Par 6

[mike_beene]

The only known scorecard from the original version of our course(1912 by Bendalow) has the second hole as a 602 yard par 6. Perhaps I missed something, but I never knew any par 6 holes ever existed.Is this a strange anomaly, or were there some 6's?

[Kevin_Reilly]

The 18th hole at Lake Chabot GC in Oakland has been a par 6 as long as I remember.

http://www.tournevents.com/_assets/OaklandCity/signup.pdf?orgid=2605

[Mark Fedeli]

The 18th hole of Cherry Creek Links on Long Island is a par 6.

http://www.cherrycreeklinks.com/#!scorecard/cijo

[mike_beene]

In this day and age it seems both of those should be par 5 holes unless there are hazards or hills I don't see. The concept of a par 6 seems very uninteresting to me and crazy with today's length.It also seems crazy in 1912.I assume the people in Dallas knew next to nothing about golf.I wonder if they didn't follow Bendalow's plans. I doubt he stayed very long in a small desolate frontier outpost.

[Mike_Clayton]

At last years World Am - the Eisenhower for men and Espirito for women - the 18th hole on one of the courses was 733 yard par 6 for the women. The men's hole was presumably longer and also a par 6.

[Sven Nilsen]

American Golfer, Nov. 1913, no par figures given.  

This would have been right around the time Bendelow was espousing increased distances for courses to adjust to the modern ball, although Lakewood was shorter than many of his designs from that time.

[mike_beene]

We are going to have to get the card and compare to the old aerials.I am struggling with where this par 6 started.I think it finished in the area of the current 3rd green and I suspect we misread the aerial.I believe this is the first anyone knew about a 600 yard hole. I am puzzled by a par 6 in general and this one specifically.A par 6 on a 5700 yard course plus 4 holes in low 200s seem very strange.

[Mike Hamilton]

I have not played here but had been told many years ago this was the longest hole in the world

http://www.blackmountaingolf.org

[Mark Provenzano]

In this day and age it seems both of those should be par 5 holes unless there are hazards or hills I don't see. The concept of a par 6 seems very uninteresting to me and crazy with today's length.It also seems crazy in 1912.I assume the people in Dallas knew next to nothing about golf.I wonder if they didn't follow Bendalow's plans. I doubt he stayed very long in a small desolate frontier outpost.

Lake Chabot #18 has been discussed here--it's a dogleg trek down a severe ski-slope sized hill that finishes to a uphill green. Holding said green with a fairway wood or long iron is a chore. There's a bit of a goofy-golf aspect to it, but it's a legit Par 6. (Of course, the goofy starts when you have to drive across 4 fairways just to reach the clubhouse.)

[jeffwarne]

The 18th hole of Cherry Creek Links on Long Island is a par 6.

http://www.cherrycreeklinks.com/#!scorecard/cijo

The one at Cherry Creek is merely a scorecard 644 and you'd never know it as a par 6 as it simply plays like a par 5 and some dogleg can be cut, and Cherry creek is a fairly new course-less than 20 years old.

The one at Black Mountain is long.
I remember playing it as a 14 year old, being very nervous as it was a "famous" hole from my Golf Digest reading.
Driver, 3 wood, semi topped 3 wood, 6 iron.
Played it again about 10 years ago and though it is reachable in three well struck shots, it's not overly downhill, it plays along the side of a hill with a big right to left slope.
 Ironically, I don't remember my shots as well as I did the first time, but I do remember it is a distinct hole due to its length.

[Paul Gray]

Technically should begin at 691 yards.

[Jonathan Davison]

There is a par 6 on the Nicklaus designed course at Penati golf resort, Slovakia. Apparently the longest hole in Europe at 716 metres.
http://www.penatigolfresort.sk/en/golf/legend-course/

It can be played as both a 5 or a 6, shame really because its a great par 5. It's just too much of a slog for a six and normally into a prevailing wind.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I suppose it's an option when your best routing falls out as 19 holes... Never liked the idea myself though...

[Greg Holland]

Farmstead Links on the NC/SC border at the coast has a par 6 -- willard Byrd course if I recall correctly.

[Joe_Tucholski]

Playing a par 7 here sometime in the next couple months at Gunsan Country Club in Gunsan Korea.  The place is an 81 hole complex right outside one of the US military bases and is a public course in Korea (a bit of a rare thing).  The par 7 is over 1,000 yards.  They also have a par 6 that is over 700 yards.

Thought about going down for the MLK weekend but the weather is a bit cold in Korea right now.

[Brad Tufts]

Maplewood in Bethlehem, NH has (or had when I played there 10 years ago) a par 6 on the card.  Ross design, but not among the best.

Of course, it is a dead-straight 590 yards or so, so really just a strong 5.

[jeffwarne]

Playing a par 7 here sometime in the next couple months at Gunsan Country Club in Gunsan Korea.  The place is an 81 hole complex right outside one of the US military bases and is a public course in Korea (a bit of a rare thing).  The par 7 is over 1,000 yards.  They also have a par 6 that is over 700 yards.

Thought about going down for the MLK weekend but the weather is a bit cold in Korea right now.

We have a winner!
I often hear long par 4's,5's, and now a 6 (or7!) described on here as a slog.
I think the idea of a 1000 yard hole is very cool, and can certainly see the relevance of 750 yard holes in this era.
It's actually a faster way to cover terrain as there's no need to stop and putt two or three separate times!
Kind've like cross country golf and could involve a lot of strategy.
I consider such a hole refreshing  and a brake in the race to homoginization

[Thomas Dai]

I believe the composite Championship course at Adrian's Player's Club includes one hole that is a combination of two 'normal course' holes and has an overall length of something like 720 yds. Par-6? I think the composite course plays around 7,800 yds and believe they hold an annual very back tee challenge event for amateurs as well as a Euro-pro event on it. I'm sure Adrian can chip in with more specific details.

I remember as a small, short hitting kid in the Far East playing a 600+ yd 'par-5', I'm talking early 1970's, seemed like a par-10! Driver, fairway wood several consecutive times, iron to the green and a couple of putts. Easy to forget that there are a lot of effective par-6's and 7's and 8's etc when you're a young junior, or, and getting there these days, a senior. Same for ladies I'm sure, but that's one of the reasons we have handicaps.

On a slight tangent, the altitude of a course and also the relative humidity of the air must play some relevance into a holes effective par.

Atb

[Mark Pearce]

I remember before a BUDA a few years back playing in very strong wind at Cruden Bay and Joe Fairey (who can really play) described the 13th as the hardest par 7 he had played.  580 yards into winds gusting to 40mph.

[Thomas Dai]

I remember before a BUDA a few years back playing in very strong wind at Cruden Bay and Joe Fairey (who can really play) described the 13th as the hardest par 7 he had played.  580 yards into winds gusting to 40mph.

I've got that 13/CB issue T-shirt too, a few of them, including driver, lay-up short of the burn, 2-iron, 2-iron, 9-iron, 2-putts for a very nice all well struck shots gross 7 to win the hole. Head wind so strong you could hardly control the bag let alone the ball. A playing partner hit the biggest slice I've ever seen from the 14th tee, wind adverse effected, way to the right, out onto he beach as far as the tide line, and the tide was rightout. He then played his ball back to the fairway, although it took him a while!

I've seen the both the 14th and the 15th played with only a putter all the way from tee to green when the wind is up.

Do you recall how Mr Fairey got on playing 14 through 18?

atb

[BHoover]

Is there a term for making a 2 on a par 6 (or 3 on a par 7)?

[Adrian_Stiff]

I believe the composite Championship course at Adrian's Player's Club includes one hole that is a combination of two 'normal course' holes and has an overall length of something like 720 yds. Par-6? I think the composite course plays around 7,800 yds and believe they hold an annual very back tee challenge event for amateurs as well as a Euro-pro event on it. I'm sure Adrian can chip in with more specific details.

Thomas - Yes it was our original 8th, which we split into two holes when we made way for the second course to get an out and in. It was 696 yards Par 5 when it opened though there was a 727 tee if 'wanted' and we play the old layout once a month in the summer of standard medal tees and once a year play it at 7700 (IT IS ABSOLUTE HELL). Recently Par 6 holes are 'allowed' again (they were popular up to about 1914 and there were even par 7s though nothing much went over 600 yards more for steep uphillers I think).
A birdie is one under An Eagle is two under An Albatross is three under and A Condor is four under. As far as I know there have only been three condor's, hole in ones on par 5 holes.

[Joe_Tucholski]

Playing a par 7 here sometime in the next couple months at Gunsan Country Club in Gunsan Korea.  The place is an 81 hole complex right outside one of the US military bases and is a public course in Korea (a bit of a rare thing).  The par 7 is over 1,000 yards.  They also have a par 6 that is over 700 yards.

Thought about going down for the MLK weekend but the weather is a bit cold in Korea right now.

We have a winner!
I often hear long par 4's,5's, and now a 6 (or7!) described on here as a slog.
I think the idea of a 1000 yard hole is very cool, and can certainly see the relevance of 750 yard holes in this era.
It's actually a faster way to cover terrain as there's no need to stop and putt two or three separate times!
Kind've like cross country golf and could involve a lot of strategy.
I consider such a hole refreshing  and a brake in the race to homoginization

I've played some cross country golf at Twilight and it's a lot of fun.  Not sure how it will work in reality and I will hold final judgement till I've played the course.  My biggest concern is pace of play.  I've found golf in Korea to be unfortunately slow and having to wait on groups to clear 300 yards in front only to top a shot 100 yards really could play out poorly.

Here is a screenshot from google earth.  Notice a good amount of water (nearly 400 acres of it).  I hope to do a complete write up after the visit.

[jeffwarne]

Is there a term for making a 2 on a par 6 (or 3 on a par 7)?

An Ace on a par 6 is called a Taylormade and an ace on a par 7 is called a ProV1

[Sven Nilsen]

We are going to have to get the card and compare to the old aerials.I am struggling with where this par 6 started.I think it finished in the area of the current 3rd green and I suspect we misread the aerial.I believe this is the first anyone knew about a 600 yard hole. I am puzzled by a par 6 in general and this one specifically.A par 6 on a 5700 yard course plus 4 holes in low 200s seem very strange.

The hole at Lakewood was neither the first 600 yard hole nor the first par 6 in the U.S.  Both Springhaven and Apawamis had 600 yarders on their scorecards in 1901, and there are probably quite a few others.

Many of the early golf courses had holes that we would consider absurd today, including one course in New England that had a hole a half mile in length.  At some point, there were significant efforts to create a consistent model for par numbers and uniform accepted hole lengths.  If I can find it, there's an early 1900's piece on the par's that should be assigned to holes based on their distances.  As you can imagine, the distances for the cutoffs for each par are shorter than we'd think of today.

Sven