[Tim Gallant]

As Maverick says 'I feel the need, the need for speed!'


What are great examples of speed slots? 10 at ANGC is the obvious one.


At Portrush, they talked about a speed slot on 17, and I noticed a lot of players missing the fairway trying to muscle their way down to that speed slot. Obviously their egos are writing checks their bodies can't cash.


What are some other great examples of speed slots that add to the intrigue and strategy of a hole?

[Thomas Dai]

Good question. Needs pondering. As does it's relationship to kick-plates.
As an aside, Ben had Drivers made with 'Speedslots'.
atb

[Tom_Doak]

The 5th and 10th at Portrush both have speed slots for the guy who hits it ~200 yards to get him more on equal footing with a longer hitter.  I love that use.  Giving a speed slot that makes the long hitter's advantage even greater is pretty self-defeating in the present era.

[Thomas Dai]

The 5th and 10th at Portrush both have speed slots for the guy who hits it ~200 yards to get him more on equal footing with a longer hitter.  I love that use.  Giving a speed slot that makes the long hitter's advantage even greater is pretty self-defeating in the present era.

+1

Here's a slightly different example. The 'marmite' like long par-3 15th at Cruden Bay. Hit the tee shot down the centre-right of the gap. Land on the downslope that starts well short of the green and the ball will run on nicely. Even if landing slightly right the bank will kick the ball towards the green. Left of course is dead!

Sometimes though a possible speed-slot/kick-plate, will if you get it wrong, send your ball into all sorts of evil places. Figuring this out is of course another nice between the ears challenge to be thought through before you actually hit the ball.


atb

[Garland Bayley]

A. V. Macan seems to have had an affinity for speed slots. Three off the tee, and one on the second of a par 5 at Kelowna. One at the nine he did at Pendleton. One at Columbia Edgewater (they have grown too many trees to let it play like it was designed), and one at Fircrest. These are what I can think of off hand.

The hole at Fircrest is a great hole. The 2nd as I recall.
The hole at Columbia Edgewater would be a great hole without the trees. The 16th.

[Peter Pallotta]

The 5th and 10th at Portrush both have speed slots for the guy who hits it ~200 yards to get him more on equal footing with a longer hitter.  I love that use.  Giving a speed slot that makes the long hitter's advantage even greater is pretty self-defeating in the present era.

This brought a thought to mind: to a causal/outside observer like me, the wonderful thing about Portrush is that just about *everything* puts the shorter hitter on (almost) equal footing with the longer one -- eg the speed slots, the bunker shapes & placements (one of said bunkers Brooks just found after a typically booming drive), the random humps and hollows and resulting more/less run and uphill/downhill stances, the green surrounds that can help funnel a well struck long iron as close to the pin as a well struck mid iron etc. More even than the Old Course Opens that I've watched, this one has opened my eyes to the *inherent* excellence and gca greatness of a classic links.

[Kalen Braley]

The 5th and 10th at Portrush both have speed slots for the guy who hits it ~200 yards to get him more on equal footing with a longer hitter.  I love that use.  Giving a speed slot that makes the long hitter's advantage even greater is pretty self-defeating in the present era.

The 17th at same course sure seems to fit the bill....of the later.  I'm guessing its a much tougher hole for the members.

[Thomas Dai]

Speed slots and the like can bite though. Not just going to far but if you miss them to the side the outcome can be costly shot and golf ball wise.
Atb

[Daryl David]

Several at Kapalua. 

[Tom_Doak]

Speed slots and the like can bite though. Not just going to far but if you miss them to the side the outcome can be costly shot and golf ball wise.
Atb

Yes!  Lowry missed the slot at the 10th today and had that nasty downhill lie in the rough - only to hit that great second shot that really got him going on the back nine.  I hadn't realized how far back they've moved the tee there.


In general thiugh, if you miss wide on a speed slot, you get a downhill lie in the rough from much further back than your opponent, which is a great pair of alternative outcomes.

[Tal Oz]

Like Tom, I'm a fan of speed slots that help the shorter hitter close the gap with his longer competitor. The first at Chicago Golf does a great job at this.

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