Strange Golf Holes?

« **on:** August 18, 2003, 10:10:40 AM »

There have been numerous threads as to great holes and courses. I sure there has been a thread or two on this topic as well.

I know of a hole, par-5, that requires a 9-iron/wedge from the tee to a 90-degree dogleg left. Then its a 3-wood and another 9-iron/wedge to the green. Don't know of the architect, if there was one. Or one that would admit to it

.

Rick

« **Reply #1 on:** August 18, 2003, 01:05:25 PM »

Strangest I've ever seen is a low-end daily fee course in SE Pennsylvania. Par 5, hard dogleg left. You can actually tee off directly in the direction of the green and make it a easy par 4.

There's a sign on the tee: "Local Rule - 2 shot penalty for hitting across the dogleg". There's no OB. Nor are there any buildings or environmental sensitive areas. Nor is there a danger to other golfers.

Very strange indeed!

(The "architect" was the man who farmed the land before he turned it into a golf course)

« **Reply #2 on:** August 18, 2003, 01:40:46 PM »

Dan,

I have seen similar. Two paralell holes. A drive up the adjacent hole would shorten the distance greatly but endanger golfers coming down that hole. The club's solution? Placed a flag in a tree between the holes. A drive played to the left of the flag was ok. A drive played to the right of the flag was out of bounds

« **Reply #3 on:** August 18, 2003, 02:31:58 PM »

danhermann,
John V has one somewhere in the Columbia Gorge that was like a double dogleg par 5 that was like three 9 irons or something goofy like that. Hopefully he will contribute.

« **Reply #4 on:** August 18, 2003, 02:40:51 PM »

the 13th at Pirates of Penns Aunts putt putt in Alltoona has a windmill hole where there's a 180 degree dogleg...it's a putter, putter, putter par 3

« **Reply #5 on:** August 18, 2003, 02:42:37 PM »

Raccoon Run in Warsaw, IN. A 188 yard par 4. Fairway runs straight off the tee for about 155 yards, and is flanked completely down the entire left side by very tall hardwoods running up to the edge of the fairway. A 90 degree dogleg left leaves you a short chip/pitch approach to the green from the turn in the dogleg. IF I could hit a 170 yard wedge I could possibly clear the trees and take a straight shot at the green from the tee, but the trees impinge on so close to the tee I doubt anyone could get a ball high enough quickly enough to do it.

The course also has a par 5 equivalent to this hole. Tee and second shots have to go straight down a chute of tall trees on both sides of the fairway to another 90 degree dogleg left.

« **Reply #6 on:** August 18, 2003, 03:29:13 PM »

Anyone want to make a tribute course dedicated to these beauties? It would make a hilarious AOTD! I don't have anything out of the ordinary off the top of my head, just a couple of the standard 7-iron, wedge par fours.

« **Reply #7 on:** August 18, 2003, 09:14:01 PM »

The 16th hole at Phantom Horse Golf Club, my design, in Phoenix is a 300-yard, par-4 as follows:

a. Tees set along a rock hillside

b. Tee shot either 140-yards to a three tier fairay (small)

c. Or...through a bottleneck to a elongated green perched on another hillside

d. Green is elevated and about 160-feet long by 30-feet wide

e. Deep bunker on downhill side (right)

f. All desert everywhere else, including between the landing "island" and the green, which is also an island within desert

- - -

I regret the design. But then find it refreshing. It was partially designed by environmental/desert wackos, who I often thank in my design prayers for their insight. There truly will never e another hole like it...thankfully to some degree!

Sorry I cannot find a link of the design. It truly is weird.

« **Reply #8 on:** August 18, 2003, 09:43:52 PM »

#3 on the East Course at Pocono Manor, by Donald Ross. I believe the hole is called the Punch Bowl. It's a Par three that plays 190 from the Back Tees. From the tee, the green is completely invisable. All you see is a banked landing area with a stake in the middle of it. The green is around thirty feet below and beyond the the landing area. It's a very small green, maybe a little more than 30X30 feet, and has a hazard behind it. It requires an absolutely perfect shot to fly the green and hold it, so the play is to land it at around 170 yards, let it bounce over the edge of the landing area, down a 40 degree bank, and hope it stops on the green without rolling into the trouble behind the green.

« **Reply #9 on:** August 18, 2003, 10:20:51 PM »

Quote from: Tommy_Naccarato on August 18, 2003, 02:31:58 PM

danhermann,
John V has one somewhere in the Columbia Gorge that was like a double dogleg par 5 that was like three 9 irons or something goofy like that. Hopefully he will contribute.

My home course has a 562 yard par 5 that is three 9 irons. For Hank Kuehne, that is

« **Reply #10 on:** August 18, 2003, 10:31:59 PM »

Hole 12 - Wayne Golf Course - Bothell, WA
172 yards - par 4

Abrupt dogleg right. Pitching Wedge off the tee, followed by a flip wedge uphill across a creek to a green benched into a steep hillside. The green is 6-7 steps deep max! Trees overhang on all sides of the green/approach.

« **Reply #11 on:** August 18, 2003, 10:52:33 PM »

As a kid, we used to play a little nine holer, Dickinson CC (NLE, thankfully) in Dickinson, TX. Can't remember the hole number, but I definitely remember the shot. A par three of about 125-130 yards challenged by a very large tree (unique for that area) front left, short of the green.

The play was either a towering wedge up and over or a little bump down underneath the limbs. Classic. A poster child for the stupid tree category.

Also hard to forget the horseshoe par-5, 8th along the bayou at Houston Country Club. Left turn, left turn, left turn. Very NASCAR-like.

« **Reply #12 on:** August 18, 2003, 11:01:50 PM »

Forrest,

I wondered waht was going on with that #$$@#$$$# 16th hole at Phantom Horse--totally wierd and not very good. Shoulda known the enviros gotta hold of it.

Another strange one like others mentioned above, a 350 yard par 5 at Holiday Valley ski resort er golf club in Ellicottville, NY. Up a ski slope and hit anything you want for 300 yards, then left 50 yards blind downhill to the green. Can't go for the green before 300 yards due to a forest of trees on the left. Dumbest hole I've seen.

« **Reply #13 on:** August 18, 2003, 11:01:58 PM »

The "Bell" Hole by Herbert Strong at Lakeview in Mississauga.
Long iron blindly over a ridge to a fairway that runs away FAST. OB and a large apartment on the right tight to the fairway. A pitch back up the slope, USUALLY BACKAWRDS I might add, up a 20' cliff to a shallow green featuring OB directly behind the green. Green is impossible to see except as you walk by down to the fairway. 250 of the craziest yards in golf, kinda fun now I think about it more.

« **Reply #14 on:** August 18, 2003, 11:43:31 PM »

The goofiest damn hole I have ever encountered is No.8, a 536 yard Par 5 that they brag about. Any conversation about regional golf is bound to include some snide comment about the "Z" shaped hole. The publication Golf Courses of the Pacific Northwest describes the hole as follows: Nearly 175 yards off the (very elevated) tee, the "S shaped" fairway turns 90 degrees to the right. Down another 100 yards or so the fairway abruptly angles left to a tree-ringed green. The club had me look at some revision design efforts, during which I was asked my impression of No.8. The answer could not be anything other than "Huh?" which may not say too much for my revision abilities.

« **Reply #15 on:** August 18, 2003, 11:47:38 PM »

No, I haven't taken total leave of my senses. The host course with the "Z" shaped hole is the Alderbrook Golf and Yacht Club located in Union, Washington on Hood Canal. 'Bye!

« **Reply #16 on:** August 19, 2003, 03:20:26 AM »

I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that I have played this course at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma Washington. Every hole could be considered odd. But I do enjoy the last slighty uphill and short par 3. There are only about 3 trees on the hole but you have to hit your short iron over these 3 40 foot trees. With the shortest in the middle which has noticeably been cut back. They stick straight up. The green is steeply sloped from back to front. With fun little, shallow bunkers surrounding the green. The sand is quicksand as there is probalby 8 inches of sand in them.

The course is so baked out it's hilarious. On top of that during the afternoon on a fall weekday. You get to hear the butchering of a middle shcool football coach. You get to hear a soccer team practice and get to see the cross country team run by. I am just so amused what $8 can by you now a days.

« **Reply #17 on:** August 19, 2003, 04:23:39 PM »

2nd Hole at Hawk Creek in Neskowin, Oregon is a Dell Hole but with big conifers growing on the fronting hill. Just aim at them cuz if they get through they roll down the hill toward the green.

3rd Hole, HC, same place, the tees are so far back into the overhanging trees that the wise shot is a putter but there's a creek 50 yards out cutting across so ya can't. I used 2 iron into an overhanging branch.

5th Hole, HC, same place, is a crazy par 4 on the side slope of a big hill that takes any faded shot down to the next fairway, and across it, by bounding roll. There is a level spot about 8 yards wide (NOT 10) near the OB left side that everyone prrrays for. It looks like a runway and it's dry and mean. Out of 12 players, not one held it or made par.

I gotta go back.

« **Reply #18 on:** August 19, 2003, 04:29:22 PM »

#7 at Innis Arden Golf Club -

135 yd par 3 over diagonal stream, over 50 ft high oak, green sandwiched between a tee and green.

Gentlemen, start your chain saws!!!

KLP

« **Reply #19 on:** August 20, 2003, 11:14:19 PM »

Doug,

"#$$@#$$$#" — a bit strong. Perhaps "@&^//*?" would be less rude!

« **Reply #20 on:** August 20, 2003, 11:30:20 PM »

Forrest,

Yes I agree--that was only a "@&^//*?" hole, sorry.

« **Reply #21 on:** August 21, 2003, 12:04:55 AM »

I think John V's hole is #1 at Black Butte's Glaze Meadow.

I prefered #8 at Mountain High ( temp NLE) which was driver, L wedge, 5 iron because of a sharp chicane through a forest of 75' trees.

« **Reply #22 on:** August 21, 2003, 01:03:02 AM »

Peter, I haven't checked into this thread today, but I think it was the one Bill is talking about--Alderbrook.

« **Reply #23 on:** August 21, 2003, 01:04:14 AM »

Not anymore but to me it used to be the really good par 3 #13 at Manufacturers by William Flynn. The hole is about 220 with a sort of redanish green. But the hole had an enormous tree on the left until they finally took it out about five years ago that made the hole the only one shot dogleg I ever saw!

« **Reply #24 on:** August 21, 2003, 09:17:32 AM »

I guess it is pretty close to strange, but what about the #13 hole at Blackwolf Run's River course (Tall Timber)?

It is a 192 yard par-3 hole played along the banks of the river...you either have to hit a huge draw out over the river (for you right-handed golfers), or play some sort of "bail-out" pop-up shot over the huge trees directly in line with the green leaving you a pitch and putt for par...crazy stuff!

http://www.destinationkohler.com/bwr/rivercourse13.html

News:

Rick_Noyes

Dan Herrmann

Rick_Noyes

Tommy_Naccarato

david h. carroll

John Nixon

JLahrman

Forrest Richardson

JeffTodd

Doug Siebert

Steve_L.

Eric Pevoto

Doug Wright

ian

Bill_Overdorf

Bill_Overdorf

Andrew_Roberts

Norbert P

Kenny Lee Puckett

Forrest Richardson

Doug Wright

peter_p

Tommy_Naccarato

TEPaul

Evan Fleisher

An Error Has Occurred!