Best Par 5 Openers? Sand Hills, Kingsley?

[Matt_Ward]

There are a number of contenders -- Kingsley and Greywalls are really superior for me.  I place SH's opener a bit behind those two.

Another one to keep in mind -- the 1st at DM's Geronimo Course -- visually striking and offers plenty of risk and reward options for its length.

[Matthew Petersen]

I haven't played many courses with par 5 openers and even fewer of them where I thought it was a good starting hole. (I haven't played Sand Hills, Pine Needles, or Kingsley).

But the par 5 first at saddle Rock in Aurora, CO was a very good hole, quite representative of the course, and offered plenty of challenge as well as the potential to start your day with a birdie.

[Jimmy Muratt]

The opening par 5 at Sand Hills is the best I've seen.....  Kingsley's is very good also....

Two other favorites of mine are the openers at Old Sandwich and Boston Golf Club. 

[Thomas McQuillan]

Was the old 1st at Banff a par 5??

[JC Jones]

I definitely see the similarities between the two openers.  I've not played Sand Hills so I can't speak to it.

For those who have played both, and I know Matt Ward has commented that he thinks Kingsley's is better than Sand Hills, which do you think is better and why?  Or, are they both equally good.  Which is another testament to Kingsley as Tom Doak said Sand Hills #1 was the second best par 5 opener in the world.

Tom,

Like George, I'd be curious to hear what you think of Kingsley's opener given that Sand Hills is #2 in the world for you.

[Tim Martin]

Not the toughest 5 around but a solid opener to ease into the round is Taconic.

[Jim Tang]

To JC -

I think they are both equally good.  I know that is sort of the easy way out, but both are such wonderful golf holes.

Each green is built into the sadle of two dunes, one on each side.  Each green is very interesting with a lot of slope and countour.  The green at Sand Hills is much more elevated.

The big difference between to two is the drive and the second shot.  At Kingsley, you have basically three options off the tee; take the low road on the left, take the high road atop the hill on the right, or challenge the center line bunkers and blow it over the top.  Obviously, the last options has the most risk, but also offers the most reward.  Flying the bunkers allows you to catch the downslope on the other side, giving you a shot at the green in two.  I think the first at Kingsley is more of a risk/reward type hole.  The second shot is a pretty simple layup, unless you have taken the low road on the left, which offers a weird angle.

The drive at Sand Hills is sweet.  It is a forced carry over a ravine and prairie grass.  The further left you go, the more carry you have and the easier the angle for the second shot becomes.  The safter you play it, out to the right, the less you need to carry, but now the hole is longer and the angle for the second shot is much more difficult, and somewhat blind.  I am not sure if you get the drive far enough left you can get home in two anyway.  I could be wrong.  My group was there 2 days for 3 rounds and everyone just sort of banged it center or right center.  No one even tried to get home in two.  It just seemed there wasn't a lot of reward taking the ball down the extreme left side.  At Kingsley, everyone in my group was challenging the bunkers in the center.

[Scott Warren]

I was going to nominate St Enodoc, but I see Sean beat me to it.

A thrilling drive over rollicking dunes that is wider than it might seem.
Risk/reward on the blind second shot.
The first of many amazing views over the estuary and ocean.
A brilliant greensite.

It may be the best hole on the course.

[David_Madison]

Jupiter Hills #1 is a pretty neat hole. The tee shot is from well above the fairway - I'm not sure how much, but I'd guess at least 60'. That's practically a mountain for South Florida. The rest of the hole is solid, with a tricky little green that's perched up a couple of feet from the fairway. You think that it's an easy birdie, as the hole isn't terribly long, but the small green is not easy to hit in two. The hole definitely gets you into the round and announces that you are in for something completely different from what you are otherwise used to in that area.

[Jon Heise]

More fun w/ pictures...  Greywalls #1, Pine Needles #1.

[Matt_Ward]

The approach shot to the 1st at Greywalls is really something to behold. Even with a big time tee shot and the right rollout one still needs to be really careful about the fall-offs -- especially on the left side -- very tough to get up'n down if you miss on that side.

Just a great hole to start the round and frankly I don't see any other public USA course that I have played for under $150 that can challenge it.

[Ed Oden]

Jim Tang, #1 at Sand Hills is definitely reachable in 2 shots, at least downwind, which I assume is the prevailing direction during summer months.

Ed

[Jim Tang]

Ed -

Interesting.  We played it last July and both days there was very little wind and the couse was playing a bit soft due to a very wet summer in NE last year.

[Roger Wolfe]

Bart, I've seen none better than the first hole at Sand Hills (especially the second time around there).    I am also a big fan of the opener at Pine Needles.  Just a terrific hole in my opinion.  Ditto for Wade Hampton.

Ed

Ditto for Carolina Golf Club in Charlottte.

[Scott Szabo]

#1 at Sand Hills can definitely be reached in two shots.  I'm not a long hitter by any means and can't get a fairway wood airborn to save my life, so I usually play it Driver and 4 iron or so to about 60-70 yards or so at the bottom of the rise.  I played last July as well and one of the kids that we played had a go at it in two and definitely would have been long enough to get there, unfortunately not straight enough.  It did play quite slow this past summer due to the heavy rains the area had.

And Ed, please don't get us started talking about the prevailing winds at Sand Hills....

[Jerry Kluger]

I have had the opportunity to play #1 at Sand Hills about 10 times and I still find it a very tough opening hole.  The wind can be blowing from any direction so you don't get comfortable with the line to play or the shape of the tee shot.  You know that you want to hug the left side and I have seen more balls miss to the left of the bunker than land in the fairway - it seems that players don't want to play safe to the right as there is a feeling that you will hit it through the fairway.  You can get it up pretty close but the ball does tend to bounce right and getting to within 70 yards is really tough.  Now you have to hit it to a really elevated green which is very deep and undulating.  You don't want to go all the up to the green to determine the hole location so you can have a really difficult and very fast putt with the wind howling.  To me, it is the best par 5 on the course and one of the best par 5s I have played and it can certainly ring up a big number.  My only criticism is that it is arguably too demanding for an opener. 

[Tom Huckaby]

I too have played #1 Sand Hills somewhere around a dozen times, and I agree with Jerry - it is not an easy golf hole.  However, I don't see that as a negative at all... it's not beastly hard either and can be played safely and cautiously with not great execution required.  As I see it, it's a perfect introduction to that course... right on the tee, you see that you're gonna have to think and you're gonna have to execute if you want to take a risk.  There's an easy way and a harder way... just as occurs on much of the rest of the course.  It's drop-dead gorgeous (as the pictures here show).. for me it's just a great, great golf hole, the best #1 I have played.  Strongest contender for me there is Spylgass Hill.  I have not played Kingsley or Greywalls or Machrihanish.

Note also - it can be reached in two - I am average length and I have done it - but yes it requires a downwind for me.   The cool thing is for really long hitters, downwind is not required.. so that gets them thinking nearly ever time they play.... how far left do they cut the tee shot?  Do they really want to try to thread a long shot up through the neck to the green?  I find those kinda choices and temptations to be very very cool.  Get them thinking, make them execute... and if they want a safe way, well there is a lot of room short and right on each of the tee shot and 2nd shot.

The green is maddening as well... massive break front to back... putts from back to front and even side to side must be played very carefully, lest going off the green (and 50 yards down the hill) be one's fate.

Just a great golf hole.

[Ed Oden]

And Ed, please don't get us started talking about the prevailing winds at Sand Hills....

Scott, I slipped that in on purpose to see if anyone would take the bait!

[Scott Szabo]

And Ed, please don't get us started talking about the prevailing winds at Sand Hills....

Scott, I slipped that in on purpose to see if anyone would take the bait!

Any more discussion about the "prevailing winds" at Sand Hills and we'll have to get Mr. Greco a pair of boxing gloves to defend his beloved club!