Are there Quarry holes that aren't cool golf?

[Adam Clayman]

I can't think of a single one I've played.

Are Quarry and quirk linked in the lexicon?

www.littlediamondclub.com

[Phil McDade]

Adam:

The best hole by far at the "other" Lawsonia course is a quarry hole:

http://www.lawsonia.com/about/woodlands/

[Greg Tallman]

The quarry holes at Black Diamond Ranch were not all that great in my opinion.

[Bill_McBride]

Painswick!

I didn't play Brooksville CC a few years ago pre-Dixie Cup, but the guys who played said the back nine quarry holes were by far the best on the course. 

16-18 at Merion look okay.   

[Thomas Dai]

Here's a couple of examples of nice quarry holes from the England -

2nd hole, short par-3, at Long Ashton GC, Bristol. Nice course actually. Worth playing if you're in the area. Lovely turf. Firm, fast greens.

http://www.longashtongolfclub.co.uk/hole.php?hole=2

Also,the par-4 16th at Bristol and Clifton GC. Another nice course, located only a mile or so from Long Ashton, and also well worth playing if you're in the area.

http://www.bristolandcliftongolfclub.co.uk/hole.php?hole=16

All the best

[Adam Clayman]

The quarry holes at Black Diamond Ranch were not all that great in my opinion.

They were the best thing on that course. And I agree they weren't the best examples of great quarry holes. I don't know if I've seen quirkier, or awkward, Fazio holes. Maybe the Preserves comes close, but in a different way.

The hole Phil references is the 2nd on what use to be known as the south nine. I believe it's now the 2nd on Woodlands. A short tree lined hole with a "Y" shaped fairway, giving the player the option of which angle to attack. Over the quarry being the easier, due to a large tree that blocked the approach from the left fork of the Y. But certainly something you have to figure out both line a distance

Thanks for sharing, Thomas.

[John Kirk]

If one considers all of Chambers Bay in an old quarry, which is true, then any holes at Chambers Bay that aren't cool qualify.  The 8th and 9th aren't very cool.

Although I haven't played it, the CC of Buffalo has cool looking quarry holes.

[Bill Vogeney]

Played Black Diamond several times back when I knew squat about architecture (as if I know anything now!) but I kind of like them, saved for 16, the long par 4. Diagonal fairway, quarry left, thin strip of fairway and OB right. Not enough land for a golf hole, in my opinion.I said a prayer every time. i teed off there

The quarry holes at Black Diamond Ranch were not all that great in my opinion.

They were the best thing on that course. And I agree they weren't the best examples of great quarry holes. I don't know if I've seen quirkier, or awkward, Fazio holes. Maybe the Preserves comes close, but in a different way.

The hole Phil references is the 2nd on what use to be known as the south nine. I believe it's now the 2nd on Woodlands. A short tree lined hole with a "Y" shaped fairway, giving the player the option of which angle to attack. Over the quarry being the easier, due to a large tree that blocked the approach from the left fork of the Y. But certainly something you have to figure out both line a distance

Thanks for sharing, Thomas.

[Adam Clayman]

John, CB would be a quarry course, with no quarry holes. 

Even Bobby Weeds holes down at Brooksville are pretty cool.

[Mike Schott]

Can anyone comment on the quarry holes on the Quarry 9 at Bay Harbor in Michigan? I haven't played them since the course first opened and have no recollection.

[noonan]

12 at Shaker Run in Middletown, OH is an awesome quarry style hole.

You always look forward to playing the 12th!

[John Ezekowitz]

It has been a while, but I remember some of the quarry holes at Granite Links (Milton, MA) as being unspectacular.

[Tom_Doak]

Well, what does this prove? 

That quarry holes are just like oceanfront holes, we tend to overrate them because of a cool feature that may or may not have much to do with the strategy of the hole?

[Brett_Morrissy]

Tom sort of beat me to it.
Why are quarry based holes interesting? - is it because their features are like the inland versions of cliff edges and ocean views?

But unlike "lake" type features, to generalise, quarries are abrupt, perhaps with individual or unique character, perhaps unnatural, "small", and with or without water - I assume are easier to route holes over and around because of the scale to build strategic or penal type holes? More interesting than trees?

I may well know nothing about it, but thanks Adam for an interesting topic, as usual.

[Dan Herrmann]

Love them.  Here's the quarry hole at my club - obviously inspired by Merion East #16:


Courtesy of the Bausch Collection

[DMoriarty]

Nowadays we take for granted that features like quarries can make for some interesting golf holes, but I am not sure this was always so obvious.  For example, when C.B. Macdonald first examined Merion's property in June of 1910, he recognized the potential value of utilizing the quarry to create first class golf holes, noting, "The quarry and the brooks can be made much of."  But some at Merion apparently didn't see it that way. From the April 1917 American Golfer:

PRESIDENT ROBERT W. LESLEY of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, relates with great glee this incident of the days when the new Merion course was being considered. Certainly the outstanding feature of the east course of Merion is the old quarry hole, which figures in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth holes. When the present site was selected there was some little opposition to it and one of those who did not favor the property hung his opposition on the quarry hole.
      
"It is preposterous," he argued. "Why it will cost Thirty Thousand Dollars to fill up that hole!"

[A.G._Crockett]

Kinderlou Forest in GA (site of a web.com event each year) has a par 5 around a quarry that is excellent.  Really, the whole course at Tobacco Rd. is a quarry, at least of a sort, as was The Pit when it was open.

In my limited experience with quarry holes, they've all been cool golf; lots of options and choices.

[Adam Clayman]

I believe the that quarry holes allow for additional variety, and character in the site.  One thing about Merion is she has variety in abundance. Climaxing with the quarry accentuates that.

It's still true that how the designer utilizes that character is the difference between great use and just Ok.