The All-Uphill 18

[Patrick_Mucci]

Oakmont #'s 2, 3, 9, 11 & 17

NGLA #'s 2, 3, 8, 16 & 18

Mountain Ridge #'s 4, 5, 6, 9, 17 & 18

Preakness hills #'s 2, 3, 5, 11, 12, &13

Essex County East #'s 2, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 & 18

Montclair, too many of the 36 holes to mention

[Jud_T]

Jud:  Tamarack is likely the single worst golf course I have ever played - a poster child for all that is wrong in GCA.  Unless it was redesigned by Seth Raynor himself back from the dead and I somehow missed out on this miraculous immortality event, I sincerely doubt I will ever set foot on that rancid piece of property again...

And if you IM or email me, I'll tell you how I really feel...  

Shiv,

I'm not talking about the dogtack in Naperville.  I'm talking about the Charles Banks club in Greenwich, CT....

[Anthony Gray]

  The 14th at Pebble Beach and 3rd at NGLA are the first that come to mind. 14 at Cruden Bay with the bath tub green is a favorite.

  Anthony

[Matthew Petersen]

Mike,

#16 at Saguaro actually reminds me a lot of your #7 at Wolf.  Short, demure, not in your face--then you look back after playing it and wonder why it beat you up.

Kyle,

Lots of decent choices for uphill/downhill holes at Palmetto, surprised you went with #5 (which is one of those downhill then uphill holes) and #7, which only appears uphill IMO.  #6 is sandwiched in there as the best of the three IMHO.

16 at Saguaro is a good one. There are a number of good uphill goles on the course. Everything from #6-#9 plays uphill to some degree. #6 isn't great but #7 is an excellent short par 4 with an uphill drive over a ridge making it blind, then a very slightly uphill short iron in. 8 drives downhill but is all up from there. And 9 looks like such a short, easy par 3 on the car, but it's just enough uphill and fraught with peril to ruin many a good outward nine.

[Mike Tanner]

For uphill openers, the first hole at Lester George's Ballyhack is pretty stout.

[Carl Nichols]

JNC:
Does 6 at Pebble count?

[Simon Holt]

Cool thread.  I would love to play this course- a few more unphill than others!

1. Elie (a tip of the hat to uphilss with the need for a periscope) 4
2. Gullane No.1    4
3. NGLA          4   
4. Pine Valley     4
5. Muirfield        5
6. Portrsh Dunluce      3
7. Cypress Point         3
8. RCD       4
9. Maidstone      4
10. Maidstone     4
11. TOC          3
12. North Berwick      4
13. Muirfield            3
14. Friars Head          5
15.North Berwick        3
16. NGLA                 4
17. Pine Valley           4
18. NGLA                    5

Par 70 with lots of fun to be had.

S

[Anthony Butler]

15 at Kingston Heath.

My thoughts exactly. I would add #7 at NSWGC and a couple of holes at Victoria that Mike Clayton might be too modest to add...

[JNC Lyon]

Simon,

I wanted to throw The Redan into my top 18, but I already two great par threes at 14 and 16.  However, the Redan might be a key one to have, because many (especially Sean Arble) thinks a true Redan hole plays uphill, like the original.

Is 12 at NB uphill?  9 at NB is a great uphill par five, btw.

Pat M: Isn't 6 the best uphill hole at Mountain Ridge?  The bunkering is great on the second shot because it is cut into that upslope, and the uphill nature of the hole is a great way to make a short par five difficult.  Ross did the same thing on Oak Hill's West Course (11) and the Country Club of Rochester (15!).

[Sean Leary]

Homer vote for 8 at Prairie Dunes..

[Tom Kelly]

15 at Kingston Heath.

My thoughts exactly. I would add #7 at NSWGC and a couple of holes at Victoria that Mike Clayton might be too modest to add...

I agree the 7th, 8th and 11th at Vic all come to mind.

I think the 8th off the forward tee as a par 4 would be/is a great hole, did they play it as a 4 during the Aus Masters last year?

A few more on the Sand-belt that I like are the 8th, 9th and 17th at Commonwealth and the par 3 5th at woodlands (although only slightly uphill.)

[Keith Phillips]

Oakmont #'s 2, 3, 9, 11 & 17

NGLA #'s 2, 3, 8, 16 & 18

Mountain Ridge #'s 4, 5, 6, 9, 17 & 18

Preakness hills #'s 2, 3, 5, 11, 12, &13

Essex County East #'s 2, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 & 18

Montclair, too many of the 36 holes to mention

Pat, as you know well, our four nines at Montclair generally play down then up the west side of First Mountain, so by definition we have many uphill holes - while there are 'too many to mention', I would highlight the following as my favorites:

 - 5 of 1 - a 185 yard par three playing one club uphill to a (typically) challenging green with a bunker front left and two bunkers front/mid-right - a very strong hole
 - 2 of 2 - a 150 yard 3 playing one club uphill to a severe two-tiered green...balls spinning back from front of green end up 40 yards short - Pat, not sure if you have seen since the work last Fall, but this hole is substantially improved by removal of a few ugly evergreens
 - 7 of 2 and 8 of 2 - two back to back short par 4s, one with a flat tee shot followed by steeply uphill approach to a renovated 'near' skyline green (50 trees came down last year) - 8 of 2 is a short but steady climb 320 yards uphill with cross-bunkers affecting long-hitters and a very challenging Ross green awaiting
 - 8 of 3 - another short par 4 calling for a draw off the tee with anything from 4-iron through 3-wood - great green following the substantial right-to-left slope of the terrain
 - 4 of 4 - my favorite uphill par four on the property - ~400 yards strong dogleg left, fairway bunkers now visible from tee and presenting an heroic (to me) carry option - hole is gradually uphill all the way to a classic Banks green, with a lower front right tier and higher left/back level - a great golf hole

- several other good uphill holes including closers on 1st, 2nd and 3 nines, and the really difficult slog up 4 of 1, but as a mid-teens handicapper I prefer the short holes!

[Cliff Hamm]

I'll ditto #4 at Shennecossett and add # 13 Lawsonia and #18 Baltusrol (lower).

[JC Jones]

Jud:  Tamarack is likely the single worst golf course I have ever played - a poster child for all that is wrong in GCA.  Unless it was redesigned by Seth Raynor himself back from the dead and I somehow missed out on this miraculous immortality event, I sincerely doubt I will ever set foot on that rancid piece of property again...

And if you IM or email me, I'll tell you how I really feel...  

Shiv,

I'm not talking about the dogtack in Naperville.  I'm talking about the Charles Banks club in Greenwich, CT....

Oh, well that's a color of a different horse.  I thought you had completely lost your marbles... 

He has, just not with respect to Tamarack.

[Adam Clayman]

Here is one that I am considering as the worst uphill holes: #14 at Pebble Beach.

Scott,

Very strange indeed!

How many times have you played the hole? And, Are you basing that on how you played it?

14 at PB is an amazing hole. It "can" put players, ill at ease, on every shot they play.

The green is pure art. The fact that the sport has devolved into a speed of the green's race, shouldn't slight a hole's architecture, that has more going on, on more levels, than most holes, built by professional Architects, since. It transitions the golfer, not only physically, but in other more spiritual ways. It can deflate, the round of the best in the game, as we have seen. But, it can also elevate one to come home strong. I've even seen it illuminate the mind of a typical modern golfer, who never thought of playing away from the pin.

It has a metaphysical aspect that I have witnessed time and time again. Eventually, I use to ask people to buy a little something to eat, for after the 14th hole. It literally could physically alter a persons demeanor, blood sugar and attitude.  Great F'in hole.

[Mac Plumart]

11 at Shinnecock

[Chris Roselle]

#18 @ Gulph Mills
#15 @ Pine Valley
#18 @ Southern Hills

[Simon Holt]

Simon,

I wanted to throw The Redan into my top 18, but I already two great par threes at 14 and 16.  However, the Redan might be a key one to have, because many (especially Sean Arble) thinks a true Redan hole plays uphill, like the original.

Is 12 at NB uphill?  9 at NB is a great uphill par five, btw.

Pat M: Isn't 6 the best uphill hole at Mountain Ridge?  The bunkering is great on the second shot because it is cut into that upslope, and the uphill nature of the hole is a great way to make a short par five difficult.  Ross did the same thing on Oak Hill's West Course (11) and the Country Club of Rochester (15!).

John,


If someone got the measuring gear out I would probably be called out on this one but it plays uphill off the tee and then is only very slightly back down to the green.  I think it is one of the most under-rated holes on the course.  Perhaps due to what follows with the Pit, Perfection, Redan and the green on 16.

I love the tee shot and think the green site is one of the best on the course.  Once on the green it is the most subtle out there.  Very often 3 putted.  The 1st and 15th get all the press about being tough to putt on for good reason- 16 is fine once you are actually on the green- but for me the 12 is a real sleeper.  Looking back along Westerdunes towards Fidra is one of the finest views in golf.

S

[Dean DiBerardino]

I'll nominate the 9th at Allegheny.

[Kevin Pallier]

JNC

I take "All-Uphill" to mean from tee to green and as such suggest:

1   Ballyneal ?   P4
2   St Andrews Beach   P4
3   Fishers Island   P4
4   RME   P3
5   National Old   P5
6   CPC   P5
7   RMW   P3
8   Sand Hills   P4
9   Shinnecock   P4
10   RMW   P4
11   Shinnecock   P3
12   The Lakes   P4
13   Sand Hills   P3
14   Friars Head   P5
15   Kingston Heath   P3
16   Royal Dornoch   P4
17   Pine Valley   P4
18   NGLA   P5

[George Pazin]

I'll nominate the 9th at Allegheny.

Is this Allegheny in Pittsburgh? I can't tell from the pix, because I haven't spent much time there. Thanks in advance for answering.

-----

I can't believe someone doesn't like the 14th at Pebble. Amazing.

My only Tom D, I'm the most pathetic BB out there:

I nominate the 3rd at Rawls. Love it.

There's a bunch of holes at Lehigh that are uphill and terrific. Shame on you guys for taking so long, and allowing Pat M the glory of nominating the great uphill holes at Oakmont.

[Roger Wolfe]

Diamond Creek #9... absolutely fantastic hole.

Diamond Creek #18... horrrible uphill finishing 18th hole.

Man they need to switch those nines !!

[Rory Connaughton]

RCD 8
Rolling Green 9
Philly CC 15
Merion 14
French creek 6
Lancaster 18
Pinehurst 18
Yale 11
Oakmont 2
ANGC 8

[Mike_Trenham]

I tried to think of holes that play uphill dramatically

Rolling Green #8
Rolling Green #9
Rolling Green #10

All Time best three in a row up hill! 4-5-3 par too and they run in different directions...

[Mike_Trenham]

At the Bandon Dunes Resort on each course #7 plays up hill

Bandon Trails #7 - lifts you from the meadow to the highlands with ease on a fair yet very hard hole
Bandon Dunes #7 - an uphill hole you think you can attack until you have to play your third shot
Old MacDonald #7/Ocean - second shot gets your blood pumping and view from green is great in any direction
Pacific Dunes #7 - the flatest of the group and possibly the hardest when played into the winter wind