[CHrisB]

When done well, the super elevated tee shot produces the best combination of exhilaration and fear that can be found in the game. Exhilaration as the ball seems to soar forever in the air, and fear because the ball has such a long time to drift off line!

The best example of this that I have played is at #6 on the Desert nine of Desert Canyon Golf Resort in Orondo, Washington. The tee boxes just keep going higher and higher as you go back, and from the back tee the hole plays 659 yards. On the left is the proverbial "10000 foot crevasse at the base of this glacier", and the fairway is a small target way down below. The thrill of watching the ball soar against the backdrop of the mountains rising from the Columbia River is offset by the anxiety of seeing the ball start to drift off its target line, with a long way to go until landing.

Other super elevated tee shots are just plain fun, because the landing area in wide enough that you can just let it fly. #10 at Stone Canyon in Tucson (reachable with an iron at 622 yards!) is an example.

The oldest example (and steepest on a par 3) I've seen of the super elevated tee shot is at Gatlinburg CC in the foothills of the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. This was one of William B. Langford's (of the Langford & Moreau team) last designs and one of the few courses he designed after WW2. The 12th hole is 194 yards with at least a 150-yard drop to the green, with bunkers and a creek to the right. The 15th at ColoVista in (believe-it-or-not) Central Texas is another super elevated par 3, a 195-yarder with a 120-foot drop.

What are some other examples of the super elevated tee shot? Any really old (pre-WW2) examples out there? What is the landing area like - narrow, wide, hazards, etc.? In my view, a good super elevated tee shot is worth any hike to get up there and let it fly!

[CHrisB]

Follow this link to see the Canyon Hole, the 6th at the Desert nine, Desert Canyon:
http://www.desertcanyon.com/canyonhole.html

The 12th at Gatlinburg GC, taken from a helicopter or plane or bird or something:

[ed_getka]

When I was a kid learning the game our 1st tee was elevated about 100', so it gave you confidence that you could have your shot in the air. But other than that I don't really care for super elevated tee shots, especially on par 3's.
   One example of a course with elevated tees is Lost Dunes. It has two that are on the back nine. I imagine that these probably weren't Tom D's idea, but I don't know for sure. The tees are about 2-3 stories of stairs you have to walk up, and then back down the cart path after. They just seem forced.
   On the other hand Crystal Downs' 1st tee gives an awesome panorama of the front nine, and makes the hole seem shorter, but it plays sneaky long. Thats a good elevated tee to me. #17 at CD is an example of the elevated tee I don't like, although the view of Crystal Lake is great.

[SL_Solow]

Number 5 at Blackwolf Run River.  Stunning view as you emerge from a winding tree covered path and look out on a broad fairway bordered on the right by the Sheboygan river.  After the drop to the fairway the second shot is to a perched green with a drop off on the right toward the river.  Beautiful and challenging.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The 9th at Quintero in Arizona- 212 yards from the tips

 from the course tour at www.quinterogolf.com

"Hang-time" best describes the tee shot to this unforgettable par three hole over a stream fed water feature that makes its way from the distant putting greens and 18th hole.  A beautiful hand-crafted rock wall places the green on a stage that is most forgiving long with a high bank on the back part of the green.    

[Martin Del Vecchio]

#11 at Sugarloaf in Maine has a 128-foot elevation drop, but it sure seems like more.  When I played there last fall, it was the only time I have ever felt vertigo on a golf course.  

The back tee (216 yards) is very small, and by necessity you tee it up close to the steep drop-off.  Just as I struck the ball, I had a moment of panic and feeling that I was falling.  Yikes!

Here's the link:

http://www.sugarloaf.com/summer/golf/back.html

[Doug Siebert]

These are just done to death these days.  You'd think every architect checks the elevation map, finds the very highest spots, and draws tee boxes on them without even looking at the rest of the land.  Seriously question here, is this the architects' doing or are the clients asking for this?  Is the skyline green a lost art?

I don't mind them on par 4s and 5s when they are done right -- there needs to be some trouble you are staring at and maybe worrying about, or some sort of truly awesome view (good enough that if it were on a road, the state would put an observation pulloff to the side for picture taking)

But I'm sick of them on par 3s, most especially on shorter par 3s.  Standing on one of those 100 foot drop 150 yarders the only challenge is deciding whether to bust a SW or hit a half shot with an 8i to keep it down.  Once you've played the hole a few times and have your strategy for that particular iteration of the drop shot par 3 worked out, it loses all interest for the rest of time.

[Jim_Kennedy]

The tee box of the 10th hole at Harbor Hills CC in Ladylake, Fla. sits about 60' above the fairway on this 485 yd. par 4. The long views over Lake Griffin are superb. There is no climb to the tee as it sits at the same elevation as the clubhouse. The back markers are almost on the veranda.

[Mike_Sweeney]

"The Jump" the 5th @ County Sligo, Ireland has to be one of the highest in Ireland. At 481 yards it is an easy Par 5.

[Tom_Doak]

Ed:  Those two tees at Lost Dunes [#12 and #14] WERE my idea, partly because we were trying to use whatever space we had.  Both holes would be extremely short par-4's without them.  However, I wasn't planning on building the cart path up to the back tee on #12 ... I figured it would just be for the people who wanted to hike up there, until our owner, who has a bad knee, said HE wanted to play from there, too.  Actually, I usually play that hole from the lower tee when I'm walking the course.

The two tees at Lost Dunes are only about 50 feet above the fairway.  I'm not a big fan of those 100-foot-high tees in general; I think often they are included as a gimmick, especially if you have to walk back up the hill to get to them.  But, if they come in sequence -- if the previous green is 100 feet higher than the next fairway -- I don't know how you can argue against them.  It's more fun to hit the ball down the hill than just walk down to a lower tee.

[A_Clay_Man]

Doug- Agreed, They are becoming the heroin of the less sophisticated. As Tom Doak points out, when they are part of the landscape and within the flow, I have no problem. But when I have to go mountain climbing, just to say I played the tips, it gets old fast.

Great examples of drop shots, without the climb to the tee box, are the drop shot par 3 at Lake Chabot. Never will this shot be dull. Joe Lee's par 3 at Lawsonia which follows the quarry hole on the south nine.

Is the super elevated tee used to hide missing design elements, same as ponds,trees and rough?

[Pete Buczkowski]

Some examples:

- 1 at Riviera
- 17 at Exp. at Koele
- 17 & 18 at Kapalua

Northern Michigan may have the highest concentration of 100' tee to fairway drops.

The most I've seen on a single course is Smoky Mountain C.C in western NC.  Though architecture is not its selling point, there are no less than 5 tees which have at least a 120' drop.  One of the par 5 holes has a 400' total drop where the 2nd shot plays off of a cliff.  It is fun as a one-time experience.

17 at Koele is very controversial because there is little room to drive the ball to accommodate the 250' drop to the fairway.  In the opening round there, Nicklaus hit five (?) straight tee balls into the right pond off the tee.  He turned to Norman and said (paraphrase):  Who designed this &@*! hole?!

[CHrisB]

But, if they come in sequence -- if the previous green is 100 feet higher than the next fairway -- I don't know how you can argue against them.  It's more fun to hit the ball down the hill than just walk down to a lower tee.

Of the ones I mentioned, the par-3 12th at Gatlinburg CC and the par-3 15th at ColoVista fall naturally within the routing and are not forced, while the 659-yard 6th at Desert Canyon requires quite a hike to get to the back tee.

At ColoVista it is pretty well done: a nice uphill approach to the 14th, then the big drop at the 15th, then an uphill around-the-corner tee shot at the 16th.

But in the end, fun is fun, and so I don't mind the climb like the one up to the 10th tee (and the 18th tee right next to it) at Stone Canyon.

The 16th at Rustic Canyon has a fun elevated tee box, with a gathering fairway that tempts you to go for a little extra off the tee.

[LKoonce]

Following up on Mr. Siebert's comments, I'd like to nominate the following as one of the most idiotic elevated tee Par 3s I've seen:
View from tee:
View from green:

This is the new 16th at West Point Golf Course in NY, a RTJ design that was revamped a few years ago to inexplicably add this par 3 that is usually teed at around 130 yards, but plays no more than 90 -- with no bailout left, right or behind.  But there is that low stone wall to play a nice ricochet....

[Mike Hendren]

ChrisB, we loved to skip class in law school and play Gatlingburg CC (open to public).   I doubt there's much Langford left there as I believe the greens have all been re-done.  In addition to Langford's drop shot hole at Gatlinburg CC, others in TN:

Stonehenge No. 14 (Joe Lee)


Left is not good!


Neither is long!


Another:
Shiloh Falls No. 15 (Jerry Pate)


Regards,

Mike

[ed_getka]

Tom,
   With re: to elevated tees, I don't mind so much if I end up at an elevation when finishing a hole, but slogging up to the tee and then back down just isn't my idea of a good time. This has nothing to do with fitness BTW. I'm suprised to hear you say you put them in because otherwise the holes would be pretty short. Who cares if the hole is shorter, a good hole is a good hole. Especially at LD, I doubt many people remember whether the holes were short or long, but they'll NEVER forget those greens. I've stopped by with people JUST to SHOW them the greens.
    Some of your other posts have mentioned not having forced carries greater than 100 yards. If memory serves, there are at least a handful of carries longer than that at LD, whether over water or that inescapable grass. Was this an exception for the client, or did I miss something there?

[Jeff Goldman]

Some of us will be seeing two great ones this summer:  The first hole at Banff, with the newer tee much higher than the original, with the dramatic shot over the spray river, and the devil's cauldron, elevated and the ball soars towards the green with the mountain backdrop.  Stunning.  

Jeff Goldman

[Greg Stebbins]

LKoonce,

I couldn't agree with you more in respect to the drop shot par 3 at West Point.  One of the worst holes I have ever encountered. I played there in a college tournament just after they revamped the course with that hole being added.  If I remember correctly, that hole and the dogleg left par four with a tee shot to a 20 yard wide fairway between two water hazards (with no bail out) both played more than one shot over par during one of the rounds.

The kicker was that on this semi-blind drop shot par 3, yardage markers had not yet been added on the tee!!  Talk about a guess!

[Tyler Kearns]

Chris,

    When used in extreme moderation (open-up an exhilirating view or enable an exhilirating drive), I think it's an acceptable feature. However, not only do balls have a longer period of time to travel further offline, that case can be accentuated by the wind. It is, for obvious reasons, nearly impossible to play the ball under the wind. The over abundance of such holes is my main criticism for Jim Engh's Hawktree. From the back tees, the following holes feature teeing areas that range from very to super in elevation-#1,3,4,7,10,14,16.

Tyler Kearns

[Forrest Richardson]

Highest tee box I am aware of is Cloudcroft, NM with a 300-ft downhill first hole (par-4.)

[Matt_Ward]

Try these three for size ...

the 1st at Sanctuary (Sedalia, CO) -- you simply think you're tee shot will go on forever.

the 1st at Castle Pines -- it also simply hang up in the clouds.

the 2nd at Wolf Creek in Mesquite, NV -- it simply produces vertigo!

I'll post a few more later ...

[Mat Ward]

Hey amigo, would you have any contact information I could use for Sanctuary and Castle Pines?

[Forrest Richardson]

Mike Hurdzan's Stonewall in Pennsylvania has a par-4 with a 200+ drop.

[Mike_Trenham]

Does anyone know how far the drop is on #10 @ Kirtland.  But honestly I found this tee shot much less interesting than how they routed you back up the slope over the entire back nine.  On what many consider the among the best 9 consecutive holes anywhere.

On the holes listed previously how are the golfers routed back up the slopes?  Are they walkable?  

[TEPaul]

The Pittsburgh Field Club's 1st tee has impressive elevation and view and it sits right in front of the clubhouse.

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