What's the best "tight" hole you've played and why?

[Jeff Fortson]

I just thought of another one.....

#7 Pasatiempo

I think it's too tight, but hey, it's still a good hole.  The green complex is fantastic.

Jeff F.

[Mike_Cirba]

Jeff;

That's a great example.  A bold driver play from the tee actually finds a wider landing area at the top of the hill (provided it's early flight is accurately threaded), leaving a relatively flat lie and simpler pitch to the wild green.

[Eric Pevoto]

While not exactly "tight," the fifth at Lancaster CC is one that doesn't rely on width for strategy.  

With a creek running up the right side of the tee and fairway, the green sits high right at almost a 90 degree over the creek.  Basically, it's distance decisions to determine the angle you approach.

[Chris_Hunt]

Scott's picture of Astoria reminded me of the narrowest fairway I have seen, found on the 4th hole at Cambridge Golf Club in New Zealand.  Probably not the best hole, but neat at 18 paces wide.  Also, the only course I have ever seen that uses geomorphology in its advertising pitch to prospective golfers:  'Cambridge Golf Club, course sculptured by the Waikato River 15,000 years ago!'

Here is a look up the fourth, a short four with a green around to the left.



The best and tightest feeling hole to my mind (off the tee at least) might be the famed 4th (old 5th) at Lahinch, the par-5 Klondyke. Blast it straight 250 to have enough space to clear the massive dunes blocking the approach.  I took 11.

Pic:

[Evan Fleisher]

How about the 1st at Prestwick...would that qualify?  It's the first hole of a historic course, you are not yet into a rhythm, and you've got a rail-line right and scrubby dunes left...and there is nowhere else to go...

[Doug Siebert]

Actually Evan the tee shot on #1 Prestwick doesn't bother me, you aren't hitting more than 200 yards and there's a fair amount of room to err to the right if you are aiming left.  The second is more scary (more scary the further left you play safe off the tee)

I like the example of Prestwick's 15th, "Narrows".  First time I was there I just see a hill, and my caddie points to a building in the distance and tells me that's my line, and hands me my one iron.  I hit it pure right where he pointed me and he tells me that's the best shot I'll hit my entire trip.  I crest the hill and there's my ball in the center of a fairway I stepped off at 14 yards wide, with foot deep rough on either side.  It was definitely a much scarier tee shot the next trip when I knew what lurked over that hill!

[JNC Lyon]

9th (old #18) at Durand Eastman in on Lake Ontario. This a 1930's Trent Jones design with no bunkers, but it is great fun at 6003 yards from the back. 9 plays away from the lake through a narrow ravine. It is only 434, par Five, but a player must decide whether to go for the green in two. The hole plays uphill to a green 13 (!) paces deep. Just don't miss!

[THuckaby2]

So many familiar holes mentioned here...  

Aptos Seascape - oh man, Mike is right on re #13 (old #4).  Skinny 460 yard par 5, raised tee hitting down into bowl-like valley, huge trees and jail left, heavy rough and ob right.  Hole goes straight and then green is tucked in to the left, behind a giant tree, also behind a lake... Mike is right - one either finds the very right side of the fairway or goes wedge/wedge for shots 2 and 3.  Interesting, strange golf hole, more hated than loved.

And Bill gives a great mention re Indian Valley #5 - a fave hole of mine, he describes it perfectly.  Interesting also, it might be the poster-child hole for the "many golfers ignore strategy" thought that Dave M. doesn't seem to believe... Even in my group tournaments there, drivers outnumber irons off that tee easily 3-1, although driver is a patently stupid play.  Don't ask how I know it's stupid from personal experience...

As for great tight golf holes, there are actually many on the great links of the UK and Ireland, but the tightness there comes from bunkers, not trees, so the "feel" is wider - even on a great tightly bunkered hole like 18 Muirfield.

Hmmmm.. a great tree-lined tight hole?  How about the old version of #12 Bayonet - although I'm sure Adam will disagree.  

TH

[Bill_McBride]

Tom, re #5 Indian Valley, I would think that automatic faded tee ball of yours would be perfect!  Funny how that green that doesn't look THAT far away speeds up the swing and brings the left side trees and fence into play!  

I doubt Indian Valley has much of a reputation but it does have some excellent holes.  And a good place to learn to play, as there are not many flat lies.

[THuckaby2]

Bill, the problem with the ole' automatic fade on that hole is that the slope off to the right means I must hug the left tree-line or it's bye-bye golf ball.  I've always thought the better shot there was a draw... start it right, bounce it INTO the slope, so it stays on the fairway....  But yes, overcook that and it's bye-bye left also!

And from the middle tees, which I've played more often there, the green is eminently reachable, making the temptation that much greater.  It's amazing to me how even from the back tees, where very few people can reach the green anyway, drivers still outnumber the smarter play at least 3:1.  I've gotta get Dave M. to come and watch the play there some time!  

In any case, silly me, I've gone right into the trees (marked as hazard, I believe, right of the cartpath) 5 times for every one time hitting the green.  I've also slammed into the trees on the left, but never gone past and ob as I recall.

I think I've played the course 12 times!  

Great course indeed, makes me want to go back right now.

TH

[Mike Hendren]

I like the 14th at Victoria National.  Distance and angle require a drawn tee ball or a direct challenge of the left-hand fairway bunker.  Otherwise, one faces the requirement of a long-iron uphill to a sloping green with the left side quite small.  Lovely valley to walk through after the tee ball as well.  That Fazio - what a chump.

Regards,

Mike  

[Bill_McBride]

Tom, the next hole #6 is also a great short par 4.  Not sure how long it plays today as there was plenty of room to shove that tee back.  When I played there in the 50's and 60's, there was a big oak tree in the middle of the fairway about 100 yds from the green!  It died and finally fell over and they didn't plant another one.  The tree meant that your only chance to hit PW on a short par 4 was to stripe one into about a 20 yd wide area between the tree and the creek which runs all the way down the right side!   The green as I recall it (with #4 drop shot par 3 directly behind) was small and basically flat, so if you hit the green, birdie was distinctly possible.

The more I think about the individual holes at old Indian Valley, the better the course is.  As a complete course, it wasn't much, but there are probably 14 good holes out there.  #10, #14 and #15 are another thing altogether, and #18.....we used to try to hit drivers over the hill on that 90* dogleg right!  Luckily no carts in those days, some might not have returned!