Toughest Forced Carries you have played

[Joe]

What are some of the toughest forced carries you have played? Castle Pines' No. 10 comes to mind. It is a 485-yard, par 4, requiring an approach shot measuring more than 210 yards over water to the green. You might have a downhill lie and the pin is often tucked far right behind the pond.

[SPDB]

par 3 at Hudson National, i believe it is about a 230 yard carry.

[Ran Morrissett]

2 at Victoria National is both tough and super appealing, as the longer carry rewards the golfer with the better angle into the green.

See its picture in the course profile - it would have to be one of my 2 or 3 favorite Fazio holes of all time.

[Bryan C]

#17 at Giants Ridge. I believe it measures 226 from the back.

[Gib_Papazian]

#15 at Cuscowilla . . . . or #10 at Cuscowilla.

Into the wind on #9 at Mid Ocean.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Joe,

The Medalist has some intimidating forced carries and the wind can make them next to impossible on both tee shots and second shots.

Old Marsh has a few as well, as does Seminole.

NGLA has a good number of holes that forced carries are confronted for different levels of golfers, depending how they elect to play each hole.

#'s 1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10,12,13,14,15,16,17, and # 18.

The difficulty of each carry in many cases is dependent on the wind.

[Doug Wright]

I don't really view #10 at Castle Pines as a "forced carry." There's plenty of bail out room to the left and short if you're out of position. I look at a "forced carry" as a shot where you have no option but to carry, ie a stream or other water hazard bisecting the fairway. See, eg, "Tin Cup" or last year's PGA.

All The Best,

[Paul_Turner]

Back tee at the 4th at Royal County Down

[W.H. Cosgrove]

#3 at Bandon.  Particularly into the south wind.

[CHrisB]

#14, Waterwood National, near Huntsville, TX; 225 yards entirely over water to a green perched on a cliff 15-20 feet above the water, with no layup area!

[nandoal]

#10 at Bel-Air...

[Hoosier]

#16 at Cypress.  Luckily I played on a abnormally calm day.  I think the beach below the green has to be one of the best natural sand hazards ever - when the tide is out!

[John_Conley]

This one's easy for me.  The first three courses at Bonita Bay have very difficult forced carries.  Get them into a breeze and it is hard to get it in play.  #2 Marsh and #13 Bay Island are the most severe, with #18 Bay Island possibly the longest - although that tee is seldom used.  Carry distances are probably 225-230 for the first two, and maybe as much as 250 on the last.  Downwind?  No problem.  Any other wind and they can play tough.

Funny story about #18.  According to U.S. Open Champion Low Graham, the way to play the hole is to snap a drive left across the red line so you can at least take some forward progress.  Bomb a wood and hope you can get up-and-down for bogie from about 70 yards.  He says, and I agree with this part, you might not carry enough of the lake to get more than a few yards on your drop if you push it and don't get over.

[Gene Greco]

#2 Sand Hills into the wind from the championship tee left of the 1st green. Virtually impossible in a strong wind.

[Brad Tufts]

I've never played it...but i've seen it from the Pali Highway above the course...Koolau Golf Club...i hear the 18th is a 460+ par 4 with a carry of 230 from the tee over inpenetrable jungle followed by a 220+ carry to a bunkered green over more jungle....sounds like a blast.

[Thomas_Brown]

I second the mention of #10 at Bel Air.
#4 at RCD is one of the best par three holes I've played.

[TEPaul]

The tips at Old Head's #18 into the wind--particularly as it took me a while to get over the vertigo enough to hit the tee shot!

The second toughest forced carry was when they had to force carry me off that tip tee back to what looked like real land!

[A_Clay_Man]

While they aren't as tough today, the forced carries at Pebble beach must've been something back in the day.

Lawsonia, with the large ridges to carry, always caused a slight pucker.

Spanish bay's back, when the wind is a blow'in, ain't no slouch either. Not even a tremendous slouch.

[JohnV]

#6 at Crosswater is among the hardest I've seen.  About 250 from the back tee with no bailout except for chipping to a forward tee.  Fortunately it is as 4000+ feet elevation.

#18 at Pumpkin Ridge, Witch Hollow is about 210 from the tips, but is actually more intimidating from the blues at 180 because you are looking through the wetlands rather than over them.

#3 at Bandon is really hard, especially into the wind, but at least you usually can find your ball.

[Dan Kelly]

In the third round of the US Open at Hazeltine in 1991, with the wind up and in their faces, the greatest players in the world were almost completely incapable of dealing with the forced carry at No. 16. Most of them bailed out left and took their chances with the wicked rough and a little creek over there. It was really fun to watch.

That one has to qualify.

[guest]

Dan,
Re: 16 at Hazeltine. Is that good architecture?

[Scott_Burroughs]

I agree with some mentioned already, such as #3 Bandon, #18 Koolau (thanks for reminding me!  Possibly the toughest finisher I've ever played.), and JohnV mentioned Crosswater's #6, which I'd nominate for the second biggest carry at Crosswater, after #5 immediately before it from the two back tees.  I guess it's a bigger carry for a driver to cut the cape-ish drive to make the hole shorter, but it might have to be a 3-wood further to the right, so as not to go through fairway.  Was more intimidating than #6 to me.

Other big carries off the top of my head:

#10 at DuPont-Louviers (now Deerfield)

#2 at Strantz' Stonehouse from the alternate back tee over the water (Stonehouse has several other big carries, but this is the biggest)

#2 Augustine (Stafford, VA)

#12 (par 3) Dunes Golf & Beach (from tips)

#11 Center Valley (PA) to reach main fairway (very awkward hole)

#4 Reserve Vineyards - Cupp course (OR)

#2, #13, and #18 Tobacco Road (and there's still more)

#14 (tips) Tanglewood Park (Championship course)

#2, #5, #14, #16 Wolf Creek (NV)

#6 Maderas

[mike_beene]

Number 3 at Mauna Kea if played from RTJones back tee(which is not used to my understanding).Supposedly Gary Player said he was going home if that tee was used for "Big Three Golf"Don't know if that's true but RTJones could build some long 3 pars.

[Matt_Ward]

Scott B:

The 2nd and 5th atWolf Creek generally play downwind and are not as exacting as you think -- they are not pushovers either.

My best bet would be the 16th at the Geronimo Course at Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, AZ). The hole plays 491 yards and is usually into a headwind. The championship tee is set on a different angle than the other boxes. You must carry a wash a minimum of 240 yards and that figure usually increases the more you hit right. You're thinking of this hole for at least 2-3 holes prior to getting there.

As a back-up I would offer the former Jaws Hole at Stone Harbor (Cape May, NJ) designed by the late Desmond Muirhead. The hole featured a diamond shaped green at 190 yards from the tips and was also usually into the wind. The 17th at TPC / Sawgrass is child's play compared to the old 7th at SH.

[Dave_Miller]

Joe:  
Number 18, from the back tees, on the East Course at Admirals Cove, Jupiter, Fl.  If the tee shot is not placed perfectly down the left middle or missed at all the second shot can be anywhere from 180yds to 220yds with the last 100 over water to the green.  No way to come up short.  There is some room left for a shot drawn too much or pulled but still has to clear the water. Green is two tiered and slopes back to front.
Best
Dave Miller