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
Nice call on Tumblebrook--though I think it's the 5th there, not the 3rd.
There are lots of candidates I can think of for this list. Usually, they are going to be holes from muni courses or low-key private clubs that don't get a lot of attention. There are tons of Philly courses on this list, which never get ranked in PA for some ridiculous reason. Jeffersonville, Merion (West), Mark Twain and Brook Lea also could contribute holes, but they didn't make the cut. I'll say this, too: all of the upstate NY courses mentioned are worlds better than Kaluhyat (which has maybe 4 good holes), but somehow none of them were ranked ahead of it in the recent Golf Digest poll. Okay, ranking rant over, THE LIST:
My eclectic 18, with cost included for each public course:
1) Paxon Hollow, 350, Par 4. ($45 on the weekend) Genuine cap hole, makes a thrilling start to a thrilling round.
2) Byrncliff, 520, Par 5. ($25, but the host never lets you pay) Classic par five in that it gets tougher as you get closer to the green. But it's unlike anything I've seen elsewhere.
3) Hackensack, 230, Par 3. The Biarritz, perfectly redone. This course seems to get lost somewhere in the swamps of Jersey, but it's a solid track.
4) Huntercombe, 330, Par 4. Does this course ever get ranked? If not it should. The green is a thriller on this short par four.
5) Tumblebrook, 140, Par 3. (What did we pay Mark? $10?) As described by Mark and Jim.
6) Lederach, 540, Par 5. ($65 with their made-up walking rate) One of many I could have chosen from this place. The tee shot and the wild green make this a hoot.
7) Thendara, 370, Par 4. ($22 on a fall Saturday afternoon) Two GIANT mounds in the middle of the green. You have to see it to really understand.
8. Canterbury Woods, 230, Par 3. ($40) Why this course gets no coverage, I don't understand. It's a little remote, but it's great as a bargain public course. This man-sized par three is truly epic.
9) Irondequoit, 510, Par 5. There were a couple threads about this one last year. This hole, and this course, is a blast.
10) Schuylkill, 410, Par 4. This one's for you McKeever. Hug the drop off on the right side, and you'll get the best angle in to a wild green.
11) Oak Hollow, 430, Par 4. ($15) Bunkerless long par four, which makes great use of terrain, the lake shore, and a wild green.
12) Cobb's Creek, 440, Par 4. ($18 or so) You have to rip a tee shot, and then hit a perfect draw for the second shot. The green is wicked.
13) Winston Lake, 360, Par 4. ($10) A cult favorite of mine, Winston Lake. This hole encapsulates what I love about this golf course.
14) Mill Creek, 450, Par 4. ($35 in the fall) The ownership converted this to a five, but it's great as a multi-option long four.
15) Morgan Hill, 540, Par 5. ($50 or so) One of the best golf holes I've ever played. Housing aside, Morgan Hill is one of my favorite courses I've ever played.
16) Inniscrone, 380, Par 4. ($45) The green site is one of the coolest in golf. It helps if you listen to the Mars Volta on the tee.
17) Long Shadow, 210, Par 3. ($5 when it was open) I don't care if the course is defunct right now, this is an incredible par three. Plus it cost my dad and I 10 bucks (total!) to play this in early 2009.
18. Durand Eastman, 420, Par 4. ($15) Another local favorite of mine, very early RTJ with the bunkering removed. This hole, fortunately, didn't need any bunkers. Buffalo GCAers: you should check this one out sometime.