Hi Chris. Thanks for the mention. Chris and I had the pleasure of playing golf together a couple weeks ago.
The competition between golf holes became interesting on the back nine. The best holes on each course matched up more frequently. Like baseball pitching matchups, where the modern practice is to pit one team's best pitcher against the other team's ace. The 18th holes of each courses are both aces.
It all depends on your value system, whether you value beauty over shot requirements. You can't believe how far uphill the tee shot on Riviera's 18th is until you stand on the tee. One of those instances where the television flattens out one's perspective from one's living room. The walk up the steep hill would be energizing, if it weren't the 18th hole. Like his par 3 14th hole at Stanford University, Mr. Thomas uses a natural amphitheater for a greensite. If you can get the tee shot into position, the fairway wood approach is a great shot to try and execute. Miss the green and you'll probably make 5. Really tough to make par here.
I hit a memorable shot during one of my three rounds at the great old course. I hit a solid push into the eucalypti. With about 210 in, I hit a low controlled draw through a hole in the canopy and onto the green. My host suggested it was one of the only times he had seen the shot executed. I think I made 5 anyway.
Like the 17th hole at Sand Hills, the 18th is so beautiful, you can't take your eyes off of it. In fact, in my small universe, I might suggest that Sand Hills has the two most beautiful finishing holes. It's not as difficult as it initially seems, once you learn the second shot is approximately two clubs uphill. If I have 150 yards in, then it's 5-iron. All the big trouble is in the front of the green, which is set inside a bowl that tends to gather balls onto the green. The green is sloped but not overly complex, so a miss to the back of the green can be managed.
Since my match is closed out, I don't have to choose. I like the look at Sand Hills, but I like the "shot values" a bit more at Riviera. Both greens have a consistent back to front slope. At Riviera, the variety of predicaments for missing the green is greater, due to the concave nature of the 18th green complex at Sand Hills.
Let's call it a draw. Sand Hils wins four more holes, I think 9-5-4 draws, but it may have been 10-6-2 draws. I tried hard to choose each time.
As the years go by, I find dimished motivation to express my opinions here. You join GolfClubAtlas (thank you John VanderBorght for sponsoring me). You spend years immersed in studying courses, and at some point, you form your own concrete philosophy about the game, and what is important. It's nice to periodically find the right forum to share your thoughts, without repeating yourself constantly. Thanks so much for letting me participate.