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

[Joff]

Relatively benign 400yd par 4. 250yd drive (oob left trees right, but if you go far right you can use the practice fairway) to brow ow hill, 150yd shot semi sharply downhill to narrow green, with bunker picking up short and right shots. Oob long and left of the green.

 

[rosecott]

Ours is a seemingly straightforward 381 yard Par 4 SI 10 with woods on the right and gorse on the left. It comes out, however as the 4th most difficult to play to par - over 9000 rounds it conceded 17 birdies and 539 pars.

 

[woody69]

Tough. 425 with 2 big bunkers on the left around 210 - 220 yards. Slight dog leg left and OOB on the right that is very much in play off the tee and a road off to the left (although to end up on there would be a terrible hook). Most people playing in from around 160 - 180 yards with their second. Big hump right in front of the green and very narrow, so easy to roll off the back. I'm always happy with a bogey

 

[Crawfy]

Par 5 , 511 off the medals.
Pretty straight but uphill for last 100yards makes it a tough one to get at in 2 unless your a bomber.
My tactic is Driver, 5 iron up the middle then wedge it in. Take a par and move on.
I actually bought a 4 hybrid specifically for that hole (as a 9holer we play it twice) so that any errant drives int the fluffy stuff can be rescued.
GG shows me as 73% par on it. I'll take that !

 

[GreiginFife]

Depends which 9 we start with. One is a straight forward par 4 280yds up a steady slope which should be easy as its not narrow and doesnt have that much trouble (save for fir trees left and right). Usually a good opportunity to start with a par at worst.
Other start is, again, fairly straightforward 330 yard par 4. Slightly more tricky in that the fairway is a kind of "humpback" with run off left and right (water hazard left) and the green plays slightly raised with steep run off front, back and left with some deep rough to the right.
Again its a good chance to start with a par.

 

[Norrin Radd]

par three of about 135.no bunkers or ditches ,very easy opening hole ,but you want to see the cock ups people make on such a benign hole ,smiffy knows it well and im sure he would agree they dont come much easier.

 

[GB72]

Ours is touch for me. Drive down an alley of trees to the fairway. There is a bunker straight ahead of you go too far and trees if you go left or right. You cannot leave it too short or bail out too far right as that puts the green almost out or range. The entrance to the green is also narrow with bunkers either side. I am always happy to walk off with a bogey 5.

 

[drewster]

It's a pretty basic par 4 at our place but does require a carry over a ditch which off the tips and and into a face wind can sometimes create a problem!!!! Index 14 and only about 360 yards but i only par it once in 5 , maybe i should warm up !!!

 

[MendieGK]

GG shows me as 73% par on it. I'll take that !

Game Golf? where can i see that information?

 

[MendieGK]

I actually think ours is one of the toughest on the course (but maybe thats because its the 1st). I also think that if it wasn't the 1st people would view it as possibly the best hole on the course.

410par 4 usually into wind, cant miss the green left or right.

 

[Big_G]

Tough...448 Par4, blind tee shot, SI 6 normally ranks as the toughest hole in comps

 

[Foxholer]

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.

Centurion is a relatively easy starting hole imo.

Mill Ride (last actual club) has the ideal starting hole imo. Relatively short Par 5 that allows big-hitters who have warmed up a chance of Eagle and let those whose war-up is a stretch and a couple of putts to get away with pretty wayward first hit and still make par. Wide-ish fairway, little danger right and most of the 'challenge' being on or around the green.

The Shire, however, has what is reputed to be the hardest opening hole in Europe! 150-160 yd Par 3 should be simple, but green is only 19 yds and there's water on 3 sides! Make sure you are warmed up properly! And get the allowance for the ever-present breeze right too!

 

[ShankyBoy]

Quite straight forward really, 320 pa SI 11. But push or pull and its a lost ball every time, with a fairway of about 20m wide. The green is very tough though, so its always quite a high scorer for me. I should probably just use a 5 iron off the tee then 9 iron...probably.

 

[JCW]

The 1st hole is only hard as most just turn up , tee it up and hit it , hence why more often then not it rank high , ours is straight forward 370 , still get a few bogies on it , ......................EYG

 

[MendieGK]

Interesting about Mill Ride. I much prefer teeing off on 10 in the Ascot Stakes as it means I get to play 18 and 1 (both birdie holes in the row) in the middle of the round.

you are correct though 1, is an easy hole.

 

[njrose51]

Ours is tricky, especially if the wind is blowing. If it is, its normally left to right, which forces your ball towards out of bounds, and the slope of the fairway also runs in the same direction. Too far left and you are out of bounds. There is also a big collection of trees, bushes (thickets?) which blocks your view on the 2nd shot so you have to aim either left or right with your tee shot or risk a blind 'over the top' 2nd shot.

Our 2nd is also a very tight, long par 5.

 

[Tiger]

Ours is tough. Usually a cross wind 216 yard par 3 from the whites. Narrow entrance to the green bunkers left and right at the front. It also slopes uphill front to back and has three tiers. So if you miss left or right you could be in the sand or trees (left). If you miss long the chip back is difficult. So best play is miss way short and try and get up and down for par. Most are happy with a 4 there...

 

[Jates12]

Ours isnt exactly tough but i always find the first tough! Tree lined left side which is shared with the right side of the 8th fairway, if you get over the trees you still have a shot onto the green, right side is all OB and with a right to left breeze usually pushes everything that way. There is a big ditch in the middle of the fairway around 240 carry that you can play out of but you could have a nasty down or uphill lie. The green is surround by bunkers on each side and out of bounds 5 years behind the green. Quite Tough at half 8 on a saturday morning after a few to many Gareth Ales on a friday!

 

[Smiffy]

Ours is tough so best play is miss way short

But seriously Tiger, there is no real reason to do this on every hole mate...

 

[IanG]

Easier than most of the rest at our place I'd say. Shortish par 4 with beach all down the right side gets your attention in the breeze, but plenty of room to aim left. 2nd shot into the largest green on the course is made tricky by the rocky knoll it sits on. Once on the green you are often left with a long and sloping putt (or two!). Bogey 5 and walk on is not a catastrophe for us mid-handicappers. If the wind is from the East big hitters can try and drive the green but the margin for error is small. Look out for the dog walkers crossing the fairway oblivious to the fact they're in a golf course.