What's Your Scariest Hole?

[mmoan2]

If anyone is in Phoenix and wants to play a nice little muni for cheap, this is hole 17 at Aguila Golf Course in Laveen, AZ. Great practice facility and a second course that's a 9-hole par-3 for $10 (all you can play in the summer) as well. This is a par 4 that is pretty easy if you hit iron or hybrid and go right, then have wedge to the green. If you play it like that in a foursome of men, though,

one might give you a wedgie and throw you in the pond because no one with a man card plays it that way.

If you aim at the center of the green that slopes downward toward the lake (about 300 yards from the blue tees), it is about a 265 yard carry over the lake, and 280 to the front of the green. Aiming right of the small trap is tough, though, because even though it's 220 to the center of the fairway, if you overshoot it you're on a steep hill of gnarly stuff. Shot two is then a 75 yard or so wedge off a gnarly hill to a down sloping green (though it's a pretty big one). The best play, IMO, is driver just right of that little bunker. I usually draw it, so I either end up on the green putting for eagle (happened once), in the bunker (not bad because there's lots of green to work with usually), or on that nasty hill, but only 30-40 yards away, which is manageable to at least get on the green in two. The second shot makes this a favorite of mine because I'm pretty good at short game, and most long hitters I know aren't. I've seen many flubs (back in the crap) or, worse yet, a thin skull that shoots off the green into the drink. If I get on that hill, I'm usually able to put it on the green somewhere and ensure a par. Most people I know aim right at the narrow entrance to the front of the green over the water trying to play the perfect shot (it's probably 20 yards between the lake and bunker and 250 yards away). I've seen a guy playing close to par score a 12 on this hole and almost lose his mind, and one young buck hit 3 wood through that shoot and miss eagle by a few inches on his putt. Pretty cool hole.

[mmoan2]

I play some easy courses regularly, so I don't have a hole that really scares me.

The two scariest holes I ever played were TPC Sawgrass #18, and Firestone North #17

TPC #18, long sweeping to the left par 4. Just a scary tee shot. With how the hole bends around the lake, you really can't help but aim more right than you need to. My tee shot ended up in those trees through the fairway . Then you have the 2nd shot, which isn't no joke either.

If you want to get really freaked out, stand on the tee box they use for the PGA Tour players. TPC has that area blocked off with some netting to keep people from hitting back there. You stand back there and I just can't imagine a comfortable shot. You either fade the ball off the water, or you have to draw it towards the water.

Firestone North #17

180 yards, down hill to a peninsula green. Not to mention that it about 10-15 yards downhill, and it is only 35 yards deep, and the green is slightly elevated so there are banks that kick the ball towards the water.

Just a very scary shot.

Yes, I've put it in the lake on Sawgrass 18 many times - on TW for PC and Xbox!!!!!!! Some day I'd like to get out there for real and play it. I played with two random guys last year who went on a trip together to Sawgrass and raved about it. They had a little tradition from their trip as well that I kinda liked. Every once in a while, they would hit a good shot and say "man, looks like I get the towel," or "that was for the towel," etc. It wasn't until after the 18th hole I asked what the heck the towel was. Turns out that whoever scored better that round got to claim the TPC Sawgrass towel they purchased as a souvenir and clip it on their bag, kinda like a college football rivalry souvenir. They also were allowed to ask the other guy to wipe the towel-holders clubs down on command. Thought that was a neat little incentive for non-gambler types.

[ryanson]

In British Columbia, Canada, the GreyWolf Golf Course (in Ivermere) Hole #6, 'The Cliffhanger",

Link (for more pics):  http://greywolfgolf.com/hole-6

[boogielicious]

In British Columbia, Canada, the GreyWolf Golf Course (in Ivermere) Hole #6, 'The Cliffhanger",

Link (for more pics):  http://greywolfgolf.com/hole-6

That is a stunning hole!  It would be crazy on windy days.

[WUTiger]

This is a 320-yd. par 4 (from blues) at Stonewolf GC. Has lateral hazards left and right, and (by red arrow) a large ground under repair plot about 30 yards in diameter. Most frustrating: hit a tee shot into GUR - no penalty local rule - but end up losing ball.  Hole has elevated teebox, and runs through a valley which is wet much of the year. Anything in the hazards is a lost ball. It's very bushy on all sides, despite the diagram.

The wind is generally a L-to-R cross wind, or a quartering headwind.

Most golfers have to throttle back off tee, because you're hitting into a funnel starting about the 135 yard point by the tree. The fairway narrows to about 10 yards. And, the green is slightly crowned: Anything to the left or right edge of the green kicks into the bunkers. Better to be long than short on this one.

I normally play a 4i or 4H off the tee to keep the ball out of the wind, and not go too far if I'm not of perfect line.  About half the time I make a double bogie or worse. Many a chance to break 90 has evaporated here.

I've played with single-digit HDCPers who had their only back-nine double or triple bogie on this hole.

[MULVn8tor]

Mine is on a course out of town that I play once a year. Par 5 around 475 yards. Water on both sides of the fairway and it's open so wind really effects it. The green also has water in front so if you go for it in two you'll likely have 220-230 to the green

[onkey]

This is a 320-yd. par 4 (from blues) at Stonewolf GC. Has lateral hazards left and right, and (by red arrow) a large ground under repair plot about 30 yards in diameter. Most frustrating: hit a tee shot into GUR - no penalty local rule - but end up losing ball.  Hole has elevated teebox, and runs through a valley which is wet much of the year. Anything in the hazards is a lost ball. It's very bushy on all sides, despite the diagram.

The wind is generally a L-to-R cross wind, or a quartering headwind.

Most golfers have to throttle back off tee, because you're hitting into a funnel starting about the 135 yard point by the tree. The fairway narrows to about 10 yards. And, the green is slightly crowned: Anything to the left or right edge of the green kicks into the bunkers. Better to be long than short on this one.

I normally play a 4i or 4H off the tee to keep the ball out of the wind, and not go too far if I'm not of perfect line.  About half the time I make a double bogie or worse. Many a chance to break 90 has evaporated here.

I've played with single-digit HDCPers who had their only back-nine double or triple bogie on this hole.

I think you've got the wrong hole diagram up here.  That diagram looks like the par 3 13th which is no peach either.  I think you're referring to the 16th which has a very similar look but the green is shallow and wide.

Stonewolf is a very technically challenging course that puts your decision making to the test.  I find the first to be more intimidating with your approach requiring a minimum of a 150 forced carry.

[iacas]

I think you've got the wrong hole diagram up here.  That diagram looks like the par 3 13th which is no peach either.  I think you're referring to the 16th which has a very similar look but the green is shallow and wide.

That's a short par four shown there. From the front of the back tee it's 218 yards to the point in the fairway from which it's just over 135 to reach the green.

[onkey]

That's a short par four shown there. From the front of the back tee it's 218 yards to the point in the fairway from which it's just over 135 to reach the green.

I stand corrected--and that is the 16th hole.

[WUTiger]

onkey , I should have indicated it was hole No. 16 at Stonewolf.

Since you are in play, did Cardinal Creek at ScottAFB ever clean up the approach on No. 18? Last time I played it, the creek was silted over and basically jungle had grown up around the layup area, on into the green.

[onkey]

They actually did a great job of clearing up that creek throughout the course. But then they instituted "no-mow" areas all over the course which IMO has ruined the place. The course still doesn't drain well either.

[chasm]

The ninth at my home course is pretty scary. Par three, 202 yards across a ravine, all carry. Miss the green to the left and you hit a big lime tree, could end up anywhere. Miss to the right and you're down a steep bank and chipping up from about 15 feet below the green. And the green slopes from left to right and is scarily fast - if you're above the hole you'd better hit it, because you'll have trouble getting your putt to stop. If I make par, I'm very happy.

[jetsknicks1]

#18 athe Silver Springs Shores Country Club. 555 yd par 5, dogleg right. Water left, right and long off the tee. Good drive still sets up a bif 3w (for me) that needs to bend right, too far right is in the woods. Even after 2 good shots it's still 170-180 to a green with front bunkers both left and right. I've played the hole probably 50 times with one birdie, one par and a whole lotta doubles.

[nick1998bunker]

#12 at rivertowne country club, my home course. always plays into the wind. It's a fairway shaped like a 7 with a 240 yard Carry of a large bunkering the pocket of the 7. It's 210 yards from the bunker to the middle of the green. There is room right but you are blocked out by trees if you go there and long straight or left is lateral hazard. The green is raised severely, long and skinny, has water on all sides. The only way to play it is hit driver into a 30 circular landing area next to water then a long iron into a 10 yard circular landing area. Or else you have to lay up or make an 8. You may have to look it up to understand

[Downrange45]

Par 3 hole 15 at my home club. 150 yards with a three club elevation climb. Deep swale between tee box and green. Small green at top with steep drop off behind green and guarded by bunkers in the front. You cannot hit either long, short or right due to tree and cart path. Just a little wiggle room on the left. I never play it well.

[dave s]

Par 3 #12 on my home course.

This hole plays nearly 190 from the back (black) tees.  We play blue tees and the hole plays from 162 - 175 sometimes.  What makes this hole one of the most difficult (from actual scores to par) are a few things:

1. Hole setup is a series of of tee boxes followed by a forced carry over a ravine all the way to the green.

2.  Very old, large hardwood trees block of the left third of the green.  If you are a right to left player, the trees on the right can catch a ball left out just a bit too far to the right.  Oh, and the pin is usually middle to right on the green.

3.  The approach to the green is a 45* false front meaning you land your ball AT LEAST on the fringe or risk a side hill lie short of green which is basically unmowed, or worse, short and in the waste area.

4.  The green slopes severely back to front and right to left.  The drop area, (a very common 3nd shot spot) is back right meaning you have to negotiate the ball running away from you and left toward the front of the green.

Standard operating procedure during a league night:  Scope pin.  Good, it's only playing 163 tonight.  Two guys will ask, (in fun) if they can NOT hit and hit shot #3 from the drop area.  We all hit.  One goes left and into the trees, one hits the back edge of green (better to be LONG than short for obvious reason) and comes to rest in a bunker; mine clips the trees right and falls miserably short into the waste area.  The 4th guy skulls one into the front bank and declares a lost ball after searching for 5 minutes.

After all is said and one, I record total strokes for our 4-ball match.  23 total strokes, if you can believe that.

My league handicaps holes by scores carded during our play.  This hole is #16 on the card itself, and our #2 hdcp hole on the side.  I don't know why longer, difficult par 3s aren't handicapped accordingly.  It is a RARITY for someone to par this hole let alone make birdie with any regularity.

Tough damn, hole.  No doubt about it.

dave

[RH31]

Par 5 18th on my home course. The driving area is wide enough but OB left is in play as the fairway slopes to the left. The right side is guarded by trees until you get 120 or so from the green. Drive it too far right and you have to try and cut the ball around trees into the layup area with the ball above your feet, or layup with no shot at the GIR. If you manage to find the ideal spot 100-120 from the green you still have an uphill approach to a fast green that slopes left to right and front to back. Very difficult 2 put from 20 feet or more. Many more "others" than birdies are carded on this hole.

[RandallT]

http://www.hiddencreekcc.com/-hole-6 (Par 4, 458 yards and uphill from the white tees)

Course Write-up:

One of the most difficult holes in the Middle-Atlantic region. It demands two long, precisely stuck shots to reach the green in regulation, while avoiding the tall hardwoods and water hazard, The creek meanders across the fairway and runs precariously close to the right side all the way past the green.

I'm playing this course for only the 2nd time ever a week from today (balmy weather expected). The first time I played this Par 4, I double-bogeyed it. And I felt a bit fortunate

You need to drive it to the point just on the other side of the creek on the left side of the pic below. The fairway stops at 260 yards from the tee. So a perfect tee is 250-260 yds in the middle, leaving a 200-210yd uphill approach.  If the tee shot is left (to the right looking back from the green in the pic), it's in the creek or the woods. Even the left side of the fairway is not good because you can't even see the green, blocked by trees.  Too far right and you are OB.

I hit my drive about 230, I think, but in the right rough. Nothing too bad. But I still had over 230yards for my approach!

For the uphill approach, most of us high-cappers are not shooting at the green, and the fairway is fairly narrow, sloping from left to right, and its angle is intimidating (kinda diagonal to you, rather than just straight ahead). You need to check your yardages and see which part of the fairway to shoot for. If you pull it left (to the right in the pic), you'll be on a steep bank up the hill, possibly a patch of nasty grass which you can see just past the trees, but mostly just rough on the hillside. Your next shot is a nasty downhill lie to the green.

If you hit the approach to the right, there are lots of swails and uneven lies, plus the creek that can come into play. The ball tends to roll down past the cart path if it has much pace. Oh, the bunkers too- you'll probably need to contend with the bunker from down there.

I hit my approach just a tad left of the fairway, about 60 yards short of the center of the green. I was happy I had hit 400 yards in 2 shots, but still had a tricky little downhill lie from the rough. If I were a few yards higher up the hill, it would've been far worse.

On the green, there was a tricky spot where the pin was placed, and I three-putted from 20feet.

Funny thing is there's a longer par 4 a couple holes earlier (#4 is 463 yards, downhill). When I reached #6, I just thought "Really?!?!"  Oddly, the rest of the course has much shorter par 4's from the whites. I wonder why they chose to have two killer par 4's on the front like that.  Anyway, we'll see how it goes next week!