Favorite hole that takes driver out of your hand

[Bill Hyde]

Bradley Anderson's post about 13 at Franklin Hills made me think of this...an amazing hole that takes driver out of your hands. Par 4, about 325. It's a downhill tee shot that drops about 40 feet, then rises to a green at the same level as the tee. The fairway ends about 60 yards short of the green which - back uphill 40' is all of 2500 sq. feet and falls off on all sides about 15' to pesky bunkers and brutal rough.

You can hit driver and a lot of guys in qualifiers do, actually, over to the 14th tee is the best miss, but the smart play is iron or hybrid to an approach you can put some spin on out of the fairway.

What's your favorite hole that keeps driver in the bag?

[jeffwarne]

Bradley Anderson's post about 13 at Franklin Hills made me think of this...an amazing hole that takes driver out of your hands. Par 4, about 325. It's a downhill tee shot that drops about 40 feet, then rises to a green at the same level as the tee. The fairway ends about 60 yards short of the green which - back uphill 40' is all of 2500 sq. feet and falls off on all sides about 15' to pesky bunkers and brutal rough.

You can hit driver and a lot of guys in qualifiers do, actually, over to the 14th tee is the best miss, but the smart play is iron or hybrid to an approach you can put some spin on out of the fairway.

What's your favorite hole that keeps driver in the bag?

#5 Long Cove

[J_ Crisham]

                    4th at Lancaster , one of the great short par 4's in the game. Terrifying second shot with only  a wedge.
                                                                              Jack

[Tom_Doak]

I rarely hit driver on any of the short par-4 holes at Crystal Downs, but the 7th hole is the only one where I wouldn't recommend it to anyone (except maybe a Tour pro).  The fairway drops off a shelf at the 190-yard mark, so I usually hit a 4-iron and go from there.  If you take a longer club, even if you get it to the bottom and don't leave it in the rough on the downslope, there is only a tiny area from where you can hit the second shot back up the hill without tree interference ... plus, the shot is going to be blind back up to the green.

Then again, some people think the 8th hole at Pebble Beach is the best hole in golf, and only the B players hit driver there.

[Kevin Pallier]

For me - Top5:
Kingston Heath #3
Portsea #13
RMW #10
CPC #9
Riviera #10

[Zack Molnar]

Tom beat me to it. I was going to say the 8th at Pebble, especially with how they cut the fairway for the Open angled toward the ocean taking away hitting driver down the left. This leaves a different second shot compared with many of the other holes that take away driver, as you now have a much longer club in your hand compared to the 350 yarder. the only problem i see with 8 at PB is that there arent the options available with holes such as 10 at riviera or holes at CD

[Rob Swift]

Kingston Heath 3rd,

At just 269m, the 3rd at the Heath is a great short Par 4. No matter how far you hit your tee shot the pitch into the green is a daunting one with the small well bunkered green that would put the fear into most level of golfers.

[Sean_A]

Generally speaking I would say par 3s.  There aren't many short or long 4s I like which have taken driver out of my hands.  Off the top of my head I can't think of one, but there must be a few.  Now if we are talking holes where driver may not be the best choice there are too many to count.  I am very partial to Stoneham's 13th.  A blind tee shotof some 275 yards to a very narrow green with a bunker protecting the front right from the easy bailout drive to the right and woods down the left.  Its so simple and potentially devestating.

   

Ciao

[David_Elvins]

For me - Top5:
Kingston Heath #3
Portsea #13
RMW #10
CPC #9
Riviera #10

For someone that thinks Driver is a legitimate play at Kingston Heath #9, I am a little surprised that you think Driver is taken out of the hand at those holes.  The only one of those 5 holes where I haven't seen professionals hit driver regularly is CPC #9.  and that is because I haven't been there. 

Pebble Beach 8 is a good obvious nomination. 

Pine Valley must have a few nominations, must it not?

[Kevin Pallier]

David

I took the premise of the OP to be specific to me not the professionals.

I'll bite re: your KH #9 reference in that I said driver is an option there - but certainly not a risk free one.

[David_Elvins]

KP,

My point was one of relativism.  If Driver is an option on KH#9 then surely it is an option of 3.  I would classify all the holes you listed as great drivable par 4s.  Which I think is different to the holes that are designed not to be driven.

[Jamie Barber]

6th at Deal must be a contender (well I guess driver is an option, but not one I'd try)

[Jordan Wall]

8 at Cypress
8 at Pebble
16 at Pasatiempo
18 at Olympic

[Ron Farris]

One day I watched my mother take a driver and a putter and play 9 holes.  I thought to myself, that is pretty cool, she is 85 and plays the most simple game you ever saw.  Driver - putter, how uncomplicated is that.  She bunts it down the fairway when hazards exist, making sure to avoid.  So taking driver out of one's hands is relative to the player.  I try not to take driver out of people's hands, but I can say that I have built a few holes where it is pretty risky to hit driver.  Most notably the seventh hole at my home course in the Black Hills, 295 yards from the back tee, bunker 50 yards short right with steep cross slope, bunker protecting the 90% of the front of the green, OB behind the green, OB left of the green, steep slope right of green.  Most people lay up with rescue clubs, irons, etc.  I hit driver nearly every time and state that I would rather be in the bunker on my drive and not with my second shot. 

[JR Potts]

#11 at Shoreacres.
#11 at Merion.

[Carr Harris]

I just played TCC (Pepper Pike) last week and their 17th hole fits that bill perfectly. Great hole, but there is no reason to ever hit driver there unless you are in to a 70 mph headwind.

[David Whitmer]

Muirfield Village, hole #14. I wish the tees would be moved up more often to dangle that carrot of driving the green in front of you.

[PCCraig]

#13 at Shoreacres. I love hitting the hard hooking 2-iron/hybrid and that hole is perfect for it.

Come to think of it #11-14 at SA are the best stretch of non-driver holes I can think of in a row. Love standing on the 15th tee holding a driver and saying "well I haven't seen you for a while!"

[Mike Hendren]

I'm fond of the 15th at Belle Meade CC in Nashville, though driver is an option.  Short par four that bends gently around some majestic trees.  There's a generously wide plain up to 200 yards off the tee before a deep bunker cut into an abrupt rise that crosses the fairway enroaches slightly from the right.  It's jail.   After the abrupt rise there is a small plateau 230 yards to 260 yards out between bunkers that leaves a simple pitch with a better angle.  One can attempt to thread a cut driver between bunkers with trees right and OB beyond a stacked stone wall abutting the back of the green but the precision is demanding.  The hole is nicely routed through the corner of the property at its northern end.  Unfortunately the a cart path crosses the fairway about 260 yards out.  At one time it was maintained with chipped wood which impeded an agressive drive from bounding forward toward the green.   Not sure about now.  


Mike

[Sean Leary]

 

Pine Valley must have a few nominations, must it not?


[/quote]

Sure does.

1, 2, 6, 8, 11, 12, and 17.

Before the lengthening of back tees, you could add 4, 7, and for reasonably long hitters, 13 and 18.

[Wade Whitehead]

8 at Pebble.

WW

[Mike Benham]

4th at Olympic Lake ...

[Tom Huckaby]

Shivas - you are not so long such that driver is taken out of your hand on #11 Pasa.  It's been discussed many times in here... you gotta get that as far up the hill as you can... and I have yet to see anyone go through the fairway straight.  If driver is taken out of your hand there, that's operator error.

I'lll take your word for the rest of them.

Interesting how this is all relative also... #4 OClub Lake is certainly a non-driver hole for power-fader Benham, but sure as heck not for drawer of the ball and much shorter off the tee me.  I also can certainly hit driver and most of the times should on #8 CPC.  In fact, there are VERY few holes where the driver is for sure taken out of my hands.. it's by far my straightest club, and there would have to be a fall off a cliff at 250 or less for this to really take effect.

So put me down for #8 Pebble.

[Matt Bosela]

#7 at Sand Hills but only if it's playing downwind...complete sucker play to go for that thimble of a green with the menacing bunker to the left. 

If it's into the wind, you can bang a driver up the right side to leave a little pitch up the hill - still no bargain but at least doable.

[Sean Leary]

Shivas - you are not so long such that driver is taken out of your hand on #11 Pasa.  It's been discussed many times in here... you gotta get that as far up the hill as you can... and I have yet to see anyone go through the fairway straight.  If driver is taken out of your hand there, that's operator error.

I'lll take your word for the rest of them.

Interesting how this is all relative also... #4 OClub Lake is certainly a non-driver hole for power-fader Benham, but sure as heck not for drawer of the ball and much shorter off the tee me.  I also can certainly hit driver and most of the times should on #8 CPC.  In fact, there are VERY few holes where the driver is for sure taken out of my hands.. it's by far my straightest club, and there would have to be a fall off a cliff at 250 or less for this to really take effect.

So put me down for #8 Pebble.

It is a long way up that hill on 11 at Pasa. The drive plays way longer than the yardage. I was fooled the first couple of times I played it....