[Tommy Williamsen]

Jack Nicklaus feels that most players prefer downhill tee shots.  It is fun to watch the shot soar high and land softly.

What are your favorite tee shots, downhill or not?

I'll pick 17 at Ballybunion.  It begs you to hit driver aaround the corner or cut off as much as you dare.  The reward is great and the penalty for waywardness is great.  But fun it is.

Second might be 10 at Riviera.

[Phil Benedict]

This may not be responsive to your question but I like tee shots where there is a big reward for hitting a good one such as a par-five that is reachable in two after a good drive.  I also like tee shots that reward proper shaping if I am able to pull it off.  Cape hole type tee shots are a blast to play.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Phil, I also love cape hole.  I especially like those that go right to left such as many of the 18th holes of Pete Dye.  The ones that go right to left are more challenging for me.  Hitting the ball left to right is a little less predictable.

[Phil Benedict]

Tommy,

The 5th at Mid-Ocean is the best Cape hole I've seen and one of the most enjoyable drives because it is downhill and really rewards an aggressive line and/or proper right-to-left shaping.  One of the great driving holes in the world for my money.

[Michael Blake]

Posted by: Tommy Williamsen
What are your favorite tee shots

My next one  

[Kyle Henderson]

This may not be responsive to your question but I like tee shots where there is a big reward for hitting a good one such as a par-five that is reachable in two after a good drive.  I also like tee shots that reward proper shaping if I am able to pull it off.  Cape hole type tee shots are a blast to play.

I concur. Strantz is my favorite in this regard (e.g. Tobacco Road #4 and 11). Very wide fairways, major trouble on the inside of the cape, but mid iron approaches for the very daring on these par 5s. I also like the fact that one goes left, the other right.

[David Stamm]

I'll name a few that I'm fond of:

14 at Rustic

9,18 at Pebble

10 at Pasatimepo

1,18 at Riviera

1 at Spyglass

5 at Colonial

12 at Rancho Santa Fe

10 at Sandpiper

4,15 at Barona

4,9,13 at Stone Eagle

I could keep going on, but I'll restrain myself.

[wsmorrison]

My favorite tee shots are those that make you think regarding the line (offset fairways are especially good for this) and even distance; thus about what club to hit.

One of the best opening tee shots in golf of this variety is the 1st at Shinnecock Hills.  The 1st at Pine Valley is also quite good.  

[Tommy Williamsen]

One of the best opening tee shots in golf of this variety is the 1st at Shinnecock Hills.  The 1st at Pine Valley is also quite good.  

I concur.  Another hole you are familiar with is also great fun, 11 at Merion.

[Kalen Braley]

If you love high soaring tee shots then it'd be tough to top Lakota Canyon, especially number 8.

[Ted Kramer]

My favorite tee shots are those that make you think regarding the line (offset fairways are especially good for this) and even distance; thus about what club to hit.

One of the best opening tee shots in golf of this variety is the 1st at Shinnecock Hills.  The 1st at Pine Valley is also quite good.  

Wayne,
You beat me to it . . .
#1 at Shinnecock is my favorite tee shot of any that I've played.

-Ted

[Phil McDade]

The 2nd, 6th and 8th at Lawsonia. All with elements of blindness, all with some degree of strategy involved in where you place your ball on the fairway setting up a second shot.

For kicks, the fairly downhill first (complete with Hitler's bunker) and the extremely downhill 5th (?) -- Jake's View; it crosses two other fairways -- both at Stonehaven, in Scotland, are great fun.

[Robert Kimball]

Tommy,

The 5th at Mid-Ocean is the best Cape hole I've seen and one of the most enjoyable drives because it is downhill and really rewards an aggressive line and/or proper right-to-left shaping.  One of the great driving holes in the world for my money.

I was going to say the 1st at Mid Ocean. What a distant view and a great sweeping fairway.

[wsmorrison]

Ted and Tommy,

As you know, the 1st at Shinnecock has everything you'd want on an opening hole.  Firstly, it sits above the flatter portion of the course with much of it on display with contrasting textures and hues.  It is an offset fairway so that the line you take is very important as is distance control.  You simply don't have that added demand on a straight away hole.  Driver isn't necessary but as usual, it helps to hit a more lofted iron into that green.  When the false front and rear left corner is restored, the demand to place the tee shot correctly becomes even more of a requirement.  A back left pin position means you have to challenge the right side and those bunkers are once again in play.

Tommy,

For me some of the most difficult tee shots in golf are found at Merion East; the 2nd and 14th.  The 11th is a great hole.  But that is a 4-iron or 7-wood for me.  The approach shot is another story.  That is a beautiful yet fearful short approach.  About the toughest short approach I know.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I certainly don't think the tee shot at 11 is the most difficult.  18 from the back tee may be just because of the carry.  I guess the reason I pick 11 is that it gives the player some many options about where to hit it and how far from the green do you want to be.  It is not just a blast it far and straight shot.

[Geoffrey Childs]

Among my favorites are

#17 at Yale - Uphill and blind over a saddle where you can see your ball take a big high bounce when you are on a good line.  It just looks really good to my eye

#'s 5 and 11 at Bethpage Black.  - Both are drives to offset fairways.  #5 is right in front of you with the huge fairway bunker on the right where the 2nd shot is set up better by an approach from the right.  #11 is partially blind with the fairway being obscured by the tall grass in front of the tee.  The natural line would be to aim at the center of the green but that will put you into the left rough.  Aim at the right greenside bunker and you hit the fairway. I love shots like that that have no framing.

[Ted Kramer]

Among my favorites are

#17 at Yale - Uphill and blind over a saddle where you can see your ball take a big high bounce when you are on a good line.  It just looks really good to my eye

#'s 5 and 11 at Bethpage Black.  - Both are drives to offset fairways.  #5 is right in front of you with the huge fairway bunker on the right where the 2nd shot is set up better by an approach from the right.  #11 is partially blind with the fairway being obscured by the tall grass in front of the tee.  The natural line would be to aim at the center of the green but that will put you into the left rough.  Aim at the right greenside bunker and you hit the fairway. I love shots like that that have no framing.

Geoff,

Great call on #11 Bethpage Black.
That is a very tough shot to hit with confidence.
I always have trouble getting my bearings on that tee.
#1 at Bethpage Black is a lot of fun too. . .

-Ted

[Phil Benedict]

Geoff,

I think the 6th at Yale is a wonderful driving hole because there is so much to be gained by keeping it close to the inside of the dogleg and the hazard.  Great risk/reward shot.

[Jon Spaulding]

For reasons similar to Phil's comment:

13 @ CPC
3 @ SFGC
17 @ LA North
4 @ Pine Barrens

For other reasons:

14 @ LA North

[G Jones]

Favourite tee shots... tend to be the ones i hit a good tee shot on last time i played it!

But seriously... no.1 at Shinnecock, no.13 at Augusta, no.10 at East Lake, no.2 at Carnoustie, no.6 at Pine Valley, no.10 at Panmure, no.2 at North Berwick (west), no.1 Blairgowrie (rosemount).

[Geoffrey Childs]

Geoff,

I think the 6th at Yale is a wonderful driving hole because there is so much to be gained by keeping it close to the inside of the dogleg and the hazard.  Great risk/reward shot.

Phil

It is indeed -The leven hole strategy is especially hard for a lefty with a left to right draw.  The kids can now take the water out of play and just blow it right over the stream into a very wide fairway that leaves them a wedge approach.

Ted - BB is a great driving course. I can't think of a less then very interesting to stellar tee shot except perhaps 18.

[Kyle Henderson]

If you love high soaring tee shots then it'd be tough to top Lakota Canyon, especially number 8.

Especially from the tips... once you catch your breath after the hike up to the tee box.

12 is also quite the elevator shaft.

[Phil_the_Author]

Five phenomenal downhill tee shots were created by Devereaux Emmet for the Lenox Hills Golf Clu which today is known as the Green Course at Bethpage State Park.

#1 is a 330 yard par four that begs the player to give it a good rip and go at the green... except a hook will wing you straight over to #1 on the Black. The only savings grace if you do this is being able to say hello to the players on that hole who are looking for their balls on the first fairway of the Green course after hitting their own monster slices in an effort to cut the corner.

#4 is about 340 yards that plays a lot less due to a slight manufactured dofleg left. The green is straight out in front of you; just carry a hellacious cross-bunker and another huge one fronting the green and you can drive this green. You can't hold the drive and it will bound over it and into a lot of trouble guaranteeing bogey or even worse, but what the heck... you drove a green!

#10 is about 330 yards straight away played from a tee that is 100+ feet higher than the fairway. As someone who grew up with a single swing speed, Kill It, this tee is heaven both in height and fun.

#13 is a par five of about 550 yards that rolls slightly uphill and then down and just seems to go on forever after you once again tee off from among the eagle lairs up on the hillside.

The best though, is #15, a par three of 160 yards or so whose tee is so high up in relation to the green that one needs oxygen equipment if they are up there any length of time. Even a topped grounder struck by the most dedicated serious of hackers gets enough flight time that frequent flyer miles are given to the player.

Many a summer's round back in my younger days were spent trying to see just how high I could sling a ball into the air with as much backspin as possible in an effort to see if I could plug it completely into the green surface.

[Phil Benedict]

Geoff,

I am no kid but technology enables me to clear that hazard in summertime conditions.  However, isn't there still the risk of going too far left and ending up in a bad spot?  And there is the possibility of a mishit which doesn't clear the hazard.

[Padraig Dooley]

It's hard to beat a tee shot towards a mountain, it looks like the ball is never going to come down.

The 18th at Killarney Killeen is a great example.

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