[Matthew Rose]

Once in awhile I see holes like this in record books or in trivia contests. "The 6th hole at _____ golf club in Japan/China/Maine/El Salvador is a 936 yard par 7".

I have never had the (mis?) fortune of playing such a monstrosity, so I don't really have any idea whether I would enjoy having to hit four times to reach a green in regulation. I routinely took four and five full shots to reach the greens when I was a junior golfer playing the white tees for the first time and I didn't really like it much.

Are par-6s and par-7s just silly gimmicks, or is there any interesting architectural or strategic merit in this? I guess I'd like to ask everyone here if they've ever seen a par-5+ that they thought was a good hole.

It seems to me like some sort of ego-trip phallus-measuring device employed by people who want to have their name in a record book and nothing more.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Matthew, we have a hole that is 696 yards from the back tee (although there is another one 31 yards further back that could be used). Some like it, some dont. It is 3 big shots, rarely would I hit an iron third shot. 700 yards is 1 drive of 250 followed by 2 bangs of 225, so quite long, 696 must border par 6 territory. It is possible I think that you could have a long hole and have some intresting architecture, the key probably is an interesting second shot.This one suffers from a dullish second to be fair. I would imagine par 7s and 8s are crazyish, but could be a marketing gimmick. I had a potential course where I could have had a very downhill 500 yard par 5, not a bad hole really but you could get on it one when it was firm...my thoughts were people would go play this course just to play this hole.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Matthew,

The only one I've played is on the back nine at Bright Castle (Co. Down) and it was pretty unmemorable. I'm not sure if it was a par 6 or 7, but it was about 700 yds with no strategy or thought required. It's a very amateurish course designed by a scratch golfer who liked long holes. I think it was only included as a silly gimmick.

[Tom_Doak]

Matthew,

Unfortunately, all such holes are conceived as marketing gimmicks.

That was not true in olden days.  Blackheath in England had a hole that must have been a par 6, and it was an interesting test in a day where hitting the ball solidly with a long club was not so simple, and fairway lies required more technique.  Today, the only merit would be to make great players hit a 3 wood out of the fairway (which they almost never do), and possibly see someone have a putt for an albatross.

[JohnV]

If you use the standard yardage numbers from the USGA's course ratings, 691 yards or longer would be a par 6.  911 yards or longer would be a par 7.
 

[Brad Tufts]

Maplewood Casino on Rte. 302 in New Hampshire has a par 6, and it's a Ross course.

Not sure why though, because the hole is 590.  In my one play there about 5 years ago, I hit D-3w-8i, and made a 2-putt birdie 5!

[Jon Wiggett]

Didn't Prestwick have a really long hole in the distant past? There is a John Chilver-Stainer,who is a poster on this site, has a course in Switzerland that has a par 6 from the backs at 666 m (about 730 yards).

Jon

[Adrian_Stiff]

Didn't Prestwick have a really long hole in the distant past? There is a John Chilver-Stainer,who is a poster on this site, has a course in Switzerland that has a par 6 from the backs at 666 m (about 730 yards).

Jon

John - The 1st at Prestwick was 578 yards back in the old 12 holer days. Par 6 holes were common some 100 years ago although they were more called Bogey 6. I think there were even Bogey 7s. Quite a few courses were Bogey 80, and a Bogey 72 would quite often be a par 64 now as the 5s were kinda 380 yards and 4s started at about 210.
Perhaps the key to a modern par 6 is introducing some kind of risk reward to make the green in 3 shots

[Wade Schueneman]

Didn't the original Machrie have a few of these?

I have wanted to inquire about this for some time.  It seems to me that a true 4 or 5 shotter could have GREAT strategic merit.  While a 3 shotter may be reached in 2 by a skilled player, that generally only yields a half shot advantage as other players will generally have wedges for their third shots.  On the other hand, the Tiger golfer might be able to reach a 900+ yard par 7 in 3 shots with skilled and aggressive play while poor play might mean reaching the green in 5 shots.   

 

[Sean_A]

Considering the tour driving ave is 287 yards and average fairways hit is 63%, I am guessing that a small percentage of guys are gonna be hitting a 900 yard hole in three if the hole is well designed or if the typical pga type setup is involved.  Hitting it in four should be relatively easy for a gimme birdie.  No, its a dubious concept for the pros and I see absolutely no point in this type of hole for non-top dogs. 

It seems to me that a really good par 5 is a rarity these days.  So why are we looking to build par 5+?  If length is such an issue why is it we can't reduce the par of the course?  Everybody seems to think par is important so why not lower par?  I am all in favour of doing this and bringing back the bogey system for us hacks rather than adding yards.  I say down with the concept of par above 5 and indeed par 5s should be fairly rare as they are generally some of the weakest (read boring, most time and resource consuming) holes on courses. 

Ciao

[Carl Johnson]

Black Mountain Golf Club is a municipal course in Black Mountain, NC (near Asheville) with a 747 yard par 6.  The course (just over 6,200 yards overall from the back tees) is a typical small town muni, with all that implies, but the hole in question provides some interest, I believe, for the average golfer on a course that otherwise has little to distinguish it.

[Matthew Petersen]

There was a private club not too far from where I grew up in Denver called Los Verdes (since totally re-done by Nicklaus, i believe, and called Cherry Creek) that had a par 6. It was essentially nothing more than a very long par 5--one you would typically approach with a longer third shot, but not a hard hole to make a 5 on.

[Wade Schueneman]

Sean,

I do not see all the experts on in 4 with gimmie birdie putts if the hole is strategically laid out and bunkered.  Imagine the pros playing to th 14th green at TOC from the white tees at #13.  Think about all the possible ways to play such a hole!

[Tommy Williamsen]

There was a private club not too far from where I grew up in Denver called Los Verdes (since totally re-done by Nicklaus, i believe, and called Cherry Creek) that had a par 6. It was essentially nothing more than a very long par 5--one you would typically approach with a longer third shot, but not a hard hole to make a 5 on.

Matthew, Nicklaus did indeed do a complete renovation to Cherry Creek.  It is a pretty good course but no par six.

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