YOUR FAVORITE HOLE AT OLD MAC

[Anthony Gray]

  What is it and why? You can only pick one!!

  Anthony

[Anthony Gray]

  OK..I'll start.

  Number 7. Not a replica hole but my favorite ironically on a replica course. Space for the drive and one of the best short iron shots to a green to be found. I always see aesthics first and this hole may be the most aesthic on the tee from the fairway and even greater from the green. The length of the hole also makes more playable for the shorter hitter. The 2nd shot is short but a challenge.

   Anthony

[Mike Benham]

Do you need to have played the course to reply?

[Anthony Gray]

Do you need to have played the course to reply?

  Not at all Mike. For the sake off discussion it would be neat to hear opinions.

  Anthony

 

[Greg Tallman]

Never been there but I am going with #7 seeing as how I am a short hitter.

That's funny I suddenly have a craving for some oysters.

[Tom Jefferson]

I'll take #6............great interest on all shots in any wind pattern,  beit the drive, the second that plays either around, short, or over Hell Bunker, and the problems to solve on and around the green.

Tom Jefferson, CGCS
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

[Bill Brightly]

I would not even attempt to rank the holes there after one round. There are so many great holes and SO much to to study.

I'll say this, if one test of a great course is wanting to go from the 18th green to the first tee, Old Macdonald passed with flying colors.

The worst part was that the walk back to the clubhouse took us right past the first tee. Playing again was not a legal option as the course was not yet officially open. Rob, Gib and I looked at each other and all had the same thought: "How much trouble would we get in if we just carried our bags and took off for the first tee?"

Anthony, on the other hand, had somewhere else he rather be...

[JC Jones]

  OK..I'll start.

  Number 7. Not a replica hole but my favorite ironically on a replica course. Space for the drive and one of the best short iron shots to a green to be found. I always see aesthics first and this hole may be the most aesthic on the tee from the fairway and even greater from the green. The length of the hole also makes more playable for the shorter hitter. The 2nd shot is short but a challenge.

   Anthony

WOW.  A proper use of the word, ironically.  When 99.9% of the people mis-use this word it is but a bit surprising that the hillbilly dentist gets it right. 

[Mac Plumart]

#1...no doubt about it.

Why?

I haven't played the course and being on hole #1 would mean that I am actually there and being on the first tee box means I've got 18 holes to go and after I pick my ball up out of the hole, I've still got 17 to go!

 So the first hole is my favorite hole at Old Mac!   

[Bill_McBride]

  OK..I'll start.

  Number 7. Not a replica hole but my favorite ironically on a replica course. Space for the drive and one of the best short iron shots to a green to be found. I always see aesthics first and this hole may be the most aesthic on the tee from the fairway and even greater from the green. The length of the hole also makes more playable for the shorter hitter. The 2nd shot is short but a challenge.

   Anthony

WOW.  A proper use of the word, ironically.  When 99.9% of the people mis-use this word it is but a bit surprising that the hillbilly dentist gets it right. 

AND spelled it right!

[Terry Lavin]

The Biarritz hole is my favorite.  You get a taste of the ocean at your back for reverse eye candy, if you will, and then a great view to the downhill green which is positively massive.  It looks like a soccer field, for Chrissakes!  It's bold, dramatic and fun, all at the same time.

[Bill Brightly]

The Biarritz hole is my favorite.  You get a taste of the ocean at your back for reverse eye candy, if you will, and then a great view to the downhill green which is positively massive.  It looks like a soccer field, for Chrissakes!  It's bold, dramatic and fun, all at the same time.

[Bill Brightly]

And here is the eye candy Terry speaks of:

[Jaeger Kovich]

Short.. Its all about the green

[Bill Brightly]

The Eden at OM is the best I have ever played. Better than National and Sleepy Hollow. (I have not played TOC)

[Brian Stewart]

It is truly hard to pick just one.  I think I will go with 16, Alps.  It just seemed very well designed to me.  On the first day I played it I hit nearly a perfect drive with a hard left to right wind and had ~190 left from the far right edge of the FW but could see the green just fine.  On day 2 in basically no wind I hit pretty much the exact same shot and had 130 left but was right behind on the dune.  Both times resulted in two putt pars but how can you not love a hole that is that much fun with or without wind.  The challenges were similar in difficulty but completely different in execution.   

All that said, the only very slight negative we could come up with on any hole was the FW bunker placement on 10.  Both days I played drives  up 6 instead which also resulted in two easy pars while my playing partners struggled from either the FW bunkers or the FW.  I didn't see any way for me to thread a well struck drive around the traps but the 6th FW is wide open and provides a great angle. 

[Mac Plumart]

So, I am curious...is the course as great as people had hoped?

[Mike Jansen]

I will not get the chance to play the finishe product until August, but from my tour of the course back in Feb '08 I am looking forward to seeing how the 3rd hole turn out the most.  From what I recall, you aimed your tee shot at a dead tree sitting atop a huge dune, fired a blind tee hot over the dune to a generous landing area, and the hole ran downhill a little on the approach.  From atop that carry dune, was your first glimpse of the entire course below you... can't wait!

[Anthony Gray]

Never been there but I am going with #7 seeing as how I am a short hitter.

That's funny I suddenly have a craving for some oysters.

  Wait until tomarrow Greg. Yo algo mas.


  Ant

[Anthony Gray]

  OK..I'll start.

  Number 7. Not a replica hole but my favorite ironically on a replica course. Space for the drive and one of the best short iron shots to a green to be found. I always see aesthics first and this hole may be the most aesthic on the tee from the fairway and even greater from the green. The length of the hole also makes more playable for the shorter hitter. The 2nd shot is short but a challenge.

   Anthony

WOW.  A proper use of the word, ironically.  When 99.9% of the people mis-use this word it is but a bit surprising that the hillbilly dentist gets it right. 

  I think gets it CORRECTLY would be more appropiate.

[Joe Bentham]

I really like #12, Redan.  When its blowing from the north, I think it is the hardest hole on the course to make a par on.  I look forward to watching players hit well struck shots that are either too much club, left of the ideal target or both and struggle to get up and down from the left hand side of the green complex.

[Bill Brightly]

Short.. Its all about the green

Jaeger,

Hopefully this gives an idea of what is happening on this green

[Steve Lang]

  Definitely the Road Hole.. I REALLY wanted to see their take on its character.  How I played is secondary, but still influential.

At TOC the Road Hole was my most anticipated hole to play beyond #1 (similar to previous comment) and #18 (TO WALK THRU THE VALLEY OF SIN).  To hit over the shed (with no fear about losing it into the hotel) and challenge the green from the right side of the fairway, to get it to stop on the green and one putt.. almost pulled it off (alas, a two putt par from 10 feet felt quite good nonetheless)

At OM the Road Hole tee shot presents a strong visual issue if you want to go right vs play safe left with its consequences.. the slightly elevated tee lets you see the diagonal fairway which gets you thinking (vs what you have to picture in your minds eye at TOC) but the crap right is there to fly over.. which i did.  the approach was a deja vu of sorts except this time it bounced up and rolled off next to the bunker.  A putt up the bunker's right edge almost holed, alas a two putt par felt good again... i smile with two Road Hole memories.

[Bill_McBride]

Pretty cool that almost everybody picked a different hole!   

[Eric Smith]

Short.. Its all about the green

Jaeger,

Hopefully this gives an idea of what is happening on this green

Holy smokes that's the best picture I've seen yet of Old Macdonald.  That is awesome!!  Thanks for taking that shot Bill!