The hardest shot in golf

[David Cronheim]

What do you think is the hardest single shot on any golf course in the world. For purposes of this discussion, please limit your response to the architect-posed challenge of a hole. For example, "the next one" or "a lob wedge off hardpan to a pin cut 1ft over a trap to win the US Open" would not be valid answers. However, anxiety invoked by the architect would, for example #17 at TPC Sawgrass.

My vote goes to my favorite scenic hole. #16 at Port Royal Bermuda. From the back tee it's 243 yards to a narrow green sticking out in the ocean. It's almost always windy, there's little bailout room, and it's visually intimidating. The penalty for a miss is severe. Re-tee.

[John Kavanaugh]

Tee shot at the 13th.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I have always said the hardest thing in any sport is an action that starts with the words "All I have to do is......."

[Mike Hendren]

Off the top of my head:

Second to the 10th at Shinnecock.
Drive and second to the 7th at The Honors.
16th tee shot at Victoria National.
Second to the 17th at The Old Course.

Haven't played it but from the gallery the approach to the 10th at Augusta National looks impossible.

Mike

[Jason Topp]

OB hard on the right side is the most daunting for me.

Others -

Tee shots through a chute of trees.
Flop shot over a hazard from a tight lie.
Full iron to a shallow green angled left to right (I hit it right to left most likely).

[Lester George]

A couple come to mind:

The tee shot on the 5th at Pine Valley, follwed by the second shot.

The tee shot at the 16th at Cypress when the wind is howling.

The shot across Hells half Acre treats me poorly as well.

Lester

[Mark McKeever]

the 50 yard bunker shot

Mark

[Dan_Callahan]

For a hole without water or any significant extraneous visual intimidation, I thought the approach to the 14th at Pebble Beach was damn near impossible. Even off a perfect lie from 100 yards, when the hole is cut on the left side it seems like there is nowhere to land the ball. Looking at the deep bunker in front and knowing that past the hole falls off down a shaved bank, its very difficult to relax and hit a nice smooth shot.

[Mark Pearce]

The tee shot on the first at Muirfield in the prevailing wind.

Tee shot on 16 at CPC is an obvious one as is the second on the Road Hole at TOC.

[John Kavanaugh]

There are a few shots in golf where there is no need to mention the club. Another is the approach on eight.

[Tom ORourke]

The second shot on Merion #5. Get it going left at all and you are in the creek. Block it right and you might chip it in the creek on your next shot. And it is a long shot unless you kill it off the tee. My second would be the 14th at Kiawah. I just feel like I have little chance of hitting the green, or holding it if I do.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Opening tee shot at Royal Liverpool into the wind.
Tee shot at Postage Stamp into the wind, possibly with quite a long iron.
2nd shot to 11th green TOC having missed the green.


 

[Charlie Goerges]

Hardest shot to SAY: Tree chute tee shot.

[Adam Clayman]

This is an interesting question, albeit, limited by each person's belt notches. Other than perpetuating the myth that difficulty is quality, I would say...

What makes them hard is getting it close....

9th hole at Wild Horse in Gothenburg. Tee shot is on a one shotter, with bunker front left and hidden bunker behind cut next to center of a green that slopes to the right.

The 9th hole approach at Riviera.

Day in day out, the 13th hole at Bayside (which was aced this weekend by an assistant pro who won the only skin $2880). It was rather exciting because in our group was Scott Holly, who just won the Nebraska PGA, and, his ball rolled right over the cup, stopping a few feet away, almost taking away the skin.  

I would guess the road hole bunker explosion shot would qualify, if you are right up next to the wall.? ?

[Bill_McBride]

A couple come to mind:

The tee shot on the 5th at Pine Valley, follwed by the second shot.

The tee shot at the 16th at Cypress when the wind is howling.

The shot across Hells half Acre treats me poorly as well.

Lester

Lester, fully agree.  I have played Cypress Point twice  and have never carried the chasm at 16.   Both times I hit two drivers and looked around for my caddy for another ball and a 4 iron.  Both times the caddy was half way around the cove to the green.   

Both trips the wind was 2 clubs off the ocean.  My predominate driver shot shape is a fade.  NG.

[David Cronheim]

Although I'm loathe to pick a drive as a "hardest shot," I've always also found the tee shot from the tips on #18 at Doral (Blue) to be about the hardest tee shot in golf. Water to carry, water left, and if you bail right into the palm trees you are D-E-A-D.

[Patrick_Mucci]

A partial listing that I'll add to from time to time.

Par 3's

9th   Yale
17th Seminole
5th   Pine Valley
16th Cypress Point
14th Pine Valley
17th Pebble
7th  Pebble

Par 4 tee shots

8th   NGLA
8th   Pebble
9th   Pebble
10th Pebble


Par 4 2nd shots

8th   NGLA
4th   Arcola
17th TOC
8th   Pebble
13th Pacific Dunes

Par 5 tee shots

18th Pebble

Par 5 2nd shots

18th NGLA
18th Pebble

Par 5 3rd shots

18th NGLA
7th NGLA

[Steve Salmen]

I've always believed the most difficult shot in golf is the bunker shot from a downhill lie.  The more severe the sown slope, the more difficult the shot.  The less green to work with, the more difficult the shot.  Less sand in the bunker makes it especially difficult.

[Tom Kelly]

2nd shot to 11th green TOC having missed the green.
  

I saw a caddie (I can't remember who's) at the Open last year having a go at chipping from over the back of the green during a practice round. He looked like a decent golfer, but having had 7 attempts he couldn't get the ball quite to the top of the hill. on the 8th attempt the ball just trickled up to the top and toppled over the crest onto the green. It proceeded to run all the way off the front of the green! The caddie walked up onto the green and simply said to his player DON'T GO LONG!

Off the championship tees I wouldn't fancy the tees shots off 13 or 14 at TOC either. especially wind off the left on 14 with the 270 yard (or so) carry to the fairway...OB right...Beardies Left!

14th Tee Shot at Royal St George with the wind off the left is not too appealing.

I would also add to the list the 2nd shot on the 2nd at Royal Dornoch if you miss the green.

When I played there I'd just walked off the first with a birdie, hit a sweet iron shot that just caught the wind and rolled off the green on the left leaving what I thought would be a fairly simple up and down......I walked off with a 6 having played some army golf across the green.

[Dave Herrick]

The long downhill par 3 3rd on the Lake Course at The Olympic Club comes to mind, a smallish green with bunkers close by left and right, particularly tough when a cross wind is blowing from off the Pacific.

[Greg Tallman]

What do you think is the hardest single shot on any golf course in the world. For purposes of this discussion, please limit your response to the architect-posed challenge of a hole. For example, "the next one" or "a lob wedge off hardpan to a pin cut 1ft over a trap to win the US Open" would not be valid answers. However, anxiety invoked by the architect would, for example #17 at TPC Sawgrass.

My vote goes to my favorite scenic hole. #16 at Port Royal Bermuda. From the back tee it's 243 yards to a narrow green sticking out in the ocean. It's almost always windy, there's little bailout room, and it's visually intimidating. The penalty for a miss is severe. Re-tee.

When did they lengthen it to that yardage? Was not near that when spent the summer of 2000 in Bermuda. If they are playing to the same green from 243 that is ridiculous.

[Lester George]

Is Port Royal the old "Castle Harbour"?

Lester

[Greg Tallman]

Is Port Royal the old "Castle Harbour"?

Lester

No Lester that is Tucker's Point Club

[Mark Chaplin]

JK & Mark Rowlinson - I have to agree yard for yard the Postage Stamp is the toughest shot in golf. Even with no breeze it's a narrow target with severe penalties for missing the green. On my recent visit only the member hit the green, with a 5 iron, I couldn't reach with a 6 iron and one missed left over the dune onto the winter green!

Thomas Kelly - the same wind that makes 14 RStG tough also gives a massive challenge off the back tee on the 4th over the massive bunkers. However that was the day four wind that then made the 5th in range for the big hitters.

[Alex Lagowitz]

tee shot at 10th at Royal Dornoch when its downwind
Its almost impossible to hold the green and especially if there is a front pin, i will purposely hit into the front bunkers