1st Hole - Score for the round

[hacker_al]

Looking at my scores this season I'd drop my handicap by 7 shots.
Our first hole is a par 4, SI 15. Quite a gentle opener to be fair (if you can ignore the OB all the way down the right hand side of the hole).

 

[chrisd]

Its stroke index 13 and I hover handicap wise between 12 and 13 so, it's easy when I get a shot and often a bogey when I dont

 

[Neilds]

500 yard par 5, fairly straightforward but I never warm up properly so probably would be roundabout my handicap

 

[Orikoru]

Its stroke index 13 and I hover handicap wise between 12 and 13 so, it's easy when I get a shot and often a bogey when I dont

Either way if you were playing it 18 times you would get a shot more often than not, wouldn't you?

 

[Robin Hood]

Played today and got a par 4 net 3 so would be very happy to play a full round at that level.
320 yards SI 15
Ps came home with 39 points so was very happy anyway 👍😀

 

[Italian outcast]

Ours is a 220-230 yard par 3 off the competition tees (so no thanks)

 

[Region3]

I'd definitely be be worse. It's a straightforward par 4 really, 2 fairway bunkers right in driver range means playing to the right of them which brings in thick rough and lots of trees. Should be a straight forward hole but amount of times I bogey it is unreal.

Sorry to go off topic, but is there a reason why hitting something short of the bunkers would be a bad idea?

 

[Wolf]

Sorry to go off topic, but is there a reason why hitting something short of the bunkers would be a bad idea?

Leaves a really long 2nd shot especially as wind is usually against could mean 3 wood again if your lucky or taking green out of range in regulation. I don't get a shot in the hole so playing the hole as a 3 shotter and making bogey makes less sense as going for the tee shot with driver and getting on or greenside with a mid to long iron.

If it was a shot hole indeed playing it more like a par 5 makes a lot of sense.

 

[Deleted member 18645]

My main course I average 0.45 to par on the 1st which ranks as the 5th hardest for me. But it is SI 10 and my average score for the year in 4.95 to par.
At my other club, I average 0.35 to par which is joint worst on a course where I am scoring 1.32 to par for the year.
Admittedly at the second course I don't usually warm up, just take a few swings and away as it's early in the morning.

 

[Bxm Foxy]

My local 9 hole course is a short par 3, with quite q bit of trouble. Make a pigs ear of it regularly, so definitely over par on it on average.

 

[Backache]

Our opening hole is a short par 4 (283 yds) uphill but with the prevailing wind with loads of room left but out of bounds all the way up the right. Generally pretty straightforward and I have had quite a few birdies though the green slopes a fair bit. The SSS would be very low if there were 18 holes like that.

 

[HampshireHog]

213yd Par 3 for me, bunkers all the way along left and front right of the green, it’s a brutal way to start around.

 

[Hobbit]

16 pars, 1 birdie and 1 bogey for my last 18 rounds, playing off 6.7. 'New handicap' would be 4.2, I think.

Its a short par 4, a driver usually leaving me about 80 yds from a wide, deep green.

 

[Capella]

I would definitely fare worse. Our first whole is a tricky par 5 with oob all along the right side and a water hazard in front of the green. Plenty of ways to get into trouble. I have two shots there, and it is really rare that I manage to get through unscathed. According to my own statistic, for me it plays as the second hardest hole on the course.

 

[duncan mackie]

I average 5.07 for the 1st hole, which is my 7th worst statistically. This matches quite well with its SI of 6.

 

[patricks148]

our first was previously a birdie chance, but with the changes, more like a bogey

 

[Backache]

I would definitely fare worse. Our first whole is a tricky par 5

Call it a half then

 

[rksquire]

Handicap would likely stay the same as I've a shot here. Tough opener SI 4, long par 4 with trouble left, right and in the landing zone. Happy with a bogey here, delighted with a par. Doubles and pars would cancel each other out over 18, so imagine 4 pars, 4 doubles, 10 bogeys for 36 points.

 

[Slab]

I think I’d roughly be around handicap too, it all comes down to the pin though

Par 4 - 420yds with reasonably generous fairway width and the fairway bunkers aren’t in play for me, I stroke there and am pitching on for 3rd shot (maybe a chip if there’s no wind)
Pin left hand side and bogey golf is much easier (even par’d it last couple of times with one putts) but put the pin on the right and the danger on the green is transformed with steeper runoff slopes and a bunker guarding the front, very difficult to get over the sand and still hold the green even with wedge so gawd knows how other folks manage going in with their longer 2nd shots (well actually from those I’ve seen the answer is most don’t manage to hold it and end up running through)

As stroke 10 I can image it’s a gimmie par for the lower players with a left pin and squeaky bum time (& often starting with a bogey at best) if pin is right

 

[Slab]

Actually reading the replies there’s probably an idea for a course management drill in looking at the variables like pin/wind etc if you played each hole 18 times, in order to manage not only the shot selection but the score expectation too
And at the same time imagine what that hole will do to other players in the field of different handicap category (I’m sure we all know players that’ll take a tough pin on especially if they don’t stroke, and quite a few will bogey that particular hole, so I really shouldn’t get too down on myself if I get a 6 because I won’t be losing ground on the majority of the field)