The Perfect Golf Hole

[Alex Miller]

It's the greatest sports week of the year and of course some of my attention has turned to ANGC. With endless articles around the course, I began to take notice of the 13th once again.


Of course it's not an easy hole to forget and one of the most exciting at Augusta National, but could it be the closest thing to perfection as it exists in golf architecture. Just a few of the many attributes of ANGC's 13th pop to mind.

• Advantage to the player who can shape their shots both right to left and left to right
• Uses the natural topography to its fullest
• Rewards a the golfer who controls not only distance and direction, but also spin through approach shots and short game
• Interesting green that imposes different strategy and challenges based on hole location
• Dichotomy of peace and isolation on the south side of Rae's creek and the shared fairways to Amen Corner and #14 on the other side
• Options for recovery, including varying degrees of risk/reward, especially around the green

I could go on and on - there are so many ways to play this hole and I feel confident that depending on strategy and execution, any player from a pro to a 30 handicap could make birdie/par (eagles for the very best) or also 10.


Would love to hear others make their case for the existence of a perfect golf hole, and I don't just mean those that serve their purpose or use the land, but ones that get lucky enough to have the right land and are also designed and built to, well, perfection.

[Jon Wiggett]

Alex,


I think using the word perfect is maybe misleading as it means something else to each person. What you seem to be describing is flexibility of challenge and a wide scope of playability for all standards of player.


Jon

[Thomas Dai]

Would a Yorkshire born Doctor's winning entry in a 1914 competition for a two shot hole be relevant here, especially in relation to the hole mentioned in the opening post given the distance shots are hit these days?
Atb

[David Wuthrich]

I would say that it is one of the better risk/reward holes that I have played anywhere around the world!

[Alex Miller]

Alex,


I think using the word perfect is maybe misleading as it means something else to each person. What you seem to be describing is flexibility of challenge and a wide scope of playability for all standards of player.


Jon

Well to me that is perfect - what does it mean to you and is there a hole that best exemplifies it?

[James Brown]

Would agree.


I would nominate another hole:  18 at TOC.  Meets nearly all the same criteria. 


We also have to acknowledge that the history and shared experiences we all have with a hole affect the value we give it. 

[Ted Sirbaugh]

I do think it's tough to say any hole is perfect... but I would say Royal Melbourne #6 to me best exemplifies the criteria you listed

[John Kavanaugh]

The 17th at Prairie Dunes is so perfect the prevailing wind is at your back.

[Jon Wiggett]

Alex,


I think using the word perfect is maybe misleading as it means something else to each person. What you seem to be describing is flexibility of challenge and a wide scope of playability for all standards of player.


Jon

Well to me that is perfect - what does it mean to you and is there a hole that best exemplifies it?

Alex,


in your opening post I felt you talked about the most complete test in as much as a hole asking the player to demonstrate multiple skills. The 13th at Augusta does this but for a 150 yard hitting slicer who cannot hit decent wedges the hole is one dimensional. I would also plum for the 18th at TOC.


Jon

[Sean_A]

The perfect golf hole exists in many forms and there are many of them.  So yes, I can buy Augusta's 13th is perfect.


Ciao

[Ronald Montesano]

Extreme dogleg left, with impenetrable blockage up the left side for a very healthy distance. As indicated above, eliminates the person who turns the ball massively to the right. If perfect is meant to embrace/include all golfers, this one falls short.


What would the 18th at the Old Course be like with...wait, I'll start another thread.


RM

[Mike Nuzzo]

I agree Alex
13 is perfect


My father and I entered Augusta for a Monday practice round at the 16th hole.
So the 13th was near the end of our first walk of the course.
I wanted to keep walking and by the time we got part way I knew I had to get back to 13.


With the sun hitting the tops of the pine trees I stood as near to the middle of the hole as the ropes would allow.
As I absorbed the environment a member walked up beside me.
We talked about his secrets of how he plays the holes on different days.
It felt like field of dreams.


The terrain and how it fits within the routing is perfect.
The right to left slope of the fairway in contrast to the steepness of the opposite side of Rae's creek is perfect.


Happy Masters

[Bill Raffo]

It's a beautiful hole to the eye but a perfect golf hole?  To me, that green is too deep and big, taking away a level of precision that should be in play to reach a part five in two.  If a top player simply hits a draw off the tee, it's not even that long of a par four. I like 15 better, that's a devil of a hole.

[jeffwarne]

Extreme dogleg left, with impenetrable blockage up the left side for a very healthy distance. As indicated above, eliminates the person who turns the ball massively to the right. If perfect is meant to embrace/include all golfers, this one falls short.


What would the 18th at the Old Course be like with...wait, I'll start another thread.


RM

All holes eliminate the person who turns the ball massively to the right...


There is a ton room right off the tee for that player-and the ground slopes the other way to bank the slice, and even more room on the right(two fairways) for the second.


If 18 at TOC is perfect, then 13 at ANGC is double plus perfect