Tough from tee to green with a difficult green as well!!

[mike_malone]

 We played our favorite winter course in N.J. today, Centerton. The #16 hole is a 450 yard twoshotter with a slight incline and a dogleg left. If you hit left you can be blocked out from an approach. So, you go right and leave a very long approach. The green is raised, bunkered in the front left, undulated, and fairly narrow from front to back.


      I enjoy a hole like this, particularly late in the round, and on a course where it is a rare thing.

   I find the same experience at #13 Rolling Green. The hole is tough to approach and yet there is no easy putt outside of 3 feet anywhere on the green.

[Jeff Tang]

I'd say the sixth hole at Ballyneal fits this criteria, especially into the wind.  Long par 4, tough driving hole, and the shot into the green is really tough due to the green, especially when the pin is over to the right as the ball can easily slide off the green on that side if you're a little right of where you should be.

[TEPaul]

Is that you Mayday?

I just got back two minutes ago from your club. Are you OK with the work going on over there? It seems like the members I saw sure are. It looks really good to me Brother! I hope you don't think you should stand in its way. BREATH, and let it flow!

[Tom_Doak]

There are lots of holes overseas where this is the case:  the Road hole, the 16th at Deal, the 14th at Royal Dornoch, and most of all, the 13th at Prestwick!

I still get flak every time I do it ... but I do it a lot, anyway.

[Peter Ferlicca]

18th at Stone Eagle from the farthest tee box is 501 yards to the thinnest fairway on the whole course, (which is still probably 20 yards wide in the landing area).  BUT you are left with one of the most difficult second shots usually being over 200 yards with a severe downhill lie going to an extremely uphill green.  Then it is probably the most undulating green on the course.  This has to be one of Doaks hardest finishing holes.  There have been plenty of X's recorded on 18.

[Phil_the_Author]

The 15th hole on Bethpage Black may very well be among the handful of par-4's that can be considered as the most difficult.

One MUST hit a big drive to have any chance at placing their second on the green which sits nearly 60 feet up a steep slope with massive bunkering fronting it. The green itself was described by Davis Love III during the 2002 Open as more severe than any green at Augusta in its undulations. Add to that a false front and death if one goes over the green...

[Anthony Gray]

  OK for 16. But I hate a finishing hole that kicks your butt.


  Anthony

[JESII]

Your beloved Winged Foot West has 12 or 13 of these...

[Joe Bentham]

Bandon Trails #16.  straight uphill, usually into the wind and the green is crazy.

[Scott Szabo]

I'll second #6 at Ballyneal.  If there's a more difficult green at the end of a 480 par four, I've yet to see it.

[Anthony Gray]

  Pac Dunes 7 is a candidate here. Pebble Beach 14 comes to mind for a par 5. For a par 3 the green at Sawgrass 17 is not easy and that tee shot is no piece of cake.

  Anthony

[Pat Burke]

Your beloved Winged Foot West has 12 or 13 of these...

HAHA  I was going to make some comment along these lines, but quicker/greater minds win!

[Patrick_Mucci]

# 3 and # 15 at NGLA come to mind.

The 3rd green is spectacular with a variety in putting surface character.

There are bowls, shelfs, plateaus and slopes throughout the massive green.

And, the approach is mostly blind with the wind a typical factor.

# 15 is more demanding off the tee.
The putting surface, while not as diverse as # 3 has plateaus and slopes, plenty of slope.

Those that go over the green pay a hefty penalty as the recovery is very difficult.

Yet, both holes are fun to play despite the nature of the challenge.

[Ally Mcintosh]

There are lots of holes overseas where this is the case:  the Road hole, the 16th at Deal, the 14th at Royal Dornoch, and most of all, the 13th at Prestwick!

I still get flak every time I do it ... but I do it a lot, anyway.

The 11th at The Renaissance Club being the one that comes to my mind...

[JMEvensky]

Your beloved Winged Foot West has 12 or 13 of these...

HAHA  I was going to make some comment along these lines, but quicker/greater minds win!

Is there any question with "difficult" in the title for which WFW isn't the answer?

[Philip Spogard]

Every hole at the Castle Course, St. Andrews? - (except maybe the 1st).

[PThomas]

almost every hole at Blackwolf Run River 

[Joe Bausch]

A hole I just recently experienced:  #2 of the Centennial Nine at Huntingdon Valley.

[Greg Stebbins]

I'll nominate #7 on the east course at Ridgewood here.  470 yards with a very tough drive that requires a hard draw followed by an uphill approach to a narrow green with a significant left to right tilt.

[Rich Goodale]

As long as the greens are playing relatively firm and fast, such holes abound in GBI, including many short ones (i.e. <350 yards) which are very easy bogies if you make just one small mistake.  The 1st holes at Brora and Dornoch, the 12th at the Old Course and the 3rd at Carnoustie immediately come to mind. 

[Greg Chambers]

I'm not sure there is a tougher shot in golf than the long approach (200+) from a downhill lie to an uphill green, especially if the ground approach is taken away.

[Bruce Leland]

I'll second No. 12 at Medinah 3.  I've only played it once but I recall having to try and cut a 2 iron into it from the right side of the fairway. 

One hole I'm more familiar with is the 10th at Northland CC in Duluth.  OB left, hazard right, all uphill and a sloping green.  One more thing, if you are forced to start there it's a 20 minute walk from the clubhouse to the tee!

[Matt_Cohn]

14 at Inverness, if anyone wants to check it out. It's 470+ and the green is a little 24 yard circle with 3 different mounds.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Pine Vallay #15..a par five with increasing difficulty as you close in on the green

[mike_malone]

 As for WFW, take away the tall rough and I didn't find much difficulty until the green. Most of the holes are flat.