How difficult is your 1st hole??????

[Smiffy]

I was due to play in a Turkey Trot last week-end but had to scratch due to being called in to work.
Just checked the results, and saw it was won with 31 points!
But checking the course analysis I was more interested to see that our par 4 1st, which is stroke index 10, had the following stats.
Played 42 times.
Pars 1
Bogies 7
"Other" 34

On paper, it's a fairly innocuous 429 yard par 4.
Can only assume the wind must have been blowing!!

 

[Keeno]

429 is a pretty long par 4, especially for your first hits of the day.

Ours is 360ish into the wind and an akward 2nd as the ball will be well above your feet. A good hole though

 

[Alex1975]

Might be the easiest hole on our course... Big wide par 5 @ about 495

 

[delc]

Apart from a lake and a nest of bunkers on the right and large gorse bushes all down the left, it's really quite easy! When we play matches against visiting clubs, we always advise them to use an old ball on this hole! 400 yard par-4 btw

 

[TheCaddie]

Should be easy, but I never do well on it! Need to start warming up again before I play!!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Ours is a straightforward par5 but scores quite high - last medal average was 5.95. (0 eagles, 1 birdie, 29 pars, 35 bogeys, 13 doubles and 6 triples). But it was only 9th hardest that day.

 

[garyinderry]

I was due to play in a Turkey Trot last week-end but had to scratch due to being called in to work.
Just checked the results, and saw it was won with 31 points!
But checking the course analysis I was more interested to see that our par 4 1st, which is stroke index 10, had the following stats.
Played 42 times.
Pars 1
Bogies 7
"Other" 34

On paper, it's a fairly innocuous 429 yard par 4.
Can only assume the wind must have been blowing!!

430 into the wind isn't an easy hole. many won't get there in two. most certainly won't be hitting an iron in especially if they don't get their drive well away.

 

[patricks148]

fairly easy 380-390 par 4 (si10) usually played into the wind. has 3 fairway bunkers one in the middle of the fairway at 280 others each side at 230-240. missing the fairway left or right in the summer as lost ball and way right is in the sea. Quite a wide fairway though and first 200 yards is slightly down hill. two pot bunkers either side of the green and to the naked eye its a big flat green. Subtle breaks on the whole area.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Nice par 5, just under 500 yds, I couldn't tell you the SI, but I'd think pretty high.
A good birdie opportunity, but it can easily go very wrong.

 

[winty57]

played that 1st hole at Cooden a few times always plays tough and usually a 4 is very good score, our 1st is 430 yds dog left left to right with tree lined and OOB on left all way to hole, and usually plays int the prevailing wind, after a good tee shot can still leave 200+ in, and is SI 8!

 

[AmandaJR]

Tricky Par 4 SI3. Being in position off the tee is crucial to take on a green surrounded by water. Being out of position also means a very tricky lay up to landing area between ponds. Oh and green heavily protected by trees both sides. Tends to play around its SI in comps especially if guys are off the whites. These days I don't tend to stuff it up too often, and it doesn't fill me with the trepidation it used to, but still happy enough to walk off with a bogey!

 

[BrizoH71]

390-ish par 4, relatively straightforward opener.

Fairway is flat and quite generous, bunkers left and right around 150-170 to the green, and planted trees down both sides although they are quite thinly spaced so you have a shot if you find them. Fairway sits between 9 and 10 fairways so wayward drives not unduly punished.

Further bunkers left and short of the green, and a greenside bunker on the right. Green is quite small with a big drop at the back and some thick rough if you go long. False front to the front of the green catches under-clubbed shots.

Decent drive off the whites should leave around 140 yards, although wind can sometimes be blowing back up towards the tee making the second shot quite long.

 

[richart]

Tough hole the 1st at Cooden. Usually into a decent breeze. The green is not that big either. You wouldn't want to play off 9 with that start.

Ours is one of the easiest holes. Hybrid, wedge. If it was the 10th hole and not the first it would be a birdie hole. As it is, never that unhappy with a bogey five. Oh yes the green can be a bit tricky from above the hole.oo:

 

[Capella]

Ours is a pretty difficult par 5, SI 5. Plays 471 meters for the guys (so just under 520 yards) and 414 meters (455 yards) for the ladies, not terribly long but slightly uphill. To make matters worse there is a nasty big water hazard placed in front of the green. It's a monster. I am always very happy if I manage to get at least one point there. The second is an okay par 3, but SI 1 and SI 3 (both par 4) follow right after as holes 3 and 4. Once you are past that, the rest of the course seems a lot easier

 

[Jimaroid]

I'd say the first hole is always difficult. Seems to take many years and lots of fumbling.

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Ours should be quite straight forward....407 yard par 4, dog leg right up to an elevated green which slopes back to front. Unfortunately the trees to the left and right (as well as a pond) seem to attract people. As an opening hole it actually plays quite tough, a par is a decent result.

[video=youtube_share;aYHYc-faktQ]https://youtu.be/aYHYc-faktQ[/video]

 

[Imurg]

On the face of it ours isn't tricky
380 yard par 4
But it has a ditch/stream running diagonally right to left.
Carry can be from 160-210 yards depending on angle.
Go for the short carry and you run the risk of going through the fairway into another ditch.
Hook or slice and you're in trouble too.
Most play it as a par 5. Lay up to the ditch but it still leaves at least 200 to the green, with plenty of trees, ditch and rough to both sides so most lay up again to wedge distance or a little less and trynto pitch and putt for the par. Low SI (5) so almost everyone gets a shot on it.
If you go for the carry and make the fairway then you really should par it but with no real warm up facilities its your first shot of the day. If it was the 10th most would get the driver out and knock it over.......

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

Our 1st is approx. 465 yards SI3, it ALWAYS is the hardest (highest scoring avge) hole in comps, I have been playing it for 25 years and birdied it 3 times (2 chip ins). Aside from Centurion off the blacks its the hardest opening hole I have played.

 

[Stuey01]

Easy. 280 yard par 4, iron then wedge. Its driveable but that is a risky play as the green keepers compound is in reach on the left and is OOB. Si17

 

[User 105]

One of the toughest on the course, especially in the winter.

It's a 471y, SI 5. OOB all down the right, trees down the left. Downhill tee shot, uphill second to a well protected green.

In the summer of you get a good drive you can get to the bottom of the hill which is about 300y, any further and your in a bunker in the middle of the fairway. Still usually gives you an uphill 180y 2nd, so plays about 200y.

In the winter with no run on your tee shot unless you absolutely monster a driver you've got a 230-260 yard second shot. I'm not a short hitter off the tee and most of the time I'm playing this as a par 5 in the winter off the medal tees.