Underappreciated Holes?

[Ira Fishman]

There are holes that to me might be underappreciated because they are on an excellent course among many excellent holes.


Number 12 at Pasatiempo
Number 3 at Woking
Number 17 at Mid Pines
Number 12 at Lahinch
Number 3 at Streamsong Red


come to mind.


Ira

[Carl Rogers]

Pacific Dunes No.9

[David Whitmer]

Shoreacres #2
Camargo #9

[Paul Rudovsky]

There are holes that to me might be underappreciated because they are on an excellent course among many excellent holes.


Number 12 at Pasatiempo
Number 3 at Woking
Number 17 at Mid Pines
Number 12 at Lahinch
Number 3 at Streamsong Red

Ira--


Interesting...to me #17 might be the best hole at Mid Pines...i simply love the green setting

[mike_beene]

Is 12 at Pasa the worlds best uphill hole?

[Phil Burr]

12 at Pasa?  Only a great uphill hole if they’ve re-routed the back nine.  The great uphill par 4 you’re thinking of is #11.  Another great uphill hole at Pasatiempo is #3, a brutal par 3 typically requiring a hybrid.  How often do we see a par 3 as the #2 stroke hole?

[mike_beene]

My counting ability is seemingly gone! I guess I don’t appreciate 12 because I struggle to remember the green which seems down in the trees. Sure do like 11.

[David_Elvins]

What do you like about 12 at pasatiempo, isn't it just a bunt down the hill and a wedge over the baranca?

[Sean_A]

There are holes that to me might be underappreciated because they are on an excellent course among many excellent holes.

Number 12 at Pasatiempo
Number 3 at Woking
Number 17 at Mid Pines
Number 12 at Lahinch
Number 3 at Streamsong Red
come to mind.

Ira

Ira

I agree with 3 Woking.

5 Cleeve Cloud

15 Burnham and Berrow

8 Meyrick Park

15 Appleby

5 Beau Desert

9 Minch Old

10 Grosse Ile

Merry Christmas

[Thomas Dai]

Although appreciated by folks posting herein I’m not sure the 16th at TOC is or would be appreciated by many players. Possibly quite the opposite.
Atb

[Rob Marshall]

6th hole at Lahinch doesn’t seem to get too much attention. Because it follows the 4th and 5th? I love that approach. I’ve got a picture of it on my office wall.

[Kyle Harris]

Streamsong Red #2
Streamsong Blue #2


Huntingdon Valley #16


Galen Hall #2, 3, 6, 9, 11, 12

[Tommy Williamsen]

I might go with 16 at Ballybunion old and since I thought of it on the other thread, I'll go with 17 at PV.
Maybe one at White Bear.

[Brent Carlson]

#6 at Chambers Bay is not talked about often but it's a very good hole.  You position your drive for the proper angle into the green.  There are some Dornoch like raised flats in the right rough guarding the best angle.  The green site is very good.  The ground game is also in play due to the firm and fast nature of the course.  The hole is exciting from 320 or 480.  Really good hole...

[mike_malone]

At Rolling Green I think 17 is under appreciated. It goes imperceptibly uphill the whole way, requires a well placed drive, has my favorite bunker on the course in the layup area ( I don’t need to worry about that bunker just hit to the right of it!), a well bunkered green, a deceptive green, and an interesting back to the green which has a rollback right and a roll off left.
Too many just get caught up in the idea that it’s an easy par five. Ugh.

[Ira Fishman]

There are holes that to me might be underappreciated because they are on an excellent course among many excellent holes.


Number 12 at Pasatiempo
Number 3 at Woking
Number 17 at Mid Pines
Number 12 at Lahinch
Number 3 at Streamsong Red

Ira--


Interesting...to me #17 might be the best hole at Mid Pines...i simply love the green setting

Paul,


I do too, but because it is wedged in between 16 and 18 with their elevation changes, my sense is that it might get lost in the mix. Plus it is a bit similar to #7.


Ira

[Ira Fishman]

What do you like about 12 at pasatiempo, isn't it just a bunt down the hill and a wedge over the baranca?

For me, nothing is a bunt. But I like the thoughtfulness of needing to avoid the left side of the fairway, the way the green sits so naturally, and the ability to pin in different locations to make bunkers and baranca meaningful.


Ira

[Ira Fishman]

Pacific Dunes No.9

It is an awfully good hole, but I think #17 is underappreciated. Should have listed it.


Ira

[Ira Fishman]

6th hole at Lahinch doesn’t seem to get too much attention. Because it follows the 4th and 5th? I love that approach. I’ve got a picture of it on my office wall.

Rob,


I was torn between #12 and #6. But Lahinch is my favorite course even on a one time play so I probably could pick 10 holes, including #3 which is the introduction to the run of quirk.


Ira

[Ian Galbraith]

3rd at Machrihanish, 1st gets all the plaudits but the approach shot into the 3rd green complex is a beezer.

[Phil Burr]

This is a great topic but how do we easily differentiate between underrated and underexposed?  #3 & #12 at Taconic come to mind as underrated but is it because many people have never been exposed to the course?  Anyone who plays it would recognize them as great shortish par fours where an approach from the wrong angle can lead to catastrophic results due to the green contouring and surrounding hazards.

[Ira Fishman]

Streamsong Red #2
Streamsong Blue #2


Huntingdon Valley #16


Galen Hall #2, 3, 6, 9, 11, 12

Kyle,


#8 on SS Blue is a top hole for me, and #16 is a terrific Par 3. Neither seems to get much discussion/reaction. What is your sense of how people react to them?


Ira

[Tom_Doak]

Kyle,

#8 on SS Blue is a top hole for me, and #16 is a terrific Par 3. Neither seems to get much discussion/reaction. What is your sense of how people react to them?

I get a lot of compliments on #8.


I think I mentioned it here, but someone on Instagram a week or two ago said #16 was his favorite hole on the Blue.  It was the first time anyone had nominated it to me.  I like the hole a lot and think it's underrated, but I know not to expect that people will pick a long par-3 as their favorite hole.




Meanwhile, #3 at Woking was my favorite hole there . . . so much that I borrowed the idea for #8 at Pacific Dunes years later.  And I think #8 [and also #7] are the most underrated holes at Pacific Dunes.

[Garland Bayley]

#6 at Chambers Bay is not talked about often but it's a very good hole.  You position your drive for the proper angle into the green.  There are some Dornoch like raised flats in the right rough guarding the best angle.  The green site is very good.  The ground game is also in play due to the firm and fast nature of the course.  The hole is exciting from 320 or 480.  Really good hole...

+1

[jeffwarne]

This is a great topic but how do we easily differentiate between underrated and underexposed?  #3 & #12 at Taconic come to mind as underrated but is it because many people have never been exposed to the course?  Anyone who plays it would recognize them as great shortish par fours where an approach from the wrong angle can lead to catastrophic results due to the green contouring and surrounding hazards.

Very good point about underappreciated vs, under exposed


Under appreciated -#10 at St. Andrews
I love a shortish, driveable par 4(under certain conditions for certain players) that doesn't beat you over the head with penal score dispersion option options, but rather just subtly becomes another frustrating 4 on the card for experts, or a great chance at par for novices.
I watched the hole at the Sr. Open for 8-10 groups and was amazed how many walked off with a frustrating par-lacking the creativity to invent a shot to get close, while others were rewarded for NOT using the stock L wedge option.


Underexposed
15th at Gardiner's Bay where the drive must be hit as far left as possible and then the second must be faded into a well protected green with multiple falloffs.
Made better by a recent fairway addition to the left, protected by an an additional and previous bunker
A little less of a great hole with modern tech for bombers as they can get past the trees calling for a fade and have less need to drive it left