Your Toughest Hole; Your Nemesis Hole

[baller7345]

The 15th on my home course.  It's not an overly long par 5 due to the hitting off of a very large hill, but there is not a flat lie anywhere on the fairway (the course lives up to hits name [Green Hills]) and it's very easy to hit a ball right down the center only to have it kick off to the left and out of bounds.  OB to the left is really the only danger (there is a small pond off to the right of the tee box, but most people can fly it).  My problem is that constantly getting hook lies cause me to instinctually play everything too far right which then leads to need to hit a wedge off of an extreme downslope.  I've played it better this year than I ever had in the past, but its always the hole that worries me the most when I have a good round going.

 

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by baller7345

[WUTiger]

18 hours ago, BamaWade said:

 It's a newer course, so not narrow--and the growth wasn't closing things in--they did it more to thin out the woods just off the fairways and between holes to make them playable, with the added benefit of letting in more sunlight so the grass wouldn't thin near the tree lines.

The classic golf courses from the early 1900s had trees but not too many of them. A.W. Tillinghast believed trees should be used to shape the line of the holes, but should not interfere unduly with main line of play (i.e., no trees in front of greens). For details, see: Tillinghast "Cliff Notes".

I read a blog article by a golf course superintendent (sorry, can't find original) who managed a classic country club in the Midwest. He found historical aerial photos of the course taken in the 1930s, and the fairways were about 50-60 yards wide, with a few large trees bordering some holes. In the present day, he's dealing with 30-yard wide fairways.

Some of the things he said have contributed to narrow fairways:

• Center-pivot sprinklers: These post-World War II additions cast a diameter of about 40 yards, about what many courses give in width to fairway and first-cut of rough.
• Volunteer trees: Over the last century, plenty of seedlings sprang up naturally with seeds dropped by mature trees, and grew into full trees themselves. Squirrels who bury acorns help also!
• Arbor Day: Members of the  Arbor Day Foundation could get 10 free trees a year. In some communities, golfers pooled their trees and swamped local golf courses with excess foliage.
• Misguided ecologists: In the 21st Century, some US cities will fine golf courses if they cut down trees without permission.

EDIT: Grammar correction.

Edited June 11, 2017 by WUTiger

[Valleygolfer]

2 hours ago, WUTiger said:

The classic golf courses from the early 1900s had trees but not too many of them. A.W. Tillinghast believed trees should be used to shape the line of the holes, but should not interfere unduly with main line of play (i.e., no trees in front of greens). For details, see: Tillinghast "Cliff Notes".

I read a blog article by a golf course superintendent (sorry, can't find original) who managed a classic country club in the Midwest. He found historical aerial photos of the course taken in the 1930s, and the fairways were about 50-60 yards wide, with a few large trees bordering some holes. In the present day, he's dealing with 30-yard wide fairways.

Some of the things he said have contributed to narrow fairways:

• Center-pivot sprinklers: These post-World War II additions cast a diameter of about 40 yards, about what many courses give in width to fairway and first-cut of rough.
• Volunteer trees: Over the last century, plenty of seedlings sprang up naturally with seeds dropped by mature trees, and grew into full trees themselves. Squirrels who bury acorns help also!
• Arbor Day: Members of the  Arbor Day Foundation could get 10 free trees a year. In some communities, golfers pooled their trees and swamped local golf courses with excess foliage.
• Misguided ecologists: In the 21st Century, some US cities will fine golf courses if they cut down trees without permission.

EDIT: Grammar correction.

For the first 50 yards there is a 30 yard window on the hole I described. I am considering talking to our pro about the tee. I am going to try to take a pic of it next time I am out. We have been weeding out old and overgrown trees on the course lately. Maybe I can mount an argument for this hole.

[lastings]

Let me introduce you to the brutal hole #11 at Chaska Town Course in Chaska, MN.  

Hole #11
Green Tees - 443 yds
Black Tees - 453

The Biggest difficulty with this hole is the trees on the right.   If you hit a tee shot that is anywhere on the right 1/3 of the fairway, the trees are thick and they block your approach to the green.   To add insult to insult to injury, The fairway is shorter on the far left, and only goes about 255 yds if you go on the far left side,  So, if you go far left, a Driver possibly goes on the water.  If you go right side, trees block your approach.   

If you have a perfect drive, you're still looking at a 160-170 yd approach into a small green, with forced carry the majority of the way.   

real cool Chaska Town Course, really nice of you. 

 

Edited June 12, 2017 by lastings

[Groucho Valentine]

The 15th at bethpage black. Ive been playing that hole since I've been 15 years old and I've never birded it. The only hole on that course that i haven't birded. It seems like no matter how good of a drive i hit, i never hit a good approach into that green. Its just in my head. 

[phillyk]

My nemesis hole is #3 at Shuksan Golf Course, 395yds.  It's tough because it looks like it doglegs to the right on the tee, but it is mostly tee off at a slight angle from the direction the FW runs at.  With water to the right of the FW throughout the landing area, OB left of the FW throughout the hole, and a FW that rolls right to left slightly, choosing the right tee off club is important.  I can rip driver and hope it doesn't roll through the FW left or hit a hybrid which generally is fine but still the tee shot scares me a bit.  It must be that it doesn't fit my eye, because it really doesn't play hard once you're out there.

The toughest hole I've played is #4 at The Home Course, par 3 218yds.  You have to carry it all of the 218, because it goes across a ravine and it's typically into the wind.  The green has 3 tiers.  Left low, middle high with a bunker guarding the front, and right really low with a runoff back into the ravine off the the front of that section.  The left part of the green does have a short runway to the green that is safe to hit to, but you are in very bad shape if you do that and the pin is on the right.  The green is only 15-20yds long, but is 30-40yds wide.  Long is the best option if you don't have a good club for 220yds, because it's a backstop bank.  But that also provides a challenge because you have a downhill lie to a tough green depending on pin placement.

[bkuehn1952]

Here is my low tech contribution.  #10 at Leslie Park eats my lunch more often than not.  We were playing the "Blue" tees ("Black" are the tips) last Friday.  I hit the green in regulation, a fairly unusual event.  Then 3-putted.

 

[Valleygolfer]

Another day of a crappy drive on this hole. 203....I am switching to a 3 wood for teeing off here.

Here is the pic I promised.

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

Another day of a crappy drive on this hole. 203....I am switching to a 3 wood for teeing off here.

Here is the pic I promised.

Nice little chute to hit through!

[Valleygolfer]

55 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

Nice little chute to hit through!

Yeah, little is the key word....

[cutchemist42]

14 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

Another day of a crappy drive on this hole. 203....I am switching to a 3 wood for teeing off here.

Here is the pic I promised.

Yeah thats 3w/18*hy for me, the very first time I look down that chute.

[Apoc81]

Par 4 with a 200 yard forced carry over an ocean inlet. If I drive, I'm over the green. My only play is a 3i off the tee, unless I happened to throw my driving iron in the bag. This is at a course near my wife's parents in Nova Scotia.

[Grinde6]

This is hole 17 at my home course.  I think I have birdied it a handful of times, but mostly bogeys.  The prevailing wind comes from the North (top of the picture and blows back towards the tee.  Its about a 240 yard carry over the water just inside the top right corner of the water, but with the wind blowing back at the tee, it plays tough.  Even if you play out to the right, its about a 190 yard approach.  Its really fun when the tuck the pin back left too!!! 

[billchao]

That would be #8 at Green Knoll. A creek crosses the middle of the hole 3 times, OB left and the same creek with fescue on the right. You have to hit it 200 yards to carry the hazard off the tee which isn't too bad with a 45 yard wide playable landing area but you have to hit your line which I struggle with. You can't see the green on the approach so you have to aim at the center of the townhouse building as roughly the center of the green. Fortunately the green is largest on the course but the creek is in play if you hit it short.

If I ever wanted a stinger type shot I could hit on a string, it would be for this hole.

[DrvFrShow]

I have a couple of them... on the same course. The don't look that difficult. The first one is the 9th hole at Lake Spanaway Golf Course. It's 468 from the forward tee, only 502 from the whites. But there's always a slight headwind blowing so your drive never goes as far as you think it will. Here's the problem: 7th hole, although parallel to 9 is protected by tall pines. The 8th hole tee is open and has a prevailing wind to your back. You just crushed your drive there. Now you're on 9 with the prevailing wind in your face and two fairway bunkers where the fairway pinches, and the rough around them isn't kind either. You have to hit the fairway or you have to hit a fantastic rescue shot. I've done that. But the green is well protected.

Then there's 15. A 390 yd par 4 dogleg left. Seems straightforward enough. But hit your tee shot too far and you're hitting off hard pan... or the cart path from which you get to drop on hard pan. Your approach shot is uphill and you can't see the green very well. Just aim right of the bunker and make sure you take enough club. Don't land right because the ball will deflect and go down into a little depression with all those bushes and trees - add a stroke or two getting out of that.

[Dave2512]

When golf is played the way I play it every hole is a nemesis hole. But one in particular really gets into my head and it's the first hole at my parents club. Nothing remarkable about it other than trees. I don't play there often but a couple times I've been +6 after that hole and it's a bummer round after that. Last time I played it I hit 9i x3 and chipped on for a 2 putt double to avoid making a mistake and I felt like I'd won the day.

[Valleygolfer]

Thursday I hit two OB with the 3 wood (or so I thought) and one short flare to right that went maybe 200 yards with the driver. Found the second ball on the cart path which I subsequently ended up hitting it from that location due to proximity to a worse lie. Sigh....

[Kieran123]

No. 5 at Heritage Pointe ( Pointe Course) Calgary., AB. 454Y Par 5. Rated hardest hole on the course ( 36 holes )

It's not a long par 5, but almost impossible to get to in two shots. You can't hit driver off the tee as you can't cut the corner because it's a giant hill with pine trees on it, and there's just too much danger around the corner anyway.

So you tee off with a 200ish yard club, then you can attempt to go for it in 2 with a 3 Wood or a hard hybrid but good luck being able to stop it on the green. The problem being, is the green is elevated about 50 feet. It's a small green too. If you're short, you're on a steep bank if fescue and gorse and you likely won;t find your ball. If you're long you're up on a bank with fescue and gorse and you likely won't find your ball. The bail out is short right, which doesn't make sense because of the angle of the green. It's also severely sloped from back to front.

So you layup, leaving a ~100 yard wedge to a green you can't see. The green is divided into two parts....by an enormous slope. So if you're on the wrong side, you've either got a slow putt up a giant slope, or a putt impossible to stop near the pin. I am completely OK with a bogey/double bogey on this hole.