Pick three holes to play six times

[Tim Bert]

I'll stick to the course I know best that at least a decent number of participants here know. Since I just walked 126 at Kingsley it also gives me a very recent perspective on which holes hold their interest throughout the course of a full day. The short answer is all of them fare remarkably well on the interest meter the 7th time around.  That being said, here are my categories.

Pick any three holes (no limitations):
#7, #3, #16


Pick any three consecutive holes:
#12, #13, #14

Pick any three holes that would form a reasonably walked three hole loop:
#4, #5, #6

Three cross country holes:
#6 back tee to #7 green
#7 tee to #2 green via #4 fairway
#9 south red (mountain) tee to #8 green

[Kevin Jackson]

Camargo Club -
#3 - Short par 4
#4 - Longish par 4
#5 - Eden par 3

[John_Conley]

10-11-12 at Somerset, which is also an actual three-hole loop so you wouldn't be walking forever to do this.  It'd be great if the pin could be moved on the Biarritz for variety.  (twice each on the thirds?)

7-8-9 at Interlachen is another actual loop.  Short 4, strong 4, and reachable risk-reward par 5.  The course also offers you the choice of two separate paired holes (10/18 or 1/9), a four-hole trip (1-2-8-9), and a six-hole option (1-6).

[Greg Chambers]

Anybody can list three holes they'd like to play six times over...but nobody here is expounding upon their reasons why...

[Sean_A]

As a guy who detests walking on a golf course for the sake of walking, I lam keen on the idea of a repeating mini-loop.  Sven is darn good with his 4, 5, 6 loop at Lahinch.  I reckon 17, 15, 14 is very good too - maybe a better loop for six plays. 

16, 17 & 2 at North Berwick isn't too bad.  Maybe 15, 16 and 3 works better, but #3 isn't anything special. 

Burnham's 1, 2 & 18 works pretty well as a closed loop, but it may be too tough for six plays. 

Beau Desert's 5, 15 & 16 works alright.

Pennard's 14, 15 & 16 works a treat.

Huntercombe's 1, 2, 5 loop is pretty tight. 

Of these, I plop for Pennard's loop.

Ciao

[John Kavanaugh]

Anybody can list three holes they'd like to play six times over...but nobody here is expounding upon their reasons why...

Classic tell em where you have played thread. Bert even reminded us that he played 126 holes, I guess in one day.

[George Pazin]

Anybody can list three holes they'd like to play six times over...but nobody here is expounding upon their reasons why...

I'll bite:

Oakmont #2 - terrific non-driveable short par 4, a rarity these days
#3 - terrific long par 4, one of the best green sites around, Church Pew bonus
#4 - terrific long par 5, every shot interesting, Church Pew bonus

[Mac Plumart]

Anybody can list three holes they'd like to play six times over...but nobody here is expounding upon their reasons why...

Classic tell em where you have played thread. Bert even reminded us that he played 126 holes, I guess in one day.

Or maybe people could actually research some of the holes listed, especially if they are listed by more than one poster.  As that just might entail the hole(s) are intersting to a fairly wide audience.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Ok here goes,
Merion 16,17 & 18. The quarry and the history. 16 is a great par four, accurate tee shot needed to a somewhat tricky green. 17 just a great par three, again great hole locations. 18 hit a drive and see where you are in relation to the Hogan plate. Beautiful views too walking down the fairway. Oozes history.

Harbour Town   16, 17 18. Accurate tee shot required on 16, 17 a nice par three with a nice green. 18 from the correct tee a nice drive to a great green complex.

TOC   11, 12 13   11 a great often copied par three, 12 a spectacular hole with numerous options on the tee ball and the approach shots.  13 , the weakest of the three but I have alwyas loved it.

St Andrews  New course number 9   Maybe if i play it six more times i can par the damn thing.

[Ryan Taylor]

Sunningdale New

(Pick any three consecutive holes)

Hole 4 / Par 4 - Love the tee shot and anticipation for #5
Hole 5 / Par 3 - Iconic Colt hole
Hole 6 / Par 5 - Beautiful hole / Interesting green complex

Good mix of holes with dramatic features / views.

[Sven Nilsen]

A couple more (on the continuous stretch theme):

Greywalls - 5 (short uphill 4), 6 (3), 7 (long downhill 4) - these three holes show you everything you need to know about the course.

Ballybunion - 6, 7, 8 - where the course started for me.

Wildhorse - 13, 14, 15 - a redanesque par 3, a sweeping 5 with some great bunker work and a fun short par 4.

Beverly - 14, 15, 16 - a stern, but fun test (through 17 in and you have a great 4 hole stretch)

Lost Dunes - 2, 3, 4 - the fact that the 2nd tee isn't that far from the 4th green doesn't hurt

Blackstone - 14, 15, 16 - plenty of quirk, with some fun shots in the mix

Bully Pulpit - 14, 15, 16 - an all world setting, although maybe not my favorite holes on the course

Portmarnock - 12, 13, 14

Wine Valley - 15, 16, 17

Shoreacres - 10, 11, 12

Ran through the Warren Course in my mind and realized that the course has two very natural three hole loops (7, 8 and 9/ 16, 17 and 18) but didn't really think either loop was worthy of inclusion here.

[Matthew Petersen]

We Ko Pa Sagauro 2, 4, 16

Carl,

I like 2 and 4 from Saguaro, but 16? Curious as to why that hole strikes your fancy.

From that course I would take 2, 4, and 13.

Also can't argue with people who have listed 6-7-8 at Pebble.

[Matthew Runde]

I haven't played the legendary courses many of you have, but I'd choose World Woods Pine Barrens' 4, 5, and 15, because of the elevation changes and options.  Those holes are like big playgrounds.

[Greg Tallman]

I haven't played the legendary courses many of you have, but I'd choose World Woods Pine Barrens' 4, 5, and 15, because of the elevation changes and options.  Those holes are like big playgrounds.

Matthew,

I tried to come up with 3 from WWPB but really could not. I found that quite strange in that I really like the overall course. I was trying to stick to consecutive holes though I did not for Muirfield Village skiping 13 and heading for 14. I believe I also incuded a par 3 in all of my entries and could not come up with one at WWPB that I really enjoy that much as an individual hole.

Same for Diamante where the best I could come up with was 2,3 & 4. If not consecutive I could improve that with 8-11-15.

[Carson Pilcher]

Old Course 11,14 & 17

Settindown 6,7 &15.

[Eric Smith]

The Honors: 11, 12, 13

[Evan Louden]

Pumpkin Ridge (Ghost Creek) - 15, 16, 17
Pumpkin Ridge (Witch Hollow) - 4, 5, 6
Heron Lakes (Great Blue) - 2, 3, 4

[Patrick_Mucci]

When I first joined GCA.com a decade or so ago, I posed the same question with the caveat that the three holes had to be a par 3, a par 4 and a par 5.

My answer hasn't changed.

NGLA

#'s 6, 8 & 18

[Tom_Doak]

Sven:

Not an answer to your question -- I think there are too many answers to your question, frankly -- but at Crystal Downs there is a terrific four-hole loop to play in the evening, which gives you one of everything -- a great long 4 (the first), a great short 4 (the seventh), a great par 5 (the eighth), and a great par 3 (the ninth).  And you wind up right back where you started.

I will see if I can think of a three-hole loop that's as good as that.

[James Bennett]

three hole loops that I could happily play...

CPC 7, 8 and 9

Royal Melbourne East 5, 6 and 15 (second paddock).

four hole loops that I could happily play

Royal Melbourne West 13, 14, 15 and 16 (second paddock)

The ultimate 4 hole loop, played in order of the course, the absolute best of its type....
Royal Melbourne West 3, 4, 5 and 6. 
short 4, par 4.5, par 3 and long 4. 

James B

[Doug Lindahl]

+1 for Oakmont 2,3,4
Secession 16,17,18 is the best emergency game that starts and ends at the clubhouse I can think of, especially with a couple "Transfusions" for the road.

[Ben Jarvis]

Far too many great three hole loops out there to narrow down. Here are my favourites to date, and no doubt have left a few out.

Barnbougle Dunes: 3, 4, 5

Barnbougle Lost Farm: 3, 4, 5

Cypress Point Club: 15, 16, 17
Cypress Point Club: 9, 12, 13

Kingston Heath: 3, 9, 10

Pacific Dunes: 11, 13, 16

Paraparaumu Beach: 13, 15, 16

Pasatiempo: 14, 15, 16

Pebble Beach: 7, 8, 9
Pebble Beach: 7, 8, 18

Royal County Down: 7, 8, 9
Royal County Down: 4, 9, 13

Royal Dornoch: 4, 5, 6
Royal Dornoch: 2, 5, 14

Royal Melbourne West: 4, 5, 6
Royal Melbourne West: 7, 10, 17
Royal Melbourne West: 3, 5, 6
Royal Melbourne East: 1, 16, 18

Sunningdale Old: 5, 7, 17

Swinley Forest: 4, 12, 17

The Old Course: 11, 17, 18
The Old Course: 1, 17, 18

[Steve_Lovett]

Surprised no one has mentioned:

TPC Sawgrass: 16 - 17 - 18

[jonathan_becker]

All this showboating and no one mentions Seminole?!

#4 with the elevation change on the stunning approach.  Are we really in FLA?
#5 in trying to figure out what the wind is actually doing.
#6 is Hogan's hole.  Enough said.

#15 with it's numerous lines off the tee and tremendous width.
#16 makes you hit two good shots. Ideally, a peeler then a soft draw.
#17 plays on the dune with the ocean to the left.