Most "Outside the Box" Hole You've Ever Played?

[Sam Kestin]

While a lot of time is spent discussing template holes--whether the 6th at X is a "true" redan and so on--I'd be curious to hear everyone's opinion on the most "outside the box" hole they ever played. Feel free to define this however you'd like--and it doesn't matter if you actually liked the hole or not. It just has to be a hole that felt like you'd never played one quite like it before.

Jack Nicklaus has frequently said "There’s nothing really new in golf course design, it’s about how you apply principles."

Not sure if I agree with that or not (I'll trust his judgment) but I would love to know what feels "new" to this well-traveled crowd.

I'll kick it off with the 15th at Tobacco Road. Half-blind tee shot to a split fairway with a crazy three-level green set perpendicular to the line of play. Probably 6 different choices (or more) you can take off the tee. A lot of Stranz's work feels like this to me (in a good way).

Another pick would be that wild six level green on the eighth hole at Chardonnay GC in Napa, CA.

Would love to hear your nominations!

[Tom_Doak]

Just off the top of my head:


the 2nd at Dannebrog, NE  [green site in the bottom ring of an old grain silo]


the 13th at North Berwick West Links  [pitch over a stone wall running down the right side of the green]


the original 7th at Stone Harbor, NJ  [football-shaped island green with two flanking island bunkers]


Of my own work ... probably the 7th at Ballyneal.[/color]

[John Kavanaugh]

The Dell hole at Erin Hills. Thanks to all you who rallied for its demise.

[David_Tepper]

"Another pick would be that wild six level green on the eighth hole at Chardonnay GC in Napa, CA."

+1

[JESII]

#2 C-Nine at Huntingdon Valley.

[Greg Chambers]

While reading the OP, the first hole that came to my mind was 7 at Ballyneal...then Tom Doak himself mentioned it...now I got nothin.

[Brian_Ewen]

How many does any Desmond Muirhead course have ?

[Daryl David]

17 at Cabot Cliffs.

[Jon Cavalier]

The 5th at Crystal Downs comes to mind, as does the 12th at Garden City.

[jeffwarne]

The nominees

3 NGLA
17 St Andrews
17 Pennard
2 Oreti Sands-dogleg blind second to a par 4 unless drive it dangerously left
3 Shiskine
2,4,6,7,8 at Goat Hill
The blind par 3 at Prestwick (inspired by 4 at Goat Hill [size=78%])[/size]
Dell hole at Lahinch
3 Tara Iti-maybe more cool than outside the box-something there should be more of
12 at Tara Iti  Up and over blind tee shot, super tilty right to left green
(loved the hole-a thumb your nose to everything that sucks about modern conformity)
#5 Long Cove
4 Fisher's
Several at The Machrie
Perranporth-the uphill blind par 5
2 NGLA
The Pit at North Berwick
17 St Andrews
5 at Cruit
13 Portsalon
#1 Greencastle
12 at Greencastle-only slightly outside the box but unique, scenic and a cool greensite
2 at Arrowtown, but 4,5,7,8 pretty darn unique as well-actually the entire front nine is awesome and shockingly unique-to say nothing of the texture and scenery

#6 Otway (par 4 played over a massive dune ridge about 200+ out-seems like there's no way there's anything there on the other side-particularly after 4 out the first five holes share ONE fairway-and the last three holes share another)
Interestingly the 6th is the ONLY hole with its own fairway if one chooses to lay up


And the winner is....
#6 at Otway-where the sheep wear helmets

[Jason Thurman]

the 2nd at Dannebrog, NE 

[green site in the bottom ring of an old grain silo]


Yep.[/color]

[Kalen Braley]

A handful of holes on a mom and pops course in Spokane called Antler Springs.

Some truly wild stuff, way out of the box!

[Scott Little]

The par 3 6th hole at Tot Hill Farm was my first introduction to the artistry of Mike Strantz. I can only dream of what another 20 years of life would have gifted the golfing community.

[Sean_A]

THE GOOD

St Enodoc 6
N Berwick Pit
Lahinch Dell
Cavendish 14
Tobacco Road 6
Cleeve Cloud 17
Rye 4
Yelverton 12 & 13
Addington 12
Prestwick Seahedrig
Seascale 9


THE BAD

N Berwick 1
Painswick 1
Addington 8
Church Stretton 15


THE UGLY

Church Stetton 18
Temple 10
Saunton 11


Ciao

[Jaeger Kovich]

That Island Green on pullies in Coeur d'alene Idaho.

[Thomas Dai]

5th at Painswick.


Not sure if these are 'out of the box' but here's a link to a previous GCA thread that may have some relevance -


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,59806.25.html


Atb

[Tim Martin]

18 Yale

[Nigel Islam]

The 6th at the Country Mark Co-op course in Mount Vernon Indiana. The hole course wraps around an oil refinery, but the 6th is a reachable dogleg left par 5 that must take the second shot over the refinery to get home in two. I'm really hoping Kavanaugh has played this course to vouch for me!

[Matthew Petersen]

I recently played a course I'd never before seen called Wickenburg CC in Wickenburg AZ.


There's a lot of unusual stuff at this funky little course, but #1 is probably the most unusual.


A 311 yard par 4, it drops significantly downhill off the tee, then runs back uphill from about 100 yards in. The fairway narrows considerably the cover you get to the green. There are a few trees right and a big hill with trees an OB left, so few are likely to have a go at the green (also, it's the first hole and few who play here are likely to be able to reach a 300+ yard hole anyway).


A fairway wood or long iron to the bottom of the hill is a fine play, leaving a wedge in.


Where it's really unusual is the distinctly two-level green--a small shelf on the back left, protected by a lone palm tree that stands sentinel about 5 yards in front of the green. If the pin is right and you drive to the right side of the fairway, this feature is unlikely to get in your way. But if the pin is left, you have to think about it. You can aim left of the green and it should kick off the hill, but maybe so much that it will go all the way down to the lower level of the green. You can go right at it (it's not a huge target) and risk hitting the tree (it's a very tall palm tree so it's a small obstacle, but it is nonetheless right there), or you can go right of the tree and concede that you'll be on the lower level of the green, which is no guaranteed two putt.


Very different.

[Wade Whitehead]

15 at Ballyhack.  By a longshot.

WW

[Joe Bausch]

My interest in golf course architecture began with the 16th at Inniscrone outside Phliadelphia (a Gil Hanse course).

[BCowan]

How many does any Desmond Muirhead course have ?

Of the one or two I've played I'd agree with u. He is one of the few that builds water holes I like or don't mind. I need to play more of his courses just for kicks

[MCirba]

The 1st at Bedford Springs and 5th at Boston Golf come to mind on courses that are terrific. 

Lots of outside the box holes on courses that arent.

[Charlie_Bell]

#8 at Royal Dornoch.  Unique in my limited experience -- until I played the 17th.   


You aim at a barber pole 230 or so  yards from the tee, towards the edge of a severe 40-foot drop-off set at an oblique angle to the line of play.  Your ball will either fly or tumble over the edge onto the lower fairway, which is one of the most severely mounded fairways I've ever played.  So it's a blind drive, aided by the post, into a landing area that is likely to be a severely sloping sideways hill, onto a fairway that looks like a moonscape or a sea of green-brown swells.   


The 17th is almost a carbon copy, except that the green is dramatically elevated from the landing area.  So both your drive and approach shot on the par-4 are blind, unless you choose to lay up on the drive.

[Ronald Montesano]

15 at Ballyhack.  By a longshot.

WW

Or a short porch...