[Matthew Petersen]

Kind of a counter-point to the "best finishes" thread.

The one that first comes to mind of courses I've played is the 18th at The Challenge at Manele. You've played the entire course with dramatic views of the ocean and much of the back nine right down close to the cliffs--including the par 4 17th which wraps around the cliffs and is truly a special hole. 18? It's not only the course's most boring hole, but it just kind of heads straight back up the hill and they've built condos along the right side to block any views you might have had.

Others?

I have a feeling Cypress Point may just be mentioned.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Matthew,

I don't think Cypress Point's 18th hole is 'disappointing', it's just a bit bizarre. That doesn't make it bad in my books.

How about High Pointe? It's been characterized as a bit of a let down - a disappointment - after the first 17.

[Tom_Doak]

High Pointe's would be a pretty good pick ... if the course were still around.   

Among championship courses, I'd vote for the 18th at Olympic.  I have no problem with the idea of a short par-4 finishing hole ... but there's no great merit in that one.

[Mike Tanner]

I lot of people won't know SeaScape Golf Links in Nags Head, but it boasts a flat beer finish to an otherwise fun layout. Masters champ Art Wall designed it and it's been monkeyed with plenty in the intervening years, so I'm not sure if today's 18th is the original.

After an enjoyable journey over sandy terrain and through some maritime woods, you arrive at the finisher. The fairway runs straight out from the tee, then doglegs about 90 degrees left. Right is dead, long hitters have to throttle back or run through the fairway or trust a hard hook around the corner. From the LZ you face a short iron/wedge approach over a natural scrubby/sandy area to the green.

That's it. No real options or excitement. It's like, "Ok, we ran out of room. Let's just pinch off right here."

[Greg Tallman]

18 at Muirfeild Village
18 at May River
18 at World Woods Pine Barrens
18 at Long Cove
18 at Old White

I have another that I just discussed at length with GCA favorite former contributor but I will wait for another to offer it up first.

[Dan_Callahan]

Yale

[Doug Wright]

Bandon Dunes

[Sean_A]

The course which came to mind first was Machrihanish - indeed the entire back nine is a disappointment as a set.

Sligo's is not terribly good.

Woodhall Spa's is not good.

Huntercombe's may well be the weakest hole on the course.

But after some more thought, Harlech's is a very deflating finish.

Ciao

[Jud_T]

How about Cog Hill #4?

[Pat Burke]

While I am not a huge fan of 18 at CPC,
some of the disappointment for me on 18 there
is that the round was ending. 
As I finished my playing days, it was a rare course that
left me wanting to go 'round again.  I was always that way at
Cypress

[Sean Leary]

European Club, Turnberry, World Woods (Pine Barrens), Rock Creek Cattle Company, and Whistling Straits come to mind.

[Michael George]

Arcadia Bluffs - simply one of the worst finishing holes that I have ever played.  I enjoyed the golf course but was shocked at how bad this hole is.

Bandon Dunes - not because it is a horrible hole, but because the potential is so greater (unless I am missing some environmental reason).  The hole plays along side a wonderful gulley between it and Bandon Preserve, yet the hole plays away from it and the green is not along it.  Why this hole was not designed to play all along the gulley (ala what the USGA did with Pebble 8-9 in 2010) is absolutely lost on me.  If anyone knows, I would love to know as it seems like a waste of a great nautural feature with the property.

[Bill McKinley]

Torrey Pines South.  I didn't love the course, but I liked it and it had some really good holes.  3,4,7,12,13,16.  But 18 was really weak IMO.  Very flat and the manufactured pond with the fountain in it was aweful.

[Michael George]

Torrey Pines South.  I didn't love the course, but I liked it and it had some really good holes.  3,4,7,12,13,16.  But 18 was really weak IMO.  Very flat and the manufactured pond with the fountain in it was aweful.

Any hole with a fountain automatically qualifies as a bad hole.  Honestly, just buy algers if the pond has an algae issue.

[Matt Bosela]

Of the great courses I've played, I'd agree with Doug in saying the 18th at Bandon Dunes was a bit of a letdown.

[Anthony Gray]

Bandon Dunes

  +1

[Anthony Gray]

  Dye Fore, but the land doesn't give you much. Iwould like to see 10 and 18 switched so 18 finishes on the cliff. Cruden Bay could bring the burn into play more.

  Anthony

[Jud_T]

Sean,

Great call on Whistling Straights. 

[Tim Martin]

Yale

Couldn`t disagree more. I can`t imagine a more epic finish on more rugged terrain. The hole is full of options and I would be happy to have it be one of a handful of holes that I could play forever.  

[Paul Jones]

The Judge - RTJ Trail.  Ironic since they have one of the most memorable first holes.  The 18th is an awkward hole - tee off with an iron and then have a wedge uphill ?  I played it twice just to make sure 

[Michael George]

I just wish 18 at Bandun Dunes would have used its hazard like #4 at Pacific Dunes did.  Obviously, the ocean is more striking than a gulley.  However, Tom Doak put a string of bunkers to the left of the fairway making the golfer consider taking on the hazard.  You can either lay up of the bunkers and make it a 3 shot hole (or really long approach) or take them on and be rewarded or punished.  At 18 at BD, you are given tons of land to the left so that you don't even know that the hazard is there. At #4 at PD, Tom Doak has the green right along the ocean.  At #18, the green is not even close to the gulley - no reason not to go for the green in 2 because you can miss left all you want and even up to 20 yards right.

#18 is a bad finishing hole because it is boring to play.  Drive the ball left, hit 3 wood to the left of the green, chip up and either make your birdie or par.  Just wish it used the concepts from #4 at PD to make it a really exciting finish that is deserved after the great stretch from 14-17.

[Jason Connor]

The Judge - RTJ Trail.  Ironic since they have one of the most memorable first holes.  The 18th is an awkward hole - tee off with an iron and then have a wedge uphill ?  I played it twice just to make sure 

Great call & the first one I thought of.  I really liked that course, sans finisher, the first time I played. And I've liked it less and less each additional time (4 times total, I think).

I'd say my most disappointing finishing hole is that course with the right to left long par 4 cape hole finisher.  I can't remember its name. 

[John Sabino]

Somerset Hills. Bizarre uphill short hole that is a disappointing finish to an otherwise brilliant back nine

[Wade Whitehead]

The finisher at Pine Barrens is a huge letdown (especially after the fantastic stretch in the middle of the back nine).

The old 18th at Congressional was a disappointment, but they've fixed that.

WW

[Dan_Callahan]

Yale

Couldn`t disagree more. I can`t imagine a more epic finish on more rugged terrain. The hole is full of options and I would be happy to have it be one of a handful of holes that I could play forever.  

To each his own.

It's marginally better now that they've opened up the right side alternate fairway. But it has always struck me as a lame attempt to get back to the clubhouse. But what makes it epic? The fact that you have to go over a huge hill? It doesn't come close to measuring up in the epic category to 18 at Pebble. I guess you could call it rugged in its previously unmaintained state. But now that it has been cleaned up and trees removed it isn't nearly as rugged as 18 at Tobacco Road.

I would say that of all the quality courses I've played, Yale has the worst par 5s by a landslide. I know ... not saying much because there are only two, but 16 is as boring as it gets and 18 I can't stand. And I would put Yale in my top 5 favorite courses, which says a lot as to the quality of the other holes.

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