Bonkers Golf Holes

[srixon 1]

Played in a league match at Broadstone today. As much as I like the course, (it’s in my top 5 list), the 7th hole there frustrates the hell out of me. Into wind today and I hit my tee shot dead straight that landed in the middle of the fairway. My second shot was from a crap lie in the left rough. I must have played there loads during the last 30 years and it still baffles me.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There's a hole like that at a number of courses I've played over the years where you can hit a straight shot or even up one side and the slope will take it all the down to the other side, usually into the first cut or worse still as everyone is in the same boat into a divot. I hate them as a good drive is never rewarded and that just seems wrong

 

[pokerjoke]

Try playing a links course and it happens regularly.
A good player will draw or fade it into the slope

 

[srixon 1]

The thing about the 7th at Broadstone is that even from the middle of the fairway the 2nd shot is probably the hardest shot on the course.

 

[Tashyboy]

Try playing a links course and it happens regularly.
A good player will draw or fade it into the slope

That's me deffo ruled out then. ☹️

 

[srixon 1]

Try playing a links course and it happens regularly.
A good player will draw or fade it into the slope

My opponent hit the same tee shot and his ball stayed in the middle of the fairway. Broadstone is heathland not links but I get where you are coming from. 😁

 

[HomerJSimpson]

That's me deffo ruled out then. ☹️

You and me both. Funny thing is I've played with good players and saw a guy hit a draw into the slope on the 10th at Reigate Hill and it still ran down. When the fairway has no grass as has been the norm this summer it's impossible and become a lottery to find any sort of lie, especially a divot free one. I just think these holes are poorly designed especially on parkland type courses

 

[USER1999]

When the fairway has no grass as has been the norm this summer it's impossible and become a lottery to find any sort of lie, especially a divot free one. I just think these holes are poorly designed especially on parkland type courses

So golf course should be designed so it plays ok in the hottest, least rainy summer for 40 years. Really?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

So golf course should be designed so it plays ok in the hottest, least rainy summer for 40 years. Really?

Not saying that. The point with this particular hole is that it does the same thing in the wet of winter even with longer damper grass. It plays the same all year and as the major flaw for most club golfers is a left to right flight, the ball is simply going to go down to the same spot every time. That ground then gets chewed and no time to recover. It's simply a poorly designed hole in my opinion.

 

[USER1999]

Not saying that. The point with this particular hole is that it does the same thing in the wet of winter even with longer damper grass. It plays the same all year and as the major flaw for most club golfers is a left to right flight, the ball is simply going to go down to the same spot every time. That ground then gets chewed and no time to recover. It's simply a poorly designed hole in my opinion.

The quote says exactly that though.

Any way, sometimes the lay of the land dictates the hole design, and there is not much choice in the matter. It doesn't have to make it a bad hole.

 

[badgermat]

I thought the whole point of a golf course was to challenge golfers. That it would be a particular challenge for "most club golfers" with a left to right ballflight is surely just encouragement for them to sort that out. And if they can't work out how to do that over 30 years, maybe it's not the course architect's fault

bm (with a terrible left-right ballflight but no wish to blame it on the course)

 

[Grant85]

I don't know the hole, but I have played plenty of holes where the fairways have been on a camber and almost impossible to hold, even with the right shape shot and even with a bit of moisture about.

My problem with these types of holes, is that I'd be amazed if the designer wanted the hole to be played that way. Or if it was even properly designed rather than just layed out and just happens to be the bit of land that connected that tee to that green.

However, some designers would have used the slope to possibly take an advantage away from longer hitters.

But for the most part an ideal scenario surely being that they would have rather had a flatter bit of land or they would have moved a load of earth or built up the low side of the fairway so it was less slopey.

 

[MendieGK]

I thought this was going to be a, ‘what’s the most bonkers hole you’ve played’... before I opened it I was already preparing my paragraph about.

The 7th Hole @ Broadstone.

Brilliant golf course, awful awful golf hole

 

[jim8flog]

7th at Broadstone

Certainly a hole to have played a few times to get to understand it. GPS mapping in 2D gives no real idea of what this hole is all about. I thought I had layed up with my second!!!

From their guide
Professional Tip
A strong Par 4. Tee shot should be at the marker pole to allow for the right to left contour of the fairway. Long hitters will get home in two, but if you are unsure, lay up in the valley short of the cross bunkers to leave yourself a pitch up to the green. A four here is always a good score. I thought I had layed to the valley up with my second!!!

 

[IanM]

In addition to that one, the old 3rd at Castle Combe (no idea what it is now as they’ve messed the order about) is a par 5 where there’s trouble both sides, a chasm and you run out of fairway if you over Club... never know what to do there

The par 5 4th at Dartmouth similarly idiosyncratic. I’ve birdied it hitting 7, 8 and then 9 iron!

 

[MendieGK]

In addition to that one, the old 3rd at Castle Combe (no idea what it is now as they’ve messed the order about) is a par 5 where there’s trouble both sides, a chasm and you run out of fairway if you over Club... never know what to do there

The par 5 4th at Dartmouth similarly idiosyncratic. I’ve birdied it hitting 7, 8 and then 9 iron!

That’s just a driver over the top of the hazard mate!

 

[cliveb]

The 12th at Pinner Hill. Dogleft to the right and up a big slope. You can hit what seems like a perfect tee shot, hugging the trees on the elbow at the right, only to find your ball at the bottom of the slope in the rough off the left of the fairway. The landing area is blind so you can't see what happens, but from where tha ball finishes it almost seems as if it turns back on itself!

I think the only way to play it is probably to slice (not fade, slice) your tee shot into the slope. I tried that once but duffed it so I still don't know whether it would work.

 

[merv79]

Regarding the 7th at Broadstone, I was a member there for 15 years and learnt how to play it (or perhaps better to say learnt how to minimise the high numbers!), its not the best hole and I would like to see them level out the fairway a bit.

When the conditions are firm I would lay back a bit off the tee and accept having 200-210 yards into the green, if you have a flattish lie I don't think the 2nd shot is too bad, you have approx 40 yard wide target where you have a chance of an up and down, you just have to hit it solid and carry the front bunker which is probably a 165-170 yard carry from 200 yards out.

When its softer you can be more aggressive off the tee, the marker post is misleading because unless you get right to the top of the hill, its a really nasty 2nd shot!

 

[Imurg]

Our 16th is a bit of a wierd one.
Only 384 off the whites but it's a severe dogleg right.
The drive is pretty tight as the tree line is only yards away - loads of room left but it takes you well over 200 from the green.
I can run out of room and into the deep rough with a 21° hybrid, the further straight you are the more you are blocked out by a big tree just front and left of the green.
I have driven straight over the tree line with a 7 wood and made the carry but there's a huge tree on the corner that swallows anything near it.
To add to the problem, the fairway slopes right to left so anything faded or sliced around the corner still drifts down to the left side.
I've taken to hitting a driver with a mahoosive slice to get as far down as possible to leave a wedge over the greenside tree.
The danger, of course, is hitting it too straight or over-cooking the slice.
It drives CVG mad as he can't hit a fade.
Not the best hole on the course but you're never really unhappy with a bogey on it.

 

[kevingopher]

The tenth at St Enodoc always makes me sigh when I get to it. Strange hole on what, I think, is a very good course.

Every hole at St Mellion would be my other choice 😂