played Oakmont, but I disagree with PCC. I think it is a very good hole, but not all that difficult.

[Glenn Spencer]

Nicklaus said that#15 at NCR was the toughest long par 3 that he had played. It was 228 in 1969 for the PGA.

#14 at Holston Hills is among the tougest par 3's that I have seen. So is #2 at Moraine. That green is insane. #3 and#6 at The Heritage Club in Cincinnati- PB DYE. Might be the two toughest I have seen on one 9.

#9 at Wolf Run is a par 4 nomination.
#11 at Walnut Grove CC in Dayton, Ohio. It wins the tougest hole contest all the time in Dayton. I realize that is not saying much, but trust me, this hole is damn near impossible. If anyone has ever played it, I would love to hear their opinion on it.
#18 at Wollaston was a bear.

[JESII]

Can't believe I haven't thought of it yet...Par 4 - #2 on the C nine at Huntingdon Valley...I'll take this hole toe-to-toe with any other suggestions...