#17...It's taken me quite a while to decide what I think, and I go tentatively positive. Like 16, stunning scenery x100. All three of my rounds were played from the tips, into a 20-25mph left to right wind. I would describe an aerial image of the cliff edge like a few stairs in profile. At the crest of the hill/cliff, the carry is only 200, and slightly to the right it's 220...about 25-30 feet uphill and into the wind. The caddies wanted us to aim right and take on the big carry, but I was always more cognizant of not losing the ball to the right with the wind. In three plays, I lost a ball barely left, and found the fairway twice with 70-80 yards left. I too wish there was a bit more room left, but its an exacting shot with a good deal of room. I think after many plays, we would have been more confident to go slightly right, but only in benign conditions. The line off the tee necessary to reach the downslope to the green required a 225 upwind/uphill carry on our three rounds (playing 250+), which was not really workable at that moment. I found it very playable from the fairway, with options to hit a full wedge to chipping, to putting. You have to get creative to get it close. I would liked to have seen a bunch of tee balls around the green to see how awkward those results may/may not have been, but I didn't get that opportunity.
#18...An underrated cool hole. Playing into the wind and L->R, most well-hit tee shots will fuss with the left bunker, which is situated perfectly. Observing tee shots down the right side too, they do not bounce toward the cliff per se, so it's really more forgiving that it appears. The second shot is neat too, because it gives the player who hits a good drive a chance to be around the HUGE green in two with some room over the chasm, similar but different than #10. The green will also give people fits, as there are many good pin locations, some very close to the edge of the cliff. LOVE the couches behind the green...we saw many people in the area, and nobody could resist sitting and enjoying a beverage.
Cabot Cliffs as a course is tough to separate from Cabot as a resort...I think the two courses compliment each other very well, and the resort is bar none as a destination in the East. Cliffs gets the nod (again, no slight to the Links, which grew on me each play) due to the incredible scenery, and how the routing visits the cliff over and over during the round. Personally, my favorite stretches are 5-9, and 13-15. 16 and 17 are stunningly natural holes that just had to be the way they are, love it or leave it. Are they great, separated from the all-world setting? Not sure. I would say for me, 16 is trending odd, and 17 is trending great. Both are controversial, on slightly opposite sides of the median for me." I don't think this is necessarily bad, as many great courses have these types of holes, and most without the "whoa" setting found at Cabot Cliffs. It's tough for me to place it on the world list, as I have played about 30 of them, split between parkland and links. My first guess is probably somewhere in the #40-75 range, maybe a touch higher as it matures. If the two courses were in the US, I would say Cliffs would be Top 25, and Links would be in the 75-100 range. Regardless of all the analysis...they are just must plays!!