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David Stamm

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#1 greens that put the player on notice
« on: November 07, 2008, 04:25:58 PM »
The Creek Club thread propmted me to start this. The #1 green there is just great, and immediately gets the players attention. The touch of the player on the green is quickly tested, and if the player is not ready, a big number on the hole could come into play and therefore put the player in catch up/hold on mode for possibly the rest of the round, even thoguh the remainding greens may not be quite so severe. What other opening hole greens are tough/memorable and gets ones attention right off the bat. Some others that come to mind for me are Riviera and Engineers.
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"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Carl Nichols

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2008, 04:28:56 PM »
WF West. 
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Adam Clayman

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2008, 04:29:58 PM »
David, This may just be a trait of every great course. At least the few that have come to mind already. (insert usual suspects)
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"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

Bill_McBride

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2008, 04:31:31 PM »
NGLA  :o :o :o
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PThomas

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2008, 04:33:23 PM »
Rolling Green
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199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

Phil_the_Author

Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2008, 04:37:17 PM »
Carl is right... #1 on Winged Foot West. Mike Davis once told me that he thinks it is the toughest and most undulating green in all of major championship golf...

I wish everyone the pleasure of one time at least standing on the back portion with Neil Regan and watch him putt a ball out to the laeft edge that breaks all the way back to the center of the green and then watch as he putts another one to the right the same way.

Imagine that, a hole where putts break both 30+ feet left-to-right and right-to-left...
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Carl Nichols

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2008, 04:41:35 PM »
The only time I've played WF West, I left myself a 10-footer for birdie somewhat underneath a left/front-middle pin.  I missed it by about 18 inches on the low side -- could not believe how much it snapped off.  I knew I was in for a fun day. 
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Adam Clayman

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2008, 04:42:37 PM »
Quote from: Philip Young on November 07, 2008, 04:37:17 PM

Imagine that, a hole where putts break both 30+ feet left-to-right and right-to-left...

Try chipping from the rear of the 5th at CPC.
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"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

PThomas

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2008, 04:43:03 PM »
Crystal Downs! :o
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Pete Lavallee

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2008, 04:51:44 PM »
If the first green is a sign of what's coming during the round it sounds like a great idea. But to have the most severe green as #1 doesn't make much sense to me. Is the first at the Creek similar to the first at WWW in that no one will ecounter something that drastic in the next 17 holes?
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"...one inoculated with the virus must swing a golf-club or perish."  Robert Hunter

Brad Swanson

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2008, 04:55:12 PM »
#1 at Greywalls.  Maybe the toughest green sans hazards to hit from 70 yards anywhere.  It can also be difficult to hit from 5 yards as well.
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K. Krahenbuhl

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2008, 04:58:38 PM »
Quote from: Paul Thomas on November 07, 2008, 04:43:03 PM
Crystal Downs! :o

Definitely the scariest 1st green I've ever seen.
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Chip Gaskins

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #12 on: November 07, 2008, 05:02:09 PM »
oakmont, augusta, pine needles, ngla if on a knob
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Matt OBrien

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #13 on: November 07, 2008, 05:07:47 PM »
Huntingdon Valley Country Club....
The green looks very flat but because of the ball breaking to the valley it swings very hard right to left. I cant tell you how many people mis-read this putt and it scares them right away for the rest of the round
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JMorgan

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #14 on: November 07, 2008, 05:08:30 PM »
Even after the shot off the tee, the 1st Machrihanish green is pretty wicked as well.
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Tom Naccarato

Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #15 on: November 07, 2008, 05:09:22 PM »
#1 Winged Foot West is 100% correct. So is NGLA. Friar's Head is another. (From the modern category, best 1st green lead in a drama; Oscar material hands down)

Put the internal contour aside; or for a better verse, couple it with the actual COMPLEX--the strategy as seen from the fairway..... (how the green works before you put the putter in your hand.)

WFW is still there! Along with Rivera #1, Garden City Golf Club is another, and right next to it you'll be finding Yale #1.

You know, thinking about it to the crux of David's title, Rustic Canyon #1 lets the golfer know and understand that the putting surfaces slide downhill towards the library. So, yes, it does put the player on notice....

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JMorgan

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #16 on: November 07, 2008, 05:22:30 PM »
Greywalls.  DeVries likes internal contours.
 
Ooops, Brad called it above already.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2008, 05:31:08 PM by JMorgan »
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Bill_McBride

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #17 on: November 07, 2008, 05:29:48 PM »
Quote from: JMorgan on November 07, 2008, 05:22:30 PM
Greywalls.  DeVries likes internal contours.

Kingsley Club too for that matter - cover all those yards and then have to putt!  ::)
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Tom_Doak

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #18 on: November 07, 2008, 05:30:38 PM »
National Golf Links is an excellent choice, as are Winged Foot and Crystal Downs.

If it wasn't only about 400 yards away from National's, the first green at Sebonack would probably rank right up there.  In fact, they are somewhat similar, though turned on a different angle ... I never actually thought about that before just now.

We finished shaping the first green at Old Macdonald yesterday.  It will definitely be a wake-up call as well, though it's softer now than Urbina's first draft.
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PThomas

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #19 on: November 07, 2008, 05:33:04 PM »
Quote from: Pete Lavallee on November 07, 2008, 04:51:44 PM
If the first green is a sign of what's coming during the round it sounds like a great idea. But to have the most severe green as #1 doesn't make much sense to me. Is the first at the Creek similar to the first at WWW in that no one will ecounter something that drastic in the next 17 holes?

no Pete..plenty of other challenging greens at The Creek
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David Stamm

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #20 on: November 07, 2008, 05:50:49 PM »
Quote from: Paul Thomas on November 07, 2008, 05:33:04 PM
Quote from: Pete Lavallee on November 07, 2008, 04:51:44 PM
If the first green is a sign of what's coming during the round it sounds like a great idea. But to have the most severe green as #1 doesn't make much sense to me. Is the first at the Creek similar to the first at WWW in that no one will ecounter something that drastic in the next 17 holes?

no Pete..plenty of other challenging greens at The Creek

Agreed, Paul. 6 and 15 are quite a treat as well, for example.
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"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Bill_Yates

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #21 on: November 07, 2008, 06:15:54 PM »
Oakmont - no question.

When your pure iron shot hits the green and then trickles off the back - you're on notice. 

When your chip shot back up to the flag comes up short - you're on notice.

And when you 3-putt from 10 feet - you're on notice. 

Now you're thinking "only 17 more to go."
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Bill Yates
www.pacemanager.com 
"When you manage the pace of play, you manage the quality of golf."

Mark Smolens

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #22 on: November 07, 2008, 06:55:12 PM »
Lost Dunes
Midlothian
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J_ Crisham

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #23 on: November 07, 2008, 07:48:42 PM »
Oakland Hills has some severe movement on the opener. I would also add so does #1 at Chicago Golf. crystal Downs is right there with them. all great holes and stern protectors of par.
                                                         Jack
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Joe Bausch

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Re: #1 greens that put the player on notice
« Reply #24 on: November 07, 2008, 07:56:11 PM »
I've been thinking about this topic since the thread started and I could not come up with anything... then it hit me like a ton of bricks:  KBM's Lederach!  That first green tells you this ain't going to be your normal public course!  I wish I had more than one photo, but this is all I've got:

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@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection
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