[Phil McDade]

I only played it once years ago, but there's a course in Wisconsin between Madison and Milwaukee, just off the interstate, called The Oaks. It's pretty much the definition of average, and its handful of good moments are usually droned out by the roar of cars rushing by at 75 mph.

But it has a damn good set of par 3s overall. The best of the bunch, I thought, was the fifth. It's fairly short at 171 from the tips, and plays from one hill across a valley to a green located on the highest point on the property. The crowned green has deep bunkers on both sides. It's a fabulous skyline green and, on such an exposed part of the course, its crown repels any shot that doesn't deal effectively with the wind.

There were 20-30 mph winds on the day I played, and they had moved the tees all the way up to 130 or so. Trying to hit a punch 5 iron under the wind and pulling it about two feet too far left is one of the most memorable missed shots I've ever hit. The hole would be a blast from any tee and in any wind as far as I can tell.

About 10 minutes from my house; a really good hole on what Jason aptly describes as a fairly mundane (and at times very loud!) course.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Omaha CC #16.  very cool green on this par-5

[Chris Roselle]

The 6th hole at Overbrook Golf Club (my home course growing up) was my favorite hole growing up and probably still is to this day.  Sweeping, downhill, dog-leg right where you can try and cut some of the corner by driving over some trees at the corner of the dog-leg (or you can play safe up the left half of the fairway and be left a much longer second shot downhill to a small green).

[Matt MacIver]

#5 at The Palisades in Charlotte.  322 yard par 4 though most would play the 290 tees.  3 different options off the tee provide three different routes / shots into the green, scores could range from a 1 to a 7(+!). 

http://www.thepalisadescc.com/fw/main/default.asp?DocID=1588

[Mark McKeever]

Good idea John. 

One of my favorites that never really gets any credit is the cliffhanger par 3 at Tumblebrook Golf Course in Coopersburg PA.   It's about 140 yards of peril as the green sits on the side of a very large slope.  A great all or nothing shot and the green has some neat ridges running through it too.  When I took John Lyon out there, he loved it too.

Mark

[Tim Pitner]

#13 at CommonGround (or Riverdale Dunes).

I suppose they're ranked somewhere but they're not private or overseas so they don't confer any bragging rights.  

[Jim Sherma]

Good idea John. 

One of my favorites that never really gets any credit is the cliffhanger par 3 at Tumblebrook Golf Course in Coopersburg PA.   It's about 140 yards of peril as the green sits on the side of a very large slope.  A great all or nothing shot and the green has some neat ridges running through it too.  When I took John Lyon out there, he loved it too.

Mark

Did not expect to see Tumblebrook's 5th ever referenced on GCA. Crazy shot to try to hold against the side slope.

I always had fun at Tumblebrook. The lack of yardage markers made it a neat change of pace.

[Howard Riefs]

Brooksville Country Club
12th hole
Par 4, 343 yards
Starts the quarry holes built by Bobby Weed

Best angle is via the upper, left fairway. Drive it over the fairway bunker located on the right side of the upper fairway. Or a power fade for you right-handed players.

From #12 tee (Green sits straight ahead; left upper and right lower fairways)





(via course’s website)



(via course’s website)


Panorama view taken from #13; #12 tee is to the far left




From #13 (players in foreground are on the right, bottom fairway of #12)

[David Kelly]

5th at Newport (RI)...under the assumption that unranked means not on GD's top 100 as it gets talked about on other lists (best classic, etc.)

Somehow I don't think that listing a hole at Newport CC is within the spirit of Kavanaugh's premise.

I'll go with the short par 4 10th at Sandpiper GC in Goleta, CA.  Sweeping downhill dogleg with a skyline green perched above the Pacific Ocean.

[Bill_McBride]

#17 at Longshadow, 200 yard par 3 over a deep and massive front bunker to a big green steep as a half pipe.  Carry your tee ball up to the back of the green and watch it feed back down the slope, hopefully near the hole!

[John Kavanaugh]

Howard,

I really like the looks of Brookside and can see playing there someday thanks to your post. When doing some research to discover why it is not a ranked course I read that slow play can be an issue.  For that I hereby award worst picture on a clubs website award to Brookside for this pic that just looks like a miserably slow day.

[George Freeman]

French Lick - Ross #14

Honorable Mentions:

Greywalls #7
Lawsonia #6

[Greg Taylor]

14th, Sutton Coldfield... my (old) home course.

[John Kavanaugh]

I consider any of the 1700 U.S. courses on a raters ballot to be ranked.  I wonder if some of you guys play anywhere else.  I may have even stretched it picking a hole from Evansville Country Club considering it gets a mention in the Confidential Guide.

[Greg Tallman]

Not a particularly good picture nor from the playinmg angle but you get the sense of the greensite.

The hole is about 145 yards, plays probably 25-40 downhill and the surrounds were cut at fairway length when I played it. All I can remember is missing it hole high left and funneling down thus leaving an awkward shot that I was none too sure I could keep on the green let alone gte close.

Playing angle would be from the bottom left of the photo - hitting toward the full length of the green
Green maybe 30 feet wide at the widest point and much less than that in spots. 

Cool hole and certainly has a pucker factor standing on the tee in competition (23-25 years ago... I still remember the feeling today)

[David Kelly]

Ok, if you really want downmarket, #2 or #11 depending on which nine they are using to start at Buffalo Creek Golf Course, a muni in Palmetto, FL. A medium length par 4 to a raised green that is the highest point on the property.

[Mac Plumart]

I'll add a few more...

Lane Creek 14; short par 4 with a great green.




Aiken Golf Club; a few to choose from, but I'll go with 6.

[Scott Sander]

OK, I'll try again, given the new guidelines.

#12 at Sahm Park, an Indianapolis municipal course.  Currently $15 for 18.  Early-60's Dye.  Everything is "wrong", and it all adds up to fantastic:  Dogleg banked the opposite way and a creek on the margin of the outside.  Huge trees very much in play.  You cannot see the green from the tee -or- your second.  The parts offer no defensible reason to call it great, but the sum of the (w)hole makes frequent unexpected appearances daydreams, elbowing aside much more noted holes I've played and am supposed to like better.

[John Burnes]

Philly area

#5 Cobbs Creek

(current routing)

[Joe Bausch]

Philly area

#5 Cobbs Creek

(current routing)

Thanks for that John.

I'm playing there with a group around 11 am tomorrow.  You available?

[John Burnes]

Let me check_I'll email you by 9a

[Sean_A]

14th, Sutton Coldfield... my (old) home course.

This is a good shout...in the winter as a par 4 its a very good hole.  Though I think I prefer #7 in the winter.  Why either of these two holes are played as 5s is bewildering. 

Anyway, SC s ranked 9th in WARKS - should be higher. 
http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/area.asp?id=217

Ciao

[BCrosby]

No. 7 at Culver Academy

No. 9 at North Fulton (Chastain).

[Ken Fry]

No. 7 at Culver Academy

No. 9 at North Fulton (Chastain).

Bob,

Which hole at Culver?  I know when I walked the course the holes were in different order than Ran's review.

Also, the short finisher at Chastain?  What about that hole strikes you?

Ken

[Jud_T]

OK, I got it.  Harrison Hills #15 (Brian beat me to it.).  Not only my favorite hole on an unranked course, it made my all-time favorite 18 on the other thread.

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