Shortest Stroke 1 hole

[Canfordhacker]

So at my new club the Stroke 1 hole is only 376 off the yellow tees. I know distance isn't everything, and it's a tough 1st shot to leave you with a shot to the green, but it got me thinking what might be the shortest stroke 1 hole (and equally the longest stroke 18) that you know of.

 

[RichA]

Our SI 18 is a 185 yard par 3.
It's uphill, so you can't actually see the green from the tee.
Easy!

 

[Canfordhacker]

Our SI 18 is a 185 yard par 3.
It's uphill, so you can't actually see the green from the tee.
Easy!

I was more thinking of a par 5 stroke 18 over 500 yards would surface, but yep, that don't sound easy!

 

[Crow]

I was more thinking of a par 5 stroke 18 over 500 yards would surface, but yep, that don't sound easy!

Our index 18 is 504 yards off the whites and 535 off the blues.

 

[Imurg]

SI 1 is 408 (White), 380 (Yellow)
SI 18 is 126 and 119

Our SIs are based around Matchplay not difficulty otherwise SI 1 would be our 17th - 439y par 4 off the Whites and 426 off the Yellows.

 

[D-S]

Little Aston has a 317 yard stroke 1 off the back tees.

 

[Canfordhacker]

Little Aston has a 317 yard stroke 1 off the back tees.

So what does the tee shot entail?

 

[Canfordhacker]

SI 1 is 408 (White), 380 (Yellow)
SI 18 is 126 and 119

Our SIs are based around Matchplay not difficulty otherwise SI 1 would be our 17th - 439y par 4 off the Whites and 426 off the Yellows.

Yep, typically SI's follow the Congu guidelines for exactly that reason. I always find it strange when courses have odd and even SI's in the same 9 holes.

 

[D-S]

So what does the tee shot entail?

I can’t remember but it isn’t a tough hole, as I recall the SI’s there are al a bit weird.

 

[Orikoru]

I played West Herts a couple of months back - SI 1 is 374 and the SI 18 is a 479 par 5. I parred the SI 1 and bogeyed the SI 18 of course.

 

[garyinderry]

I can’t remember but it isn’t a tough hole, as I recall the SI’s there are al a bit weird.

From the website

Stroke 1 from the men’s tees, based on matchplay, as the better player should have the chance to birdie this hole whilst giving a shot to his opponent.”

 

[D-S]

From the website

Stroke 1 from the men’s tees, based on matchplay, as the better player should have the chance to birdie this hole whilst giving a shot to his opponent.”

I guess that’s one way of looking at it.

 

[Swango1980]

Our stroke index 1 hole is 356 yards off yellows, Par 4 obviously.

However, you miss fairway left, you are dead in the PA. Go right you are in the trees or even lost/OB. There is a bunker places right of fairway which makes lay up tricky, as if you lay up short of it you have probably 180 yards to green minimum. There is a PA right in front of green, so that has to be carried, and the green is very shallow.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

So at my new club the Stroke 1 hole is only 376 off the yellow tees. I know distance isn't everything, and it's a tough 1st shot to leave you with a shot to the green, but it got me thinking what might be the shortest stroke 1 hole (and equally the longest stroke 18) that you know of.

It's the worst hole on the course. Need to remove a load of trees on the right to open up the green. Its total pot luck whether or not you have a shot into the green in summer.

 

[Canfordhacker]

It's the worst hole on the course. Need to remove a load of trees on the right to open up the green. Its total pot luck whether or not you have a shot into the green in summer.

LOL. I'm working out how to play it. Already tried a massive slice down the 10th fairway which does open things up somewhat.

 

[Backache]

We've moved to having SI's dispersed for match play our SI1 is 344 yds off the back tees. Not the easiest hole with a sloping fairway and playing uphill but far from the most difficult.

 

[IanMcC]

Our SIs are based around Matchplay not difficulty otherwise SI 1 would be our 17th - 439y par 4 off the Whites and 426 off the Yellows.

Probably not illegal as such, but certainly against Rules of Handicapping recommendations. See Appendix E.

 

[Springveldt]

From the website

Stroke 1 from the men’s tees, based on matchplay, as the better player should have the chance to birdie this hole whilst giving a shot to his opponent.”

If the toughest hole is stroke index 1 then the better player has a chance to par it while the poorer is expected to bogey it. I’m not sure I agree with their reasoning here.

Our stroke index 1 is a 460 yard par 4 that typically plays into the wind. I’m often short of it after a drive and 3 hybrid if there is any type of breeze.

I’ve recently joined a second course and the SI 1 is a 418 yard par 4 which if it’s the usual SW wind should be with the wind off the right. The next hole is SI 3 and is a 425 yard par 4 that runs the opposite way so should typically play into the wind. I haven’t played it enough to see if this is true or not though, with it being a links course maybe the wind does something funky with the sea being right there to the east.

 

[Swango1980]

When it is based on matchplay, then the lowest SIs will often generally be based in the longest holes, or at least length being the primary factor. It is why par 5's often had low SI's, even if it was deemed an easy par 5, compared to a tough par 4 somewhere else. After all, in match play the par is irrelevant, it is the longer length where the higher player is likely going to need more assistance. The caveat was that low SI's were avoided in opening holes in case it goes to play off, and they were spread out as best as possible.

Since WHS, and even before, I know some clubs have changed SI's purely based on Stableford scores.

I prefer them being set for matchplay personally. I've played some weird matches when set for Stableford, where a shot is given for a pretty basic hole yet not given for a long one. Or you could be giving 8 shots, for example, and you give 7 of those in space of 8 holes. It can feel quite relentless if you are giving them, and if getting them you might feel like you are hanging on on the consecutive non shot holes.

 

[jim8flog]

There mast be a few par 3 courses that are rated with a short SI 1