I played Ballyneal last week with a core group of three players, plus a rotating cast of GCA extra. Although we played different sets of tees, the back tees were used on many holes. One day, we played the 4th hole, the downhill par 5, from the toughest tee box, which creates an awkward line of play to the fairway. After being infomred of the proper line (left edge of the right bunker), John Mayhugh, a medum length hitter with a USGA handicap index of about 9, slightly mishit his drive, but in the proper direction of play. I can't remember if it was a toe-hook or slightly skied, but it was a straightish drive that would fly 180-200 yards on flat ground at sea level. A good miss.
Immediately after striking the shot from this difficult tee box, there was consternation among the players and caddies that the shot was in jeopardy of not carrying the native brush, but I felt otherwise and issued a statement I regularly use:
"The architecture should accommodate that shot. That one should be OK."
Sure enough, the ball cleared the junk and found the fairway at the bottom of the hill with 10-20 yards to spare.
As a member of both Ballyneal and Stone Eagle, both Doak courses which require forced carries, I have noticed the consistent accommodation for some of the common mishits:
Straight Pull
Pull Slice
Toe Hook
Straight Push
Skied Tee Shot
"Drop Kick" Drive
I believe Tom Doak and his crew work hard to think through a reasonable result and penalty for common, minor mishits, and that each general level of golfer is considered from each tee box. For example, I am under the impression that they look at a tee box and say, "Well, what if a strong player hits a pull here? Let's stick him in a bunker where he can't see what's he's doing."
Another example of this thinking would be the newly restored 3rd hole at Pasatiempo. There's a new bunker about 100-120 yards from the shortest tee, which is superfluous to the advanced golfer, but offers the senior or weaker player a great challenge, an the thrill of success as they play the 180 yard uphill hole as a par 4.
The important concept is to keep everybody in play as much as possible, with fair and engaging recovery options. John Mayhugh can play the back tees at Ballyneal quite easily, and I've watched Tommy Naccarato and David Moriarty, both with handicaps around 13, manage their way around Stone Eagle from the back tees. Tommy got around without losing a ball on one occasion. I like playing Stone Eagle from the back tees and Ballyneal from most of the way back (my handicap is around 0-3), and my 10 handicap friends and I can enjoy the course from any set of tees we choose.
Certain gross misses need not be accommodated:
Pull Hook
Duck Hook
Big Slice
But for less talented players with higher handicaps, additional misses should be accommodated:
Topped Drive
Sclaff (Hitting It Fat)
Weaker Shots
Build me a course where the scratch and 12 handicap player, or the 12 and 21 handicapper, can play from the same set of tees and face an enjoyable challenge together. Any forced carry from the back tees over about 180 yards is too far. I cringe when I read about 245 yard forced carries on new courses. I believe my friends with handicaps around 10 enjoy the challenge of playing the back tees and trying to break 85-90, as long as they don't feel immense pressure to kill several tee shots.
I also dislike courses with carry bunkers guarding the best line of play, all at the same carry distance. My sense is many architects apply a straightforward and consistent formula to bunker placement off the tee, which punishes a very specific player. I played a course last winter where the best line of play was guarded by a carry bunker on almost every hole, and that carry distance was almost always 245-250 from the second set of tees, or just out of my reach to be worth the risk. I have a unreasonable disadvantge on a course like that.
The wide variety of common mishits should be considered from each tee for each level of player, and reasonable, varied and interesting penalties should be established for those misses. The architecture should accommodate those shots.