Golf's best openng holes

[Chris Kane]

   Prestwick Number 1 enyone?

Agreed.  But if you're sober enough to be able to see how difficult that opening shot is, you haven't done the Prestwick experience properly!

[Bob_Huntley]

Princeville Number One



Bob

[Jim Nugent]

Five candidates:

1.  Kingsley
2.  Greywalls
3.  Shinnie
4.  NGLA
5.  Spyglass

[mark chalfant]

Franklin  Hills
Eastward  Ho
Oak Tree
Wakonda

[Sean_A]

Well, I would certainly throw the 1st at Machrihanish into the mix.  Phil, you must remember that this hole was a cape before the popularized idea of cape existed - major brownie points for this. 

My second nomination has to be Portstewart.  What a setting for a grand hole! The entire landscape is on offer as a visual feast and it sets up the golfer for what is a magical front nine.   

Not often mentioned, but very good because of the views, how it eases golfers into a round and how it can steal a shot off the player - Royal Aberdeen.

Brora has a terrific opener as a short, drivable par 4 that immediately asks questions of the golfer without beating him over the head.  In truth, its probably more of a temptress pleading with the wannabe flat bellies to take out the big dog and rip away.  More often than not I suspect the result is a lost Pro V.   

One that always grabbed my attention as a ball breaker and perhaps the hardest hole on the course, Royal Birkdale's 1st.  A long double dog legger which requires a very accurate shot with a driver in hand. 

Of course, no discussion of openers could be complete without mentioning Hoylake.  Granted, it is probably more a case of respect than love, but my what a first shot to face when a cold March wind is sliding up your spine. 

Ciao

[Jim_Coleman]

    In what I think was the first ever "ranking," Dan Jenkins called Merion's the best opening hole in the U.S. in an S.I. article in the 60's.
    I couldn't disagree more on Huntington Valley.  I don't think it's much of a hole at all, let alone a great opening hole.  What's the big deal about a downhill, drivable par 4 with a fairway that funnels balls toward the green and which carries little risk?  I know, HVCC is one of those courses that is sacrosanct here, and it does have a lot of great holes, but #1 isn't one of them.

[Kevin Pallier]

What are some more of the greatest openers in the game?

Of those that I've seen - none have got my blood pumping more than TOC / Royal Liverpool and Prestwick.

(Haven't seen Machrihanish)

[Andy Silis]

Garden City Mens Club:

One of THE great short Par 4's in the world with options that force you to engage your golfing brain right out of the gate!

[David_Madison]

Jupiter Hills #1 is one of my favorites, a reachable par-5. It's especially notable because of how elevated the teeing area is over the fairway. Not a big deal elsewhere, but for South Florida a real shocker and something that tells the player that this is not going to be an ordinary South Florida flat golf experience.

[Paul Jones]

Peachtree Golf Club and Baltimore CC - Five Farms are 2 of my favorites.

[Tom_Doak]

Anytime someone makes me sit down and do a list of holes 1-18 according to their real numerical order, the first hole at Machrihanish wins, hands-down ... partly because I'm not worried about including a different hole from Machrihanish, and partly because starting in Scotland is never a bad idea.

What I like about that hole is the area around the green.  There's nothing really severe about it, just a couple of funky contours at the front right, but it's much harder to get your ball anywhere close to the hole if you've bailed out off the tee and you are coming in with a longer club, or approaching from off in the right-hand rough even with a short club.

Matt referred dismissively to holes which "ease you into the round," and I think it's important not to start with a dull hole, but at the same time I don't think the first hole is the best place for an exacting little pitch shot ... I'd rather give the golfer a chance to be warmed up first, and since I rarely go to the range before playing I don't expect the golfer to go, either.  Because of that, the first hole at Machrihanish seems to have the best balance of these factors for me.  It's pretty open, but no one would ever call it dull.

That first hole at Garden City is a terrific little opener, too.  If it were any later in the round it would probably be too easy, but for the first tee shot it really makes you work.  We were trying to build a similar opener at Wicked Pony although it's a bit longer and less driveable.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tom,

Further to your comments above, what are your thoughts on the 1st at Crystal Downs as an opening hole?

I love this hole. Every time someone asks about "the best opening holes in golf", this is one of the holes that immediately jumps to mind. But... EVERY TIME I've played at Crystal Downs -- 3-4 times now, I guess -- someone in my group has started the round with a trainwreck 

I'll save my thoughts to follow your response. Thanks,

[Tom_Doak]

Jeff:

I went over to see the US Senior Amateur in 1991 and followed the defending champion down the first hole, where he proceeded to make 8 into a stiff southerly breeze.  It happens to the best of them ...

I like the hole a lot, although I'm only tempted to call it a favorite opening hole because it means I'm starting to play Crystal Downs.

The train wrecks all happen because people are too aggressive with a long club for their second shot of the day.  Unless you hit a great drive, the only smart thing to do is play for the front left corner of the green (as cautiously as if you are approaching the Road Hole at St. Andrews), and then proceed from there.  Then, a mis-hit shot will wind up 30 yards short.  If you go for the middle of the green, over is dead, right is dead, and left more than 20 yards is dead.  It's a great hole, but a bit too severe for a first hole for my tastes.

[Pete Lavallee]

I'll nominate Ballybunion Old: nothing like a graveyard to the right to strike fear into a golfer!

[BCrosby]

Cuscowilla's first is a great opener. It eases you into the round while hinting at what is to come.

Peachtree's first is also a great opener. The problem is that it has little to do with the design of the 17 holes that follow and might be the best hole on the course.

ANGC's first is also a wonderful opener from the regular tees.

Bob

 

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tom,

Your response is exactly what I expected, and similar to my own thoughts.

Unless you're an exceptional golfer, I agree the most intelligent strategy is to play three shots to the green. As you mention though, it's ABSOLUTELY imperative to lay-up front left in order to pitch into the slope of the green... otherwise, getting up-and-down is a nearly impossible proposition, isn't it. And, even following a perfect lay-up, a golfer's short game is TESTED right out of the gate. This green is SLOPED and SLICK.

I think Crystal Downs' first is a great hole, too, featuring one of the most striking opening tee shots in golf. But I also agree that it's a little too severe, these days anyway -- with green speeds at 10 feet + -- for an opening hole in an ideal world.

Arriving at Crystal Downs, super-excited to play, then walking to the second tee at 3 or 4 over par is one of the most disheartening experiences in golf 

[J_ Crisham]

Chicago Golf Club has an excellent opener.You have to stripe a drive or risk not getting home in two. The green has a good bit of slope to it and a left greenside bunker that is very penal. Just a beautiful stretch of holes 1-3.
                                                           Jack

[Kyle Harris]

    In what I think was the first ever "ranking," Dan Jenkins called Merion's the best opening hole in the U.S. in an S.I. article in the 60's.
    I couldn't disagree more on Huntington Valley.  I don't think it's much of a hole at all, let alone a great opening hole.  What's the big deal about a downhill, drivable par 4 with a fairway that funnels balls toward the green and which carries little risk?  I know, HVCC is one of those courses that is sacrosanct here, and it does have a lot of great holes, but #1 isn't one of them.

Because:

-I've hit anything from 5 iron to driver off that tee, and trying to find the right line despite knowing the ball is going left is no picnic in varied weather conditions.

-You can try to drive the green, but should you miss right, You. Are. Dead. Staring double bogey straight in the face with a wedge in your hand.

-Leaving the ball short of the green is another way to make double bogey.

-The hole is best approached from the 18th fairway, meaning one never really gets the most ideal angle into the green.

-Front holes are sucker pins, back left holes are sucker pins.

-The green is a firm introduction to reading greens at Huntingdon Valley. Putts to the front hole locations seem to break uphill from the back of the green.

[Peter Pallotta]

I hope no one minds a question at this point.  It seems to me that whenever I read one of those "Best 18" lists, every hole-in-the-sequence is very well-represented, save for the 1st. 

That is, I always seem to see a whole bunch of 13th holes making the "Best 18" lists, as well as 3rd holes and 11th holes (and 14th, 4th, 16th, 8th, 17th, 5th etc etc) but rarely any 1sts. The questions:

Am I imagining this? Just need to read more lists, do I?
If I'm not imagining it, why do you think that is, i.e. why are 1st holes rarely seen as amongst the best holes in golf? I understand that they need/tend to be 'gentler', but is that across the board, and even if so, when did we become such masochists, architecturallyspeaking, that gentler became a negative word?
Has this question been discussed to death in the back pages? If so, apologies and a request to steer me in the right direction

Thanks
Peter   

[Joe Hancock]

The opener at The Dunes Club in Michigan is pretty good. Not terribly tight off the tee, but long enough and with a long, moderately narrow green as a target, it's a pretty stout opener. Plus, if I remember correctly, I think the very front right corner of the green is slightly raised in relation to the rest of the green, making a front right pin really tough.

Joe

[David Stamm]

I hope no one minds a question at this point.  It seems to me that whenever I read one of those "Best 18" lists, every hole-in-the-sequence is very well-represented, save for the 1st. 

That is, I always seem to see a whole bunch of 13th holes making the "Best 18" lists, as well as 3rd holes and 11th holes (and 14th, 4th, 16th, 8th, 17th, 5th etc etc) but rarely any 1sts. The questions:

Am I imagining this? Just need to read more lists, do I?
If I'm not imagining it, why do you think that is, i.e. why are 1st holes rarely seen as amongst the best holes in golf? I understand that they need/tend to be 'gentler', but is that across the board, and even if so, when did we become such masochists, architecturallyspeaking, that gentler became a negative word?
Has this question been discussed to death in the back pages? If so, apologies and a request to steer me in the right direction

Thanks
Peter   

Peter, keep in mind that "best" does not necessarily mean tough. I agree w/ TD, the first at Garden City is a wonderful opener and not demanding in the sense of long and stressful. It does require thought and is a good "wake up" call for the golfers intellect. The 1st at Riviera is a wonderful opener. The hole is not long by modern par 5 standards and quite reachable for the tiger, but that green!!! Rustic Canyon is another really good "warm up" hole that is not overly difficult, it just asks you to pay attention with a layup or if you choose to go for it.

[Brian_Ewen]

Royal Aberdeen

[John Chilver-Stainer]

Not necesarily the best but one that tests your distance skills rather than slam and see how far it runs out - North Berwick.

And the most difficult I had to encounter - Kilspindie which is only a Par 3 - the problem being my teeing off time at 6.30 am in November in pitch darkness - and I was in the 4th flight !!!

[Rich Goodale]

Kelly

Great call on Dornoch.  Only one of golfing refinement and with good taste would make such a choice.

Brian

Royal Aberdeen is damned close, but whilst winning many points for intimacy, architecturally the hole is too unsubtle.

In the US, Shinnecock and Merion are highly overrated and Cypress is a joke.  The three best I've played are  Peebble Beach, Pacific Dunes and NGLA, giving the latter a narrow win based on the "je ne sais quoi" criterion.  Each shines in terms of mystery.

Rich

[Shane Wright]

I have to nominate Portstewart.  The opening scene and drive with the enormous dune to the right is awesome.  It is a difficult driving hole, but a great links style hole.  The approach shot can be a bump and run onto the green and anything short can be a putt.  This is a shot where a 100 yard putt is not unusual.