Badly designed holes?

[Deleted Member 1156]

Following on from the thread about holes you can't play, what badly designed holes have you come across? I'm thinking holes where you can hit a good shot and end up in a bad place or where the trouble is in the wrong place in context to the rest of the hole.

Two that stand out for me are the 7th at Broadstone and the 17th(?) at East Devon where you drive down a hill then have a long 2nd shot carry off a very downhill lie.

 

[Imurg]

There's one at Alex1975's and Fundy's place that gets me every time I play it.
Par 3 of about 160 yards, it's downhill all the way, with a bunker front right
The green slopes front left to back right and there is a drop off beyond the green to another downhill stretch to a hedge and a ditch.
If it's softish you can probably carry a ball and stop it on the green
I've only ever played it when it's dry and last time I just bunted an 8 iron down and hoped for the best.
The ball stopped about 5 yards in front of the green and I really had no idea what to do.
Chip it on and it was just going to go and go, putt it and I have to judge the speed of 5 yards of longer grass..ended up putting it and somehow leaving it short of the pin - defying gravity.....
I think Al went left off the tee and played a great chip down only to see it race off the back and into oblivion.....

 

[fundy]

There's one at Alex1975's and Fundy's place that gets me every time I play it.
Par 3 of about 160 yards, it's downhill all the way, with a bunker front right
The green slopes front left to back right and there is a drop off beyond the green to another downhill stretch to a hedge and a ditch.
If it's softish you can probably carry a ball and stop it on the green
I've only ever played it when it's dry and last time I just bunted an 8 iron down and hoped for the best.
The ball stopped about 5 yards in front of the green and I really had no idea what to do.
Chip it on and it was just going to go and go, putt it and I have to judge the speed of 5 yards of longer grass..ended up putting it and somehow leaving it short of the pin - defying gravity.....
I think Al went left off the tee and played a great chip down only to see it race off the back and into oblivion.....

Ive always been of the view that the hole should be bombed! That said the green and surrounds have been far softer this summer (theyve been watering a bit more) and its actually been possible to hit a wedge or a 9 iron in and hold the green. Now as for the 5th green..........

 

[richart]

Following on from the thread about holes you can't play, what badly designed holes have you come across? I'm thinking holes where you can hit a good shot and end up in a bad place or where the trouble is in the wrong place in context to the rest of the hole.

Two that stand out for me are the 7th at Broadstone and the 17th(?) at East Devon where you drive down a hill then have a long 2nd shot carry off a very downhill lie.

Yes, the 7th at Broadstone springs to mind. Mind you the other 17 are not bad. No doubt Swinger will have his say on the hole as well.

Not keen on the dogleg short hole at Liphook, 15th I think, but that was probably because none of us knew the line and all hit nice drives into the deepest rough. Seem to remember we played it as a par three from the edge of the rough Gordon.

The worst one for me is the hole at Camberley with the huge pond just out of sight off the tee. Totally out of keeping with the rest of the course. Harry Colt would turn in his grave. Fortunately the rest of the course isn't bad.:thup:

 

[Imurg]

Yeah, that's just as bad, although I did hold it the other week...

The 7th green doesn't really float my boat either!

 

[fundy]

Theres 2 local to me that spring to mind (albeit given some thinking time ill porbably add more later!)

The first is the 17th at Leighton Buzzard. Utterly rediculous par 4 of about 230 yards, and about 5 yards wide at the neck of the green, left is a ditch/bushes and everything runs to the right which is down a hill and then out of bounds. If I played a medal there I expect I would hit a knock down gap wedge off the tee to try and leave a 100 yard pitch into the green. Utterly horrible.

The other is the final hole on the blue course at Whittlebury Park. Its a par 4 dogleg around a copse of trees. You actually hit down to the corner, past the level of the green, then are supposed to pitch back on yourself to the green. Green and tee seem only about 200 yards apart but they ask you not to try and fire over the trees (which would be tough to clear), mainly because they have built a big conservatory behind the green lol

 

[fundy]

Yeah, that's just as bad, although I did hold it the other week...

The 7th green doesn't really float my boat either!

the key to 7 is either driving almost to the green or leaving it well back to hit a full shot in, leaving 80-100 yards leaves very little option

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Good shout about Camberley Rich, that hole would play better if the lake maybe only covered one side of the fairway or was reduced to a stream or something.

 

[Robobum]

The 12th @ The Addington

In contrast, the 13th is one of the finest golf holes I've ever played.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Two on the trot.......17th and 18th at Girvan.

17th is a 240 yard par 3 with a huge bank of rough to the green.
The green is tiny with a couple of raised captains burial mounds either side and a wall + OOB behind. Hit a drive to carry the bank and you will find your ball lodged against the wall.

18th is a straightforward 150ish par 3 back down the bank over what was probably some scrub when the hole was first played. The scrub is now 150 foot high trees. You stand on the tee and cant even see the green......crazy hole.

St Neots had a right angle par four which played 6 iron off the tee and 4 iron to the green.

 

[NWJocko]

There's one at ours, a par 3 about 215. There is about a square inch at the front left of the green to hit to have any chance.

Big hill on the left so its one of those holes where you can hit a great shot and end up stuffed and hit a bad one where, thanks to the hill, you can get a great result.

Other one that springs to mind is a par 5 at pleasington. If you hit about 220 the ball feeds at right angles down a huge slope to the next bit of the fairway. If not you are stuck at the top, witht he fairway, running parallel, about 40 feet below you! Very odd.

 

[Region3]

The 12th @ The Addington

If that's the par 5 where a mid iron straight down the middle finds heather I'm with you on that.

I also don't like any hole that restricts how far you can drive then leaves a very long second.

 

[Mr A]

The 7th on the Kernow at St Mellion. A very weird and poorly thought out hole IMO.

 

[Region3]

I also don't like any hole that restricts how far you can drive then leaves a very long second.

Should have said par 4's

 

[PNWokingham]

The 12th @ The Addington

In contrast, the 13th is one of the finest golf holes I've ever played.

Totally agree with both points. Some people rave about the 12th but it does not do it for me - you might as well play 7 iron, 7 iron, wedge - shame as it is on one of the best bits of the property - but the 13th is sublime - up there in a list of best par 3s

 

[Foxholer]

15th at Camberley is certainly the worst in my opinion. I can only think that water is used for irrigation etc as it would be a far better hole without it - or as suggested, a ditch or strip of water..

Addington's 12th is certainly a marmite hole! As a par 5, I have no problem hitting a long iron to lay up short of the heather. I can understand why it needs some risk to prevent someone just smashing Driver expecting to get a nice run down the hill. But they haven't really sorted it out in 100 years. The 8th has a similar issue and fits Region's spec for a disliked hole.

Ambivalent about the 13th too. In fact, apart from the dramatic view and length, there's an argument for it being almost at the bottom of the 'best par 3' list there! Addington's set of par 3s does rank very high on my list though - Swinley Forest's set tops it!

 

[ColchesterFC]

The 17th at Costessey Park in Norwich. 430 yard Par 4 with a river running across the fairway at 240 yards. Need to either fly it 260 yards to carry the water (unlikely into the prevailing south westerly winds) or lay up short and leave a 220 yard plus 2nd shot up hill to the green.

 

[richart]

The short par 4 at Remedy Oak is poorly designed in my opinion. Huge lake short of the green, but unless you can hit it like Swinger, it is a seven iron, wedge. Would have made a cracking longer par four, driver, mid iron, or a lovely medium length par 3.

 

[Foxholer]

There are quite a few 'haters' of 10th at Mill Ride - though I don't believe it' poorly designed hole.

550 yd Par 5 that's reachable in 2 for bigger hitters - 260+ carry - but only if straight, and the further you hit. the straighter you need to be as there's an alleyway of trees the can end up in or can block you out. Water at 110-150 from green means it's almost certain to be a PW to 8 iron lay up in front of lake then play 160+ uphill for 3rd.

 

[garyinderry]

Other one that springs to mind is a par 5 at pleasington. If you hit about 220 the ball feeds at right angles down a huge slope to the next bit of the fairway. If not you are stuck at the top, witht he fairway, running parallel, about 40 feet below you! Very odd.

no way. that hole is a stroke of genius. you can even pull it left and hit down over the top of the hill with something like a 3 wood. I could play that hole all day. granted you need some luck when you roll down the hill, but it seemed to feed to an area where you would get a decent look at the green.