Iconic holes that began life as controversial

[Peter Pallotta]

I always think it comes down to 'Intention'.
If an architect puts what the golf course needs (because of the land and its 'place') first & foremost, the resulting golf holes will 'push the envelope' in just the right way, even if there is some occasional early criticism to withstand -- and one day might be deemed iconic.
But if instead the architect puts his own needs (for a career or fame or steady work or a happy client) first & foremost, any edgy or would-be iconic golf hole will certainly fail the test of time, even if in the short term no one notices its essential fraudulence.

[Pat Burke]

How was the 10th at Riviera received when it was built?  I don't know how much the hole has changed, but I can't imagine hitting 1930s clubs and balls into that green.  Even with slower greens, it would be extremely tough to hold a 70 - 100 yard shot into tat shallow green I would think.

There is an old photo of the 10th green without any bunker at the front right, but I think the hole only existed that way for a short time before the bunker was added ... maybe even before the course was formally opened.  Anyway, I have never heard much discussion of that hole as "controversial".  In the early days it would have been more necessary to play to the left off the tee and get a good line into the green so you could hold it, but it wasn't extremely tough as long as you were playing into the length of the green.  In the 1960's and 70's the hole was dismissed as too easy - the chairman of the USGA Green Section recommended blowing it up and making a better hole! - but it still wasn't controversial for golfers at large.  Now of course it's untouchable.

When I played in the 90s, I didn’t feel like 10 at Riviera was much to think about.
But, the course conditions,were basically atrocious back then imo.  The greens were bumpy and soft.  Hitting a decent tee shot in the left half of the fairway rarely if ever left a short shot with fear, the greens were just so receptive, and not to get too intomequipment, the stuff we played was spinning way more.


Now they have the conditions just amazing.
The fairways actually run a bit, but the firmness of the greens puts a lot more premium on hitting an approach the perfect distance, from a good angle.


I was shocked when I saw the old photo of 10 without the bunker right

[Niall C]

I wonder how it was received when 13 at North Berwick was built with the green on the far side of a stone fence?

Tommy

Playing over stone walls and hedges was quite the norm back then and was in no way out of the ordinary. Also the hole was originally played from the direction of the present 6th green so it was more head on which was the norm. Apparently it could be driven by the big hitters although there was a danger in the early days of the ball ending up in a small ditch which ran along the front of the wall (IIRC).

If you have a look through the thread on course plans and look out for a lot of the early Scottish courses you will see that walls/hedges were a frequent hazard.

Niall

[Niall C]

I wonder how it was received when 13 at North Berwick was built with the green on the far side of a stone fence?

Before 1895-1900 there was very little discussion of golf architecture per se, so I don't think you could really label any hole from that era "controversial".  By the time people started talking about those holes, they were an accepted part of the course.

Tom

I think you still got a lot of discussion back then about golf architecture even if they didn't refer to it as that and that their ideas back then would probably considered as being fairly primitive now.

Niall

[Niall C]

Here's a question - what are the iconic holes in the UK ? I tend to think iconic means more than just being very good or even influential. Would you call the 4th at Woking iconic ? It's creation and design is certainly hugely important in the development of golf architecture but is it really iconic in the sense that every one knows it ? Probably not.

I tend to think the UK's iconic holes are the likes of the Himalyas, the Maiden, the Road Hole, Redan and the 10th at the Belfry (go on, tell me I'm wrong  ). Another one would have to be the Postage Stamp at Troon and it certainly was not well liked when Fernie built it in 1910. I'm not sure if it was any better received once Braid added the left hand bunker, but what a detriment to the course it would be if it were taken away.

Niall