Island Greens

[Slab]

The PGA visits Sawgrass this week and I hear they have one

Does your course have an island green or do you play one somewhere, do you love it or loathe it, is it fascinating or frustrating... ok you get where I'm going


Local course has one on at 15th hole, play's between 100 & 150'ish depending on tee's, pretty much always into a 1-2 club wind. Played it about a dozen times and I've lost far too many balls in the water with only one tap-in birdie and a couple of pars in the + column

In summary, it does my head in!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I suspect they are great to play as a visitor, spectacular and fun. Not so great as a member as they could trash your card.

Personally I love them as long as they are not too long, 140yds max would be my suggested limit and ideally 100-120yds.

 

[Bazzatron]

There's one at West Midlands golf club, it's the 18th so could make or break a decent round...or destroy your confidence further if you've already had a shocker.

I quite like it, only played it as a visitor though.

 

[Freewaytom]

There's one at west midlands golf club, it's the 18th and i love it personally, though i'm not a member. it plays 130 - 160 yards if i recall correctly, and it's great!

 

[garyinderry]

I like them. agreed the shot should be a short iron.


Killarney has a nice one and loch Erne has an island green approach to a short par 4.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Toot Hill has a short par 3 island green(iirc just over 100 yards). I enjoyed it.

It is fine if you hit the ball high, but if you have a slower swing speed which leads to much more run or you hit it very low, then stopping on such a green is difficult.

 

[IanM]

I've played Sawgrass... it's a hole that lurks in your mind before you get there... you even look across at it as you walk down 16, which is no mean hole in its own right.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

Rhos on Sea GC has an island green par 3 for their 18th. Prestatyn GC has an 'almost' island green for their par 4 10th hole. There is a bit of the green at the back that does not have water round it.

 

[chrisd]

Chart Hills in Kent has one that I believe Nick Faldo modelled on the one at Sawgrass. I've hit the island and the water in equal measure

 

[Pathetic Shark]

Yep that one is about 130 yards which means everyone has a chance to play it. Then you get that utterly ridiculous one at Horton Park in Epsom that is 180 yards long to a green the size of a postage stamp and you need to hit a 5-iron with Chinese mustard on it that goes about twice the height of a normal shot in the hope that it might stop.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Rockliffe Hall, near Darlington has one. It's about 150 yards & quite a big green. I've not missed it yet!

 

[Capella]

Bad Bevensen, the course where I first learned to play, does have an island green. It is a nice hole, but mostly because you hit your tee shot off a hill down to the green which is about 20 meters below you. The 'island' itslef is not that spectacular, there is a pond behind the green and basically a wide ditch with a lot of reed running all the way around the rest of it, so no big carry over water or the like. Still ... you have to hit the green or your ball is pretty much gone in most cases.

The only "real" island green I played so far was in Montado in Portugal. That's a proper one. Did not reach it all that often (even though it is not that long ... I could get there with a 5iron, meaning it is probably a pw or a 9iron for most people).

 

[Senseicads]

Silvermere has one...and that is fairly short one from what I remember, 17th is it? I've only played there once but remember hitting it and holding it on the green.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

The 17th is a par 3 over a lake. The 18th has an island green at the end of a short par-4. Being Silvermere, it takes you about five hours to get to those holes though.

 

[Foxholer]

The 17th is a par 3 over a lake. The 18th has an island green at the end of a short par-4. Being Silvermere, it takes you about five hours to get to those holes though.

Definitely worth the 'wait' though!! I've probably played those holes more often in near darkness than in decent light! Twilight can play tricks with distances too! The guy I played 18 with once thought he needed a 5-iron to play from 100 yards! And that was before they put the H&S protection up for the balcony bar! Lots of ducking after my shout of 'Fore' and as his ball ricocheted around the seating!

The Shire starts with a virtual island green Par 3! The 7th IS one and the 18th (Par 4) has one too! There are 9 other holes with water in play too, so you get accustomed to water as a 'threat' if you play there often enough!

Oh and to name-drop somewhat 14th (from memory) of Les Bordes in the Loire Valley has an island green -and plenty of water elsewhere (supporting lots of Coypu) too!

 

[Papas1982]

There's one at West Midlands golf club, it's the 18th so could make or break a decent round...or destroy your confidence further if you've already had a shocker.

I quite like it, only played it as a visitor though.

Me and the Bro pay there whenever we visit the Belfry and think it’s a cracking little course. So far I’m level par (on the 18th) through four visits. The bro is plus 10!

 

[USER1999]

Played a course in Florida with two pretty much island greens,in the swamp. One, a 150 yard carry, the other a mental 220, to a raised green with sleepers round it.

Also played a Sawgrass replica in Portugal. I had been on the beer for 8 hours solid before playing it, and hit a 9 iron to a tap in birdie.

No idea how.

 

[apj0524]

Barton on Sea, 18th hole, I think its the Needles course, as you can see the Needles on the Isle of Wight in the back ground, loverly course really enjoyed it

 

[Capella]

Just found this. It is an article about island greens in Germany. It is in German, but since it is mostly pictures, that does not matter much. The Bad Bevensen one is in there as well (as the last entry). The one from Hardenberg is very well known in Germany because it is so recognizable. It is shaped like a boar's head, since the boar is in their coat of arms.

http://www.golfpost.de/fotostrecken/fotostrecke-inselgruens-deutschland/?=clickfromsingle

 

[ScienceBoy]

Never played to one that I can recall.

If faced with one over 140 I would probably lay up and pitch on.

Closest would be the early par 3 at Brampton where philly plays. Next time I intend to lay up and chip on there...