Best Closing Holes

[David Stamm]

Pebble is right there for me. Wilshire is one of my favorite finishing trios, as is Valley Club. Riviera and Colonial are in the running as well.

[Kyle Henderson]

Definitely some excellent examples posted already.

Other contenders:
Pacific Dunes
Lakota Canyon Ranch
Rustic Canyon
Olympic-Lake

[Sean_A]

Well, 25 posts and not a single mention for TOC.  Wake up folks.  16 & 17 are two of the classiest classics in golf and 18 has to be about the most unusual way to finish a championship.  

I am also very fond of Burnham's and North Berwick's finish.  

Ciao

[Ben Stephens]

To my surprise of all the courses I have played this year - I would say Cavendish had the best closing holes - 16,17,18

16 - a great downhill par 4
17 - medium par 3 with a really deceptive Mackenzie green
18 - a rollercoaster finishing hole!

Redwingman's Cavendish article - http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41162.0/

An Image of front of 16th green with the 18th in the background



From the courses I have played this year I also like Hollinwell, Hunstanton (very strong finish off the championship tees) and Luffenham Heath. RSG has a strong 17 and 18 but was disappointed how easy 16 was - I would have made the green smaller.

Carnoustie has the best finish of any course I have played as proved in the last 2 Opens there ending up in a thriller!! It proves that if the harder the closing holes are the more exposed to pressure you are!

Rutland Water has a tough finish and I managed to lose a match despite being 2 up after 15 due to pressure!!

Cheers
Ben

[dsilk]

pine valley

[jim_lewis]

Dan Callahan:

This thread asks for the BEST finishing holes. When you mentioned Tobacco Road, you must have thought you were posting on the thread about blind shots.

Jim Lewis

[Mike Hendren]

Hard to beat the final 3 at Beverly CC,although I'm a bit biased! 16 is a stern par 4 at 440yds. 17 at 215yds with a severe green can be a very tough par-birdied it once in my life. 18 is a strong par 5 at 590 yds to a well bunkered severe green. The 19 th hole is my favorite !                    Will miss it for the next 5 months,   Jack

Jack, I thought of Beverly as well and it is a great testament to that golf course that the 15th hole is better than each of the final three.  In fact, Beverly's final 8 are outstanding.

Mike

[Jud_T]

Carnoustie is a very good call...So is Waterville.....

[Deucie Bies]

Oakmont, long par 3, short par 4 that is drivable in the right conditons and a tough par 4. 

[Bill_McBride]

Well, 25 posts and not a single mention for TOC.  Wake up folks.  16 & 17 are two of the classiest classics in golf and 18 has to be about the most unusual way to finish a championship.  

I am also very fond of Burnham's and North Berwick's finish.  

Ciao

Interesting you would pitch the Old and North Berwick, most of our analysts seem to think the finishers there are weak ones.

I'm with you, I love to finish with a half par hole (3-1/2 not 4-1/2).

[Bill_McBride]

Bill,

I was at the Valley Club two months ago and I cannot say I was in love with the shaved grass appearance of the areas wiithin chipping distance of the green. I do agree with you, the last three holes are the best of the course.

Bob

Well, it does put some pressure on your short game having to make all those decisions, right?   

[Sean_A]

Well, 25 posts and not a single mention for TOC.  Wake up folks.  16 & 17 are two of the classiest classics in golf and 18 has to be about the most unusual way to finish a championship.  

I am also very fond of Burnham's and North Berwick's finish.  

Ciao

Interesting you would pitch the Old and North Berwick, most of our analysts seem to think the finishers there are weak ones.

I'm with you, I love to finish with a half par hole (3-1/2 not 4-1/2).

Bill

I am all about variety and interest as more important than difficulty.  I don't see how one can get three holes in a row which offer more variety and fun than the closers on TOC and NB.   I also think it is great that a championship course offers this.  This is why TOC stands alone.

Ciao

[Anthony Gray]

Carnoustie is hard to beat... The long par 3 #16 (Barry Burn) has to be one of the hardest one shot holes in the game. Par 4 #17 offers plenty risk/reward off the tee and a well guarded green can make pin placements on the right very difficult to get to. Then there is #18, with more than enough options, carries, nasty bunkers, and history here to satisfy anyone.... and of course... Some of the most famous moments in tournament golf have also occurred here.

  This should be the winner. In tournament play no other course rivals the drama here.

  Anthony

[Ron Csigo]

I agree with Jaeger and Anthony.  Carnoustie is it.  There is nowhere to hide on it's three finishing holes. 

[John Moore II]

Dan Callahan:

This thread asks for the BEST finishing holes. When you mentioned Tobacco Road, you must have thought you were posting on the thread about blind shots.

Jim Lewis

I have to agree with that. 16 and 17 might be the weakest holes on the course. Certainly 17 is the weakest of the par 3's and 16 is pretty much optionless and nearly impossible if you can't control distance and line off the tee perfectly. 18 is a good finisher.

I think Tot Hill Farm has a better closing stretch than does Tobacco Road in my opinion.

Come to think of it, 16-18 at Tot Hill Farm might be the best I've played, I can't think of another real great closing stretch, though Tanglewood Park has a good stretch to end on.

[archie_struthers]

 

Merion 

[Jim Thornton]

My top two:

1.  Merion.

2.  Oakland Hills in it's championship set-up, with 18 playing as a long par.

Both finishes require hard earned pars.
 

[Ronald Montesano]

A.  Mention of Tot Hill's closing three is interesting, as they are the most unlike the other 15 of any course I've played (Outside of Irish, whose close I despise.)  I enjoyed the close at THF, but I would not put it anywhere near Merion, the only truly great course in PA that I've seen.  Fox Chapel's close (Prize Dogleg, Redan, Home) is actually pretty fine, now that I think of it.  I'd rank that one up there.

B.  Does it matter what length the holes are?  Short (under 250) medium (250 to 470) or long (470 and up)?  Notice I don't mention par, as it is irrelevant.  I like the idea of a blend of lengths to finish, so the Old Course's finish doesn't exactly do it for me.  Honestly, is 18 that great a hole, without the setting?  17 is terrific and 16 is undervalued (with the exception of the notoriety of the Nose bunkers), but I wouldn't rate it higher than Merion.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Hi Everyone,

I am Fairly new to this site so i apologize if this has been asked before, but  I was curious to hear everyones thoughts.

Which course do you think has the best 3 finishing holes in golf?

Look forward to hearing everyones responses

In terms of difficulty ?  Winged Foot West and Pine Tree

Diversity ? (par 3, 4, 5) Boca Rio 

Fun ?  NGLA

Challenge ? Seminole in the wind.

[Tim Bert]

It's hard for me to think of a course that I love that ends with 3 consecutive outstanding holes.  I've played a lot of courses with 2 outstanding finishers and one pretty good one or 3 really good ones, but none come to mind where the final three all blow me away.

Sand Hills might be as close as it gets for me though I'm not in love with 18.

I also liked the under-stated finishing holes at Belvedere.

[Dean DiBerardino]

If considering both diversity and difficulty, I'll nominate the closing holes at Canterbury:

16th – 610 yard rollercoaster par 5. (Once a par 6)
17th – 230 yard par 3 uphill to a two-tier, plateau green fronted on both sides by bunkers.
18th – 440 yard uphill par 4. (40 ft. rise from tee to green)

There are no par 5 to par 4 conversions on this finish either.

[Jon Wiggett]

Interesting you would pitch the Old and North Berwick, most of our analysts seem to think the finishers there are weak ones.

I'm with you, I love to finish with a half par hole (3-1/2 not 4-1/2).

Bill,

I think you're confusing good with hard (or the other way round?). Good is usually also interesting and enjoyable . Hard is usually just hard

[Patrick_Mucci]

Dean,

Good call on Canterbury with variety and challenge.
I was lucky enough to play in the US Amateur there in 1979.

How could I forget Shinnecock's finish, which offers a par 5, 3 and 4 ?
Variety and challenge !

[Dean DiBerardino]

Dean,

Good call on Canterbury with variety and challenge.
I was lucky enough to play in the US Amateur there in 1979.

How could I forget Shinnecock's finish, which offers a par 5, 3 and 4 ?
Variety and challenge !

Pat:

It’s very ironic that you should mention that!  I work at Shaker Heights which, as you know, hosted the stroke play qualifying for the 1979 US Amateur along with Canterbury.  I was looking at the signature board from the tournament a few weeks ago that hangs in the Shaker clubhouse and saw your name on it!  That was one heck of a star-studded field!   

BTW, great call on Shinnecock.

[Gib_Papazian]

Gentlemen,

Beyond NGLA, the most unique FOUR hole finish in the world is at Prestwick. Actually from the 13th tee onward, I can think of no peer.

Selah,
g