What makes "A Good Golf Hole"

[need_my_wedge]

I often hear or read people saying that a particular hole on a course is "a good golf hole", or a course doesn't have any bad holes, or was a let down because hole Y was a poor golf hole etc. When I play a golf course, I don't really think about how good or bad a hole is, I just tend to play what's in front of me. It could be a beautiful looking hole or set in a stunning location, which of course I appreciate, but are aesthetics alone good enough to class it a "good golf hole"?

So is it a particular length? A particular par? A particular shape? A level of difficulty? Just the view? I'm interested to know how you define a good golf hole, along with any particular examples.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Great question, maybe those who have mentioned it could describe the 1st at Dornoch.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Good question!

When we assess courses for the top 100 rankings we are looking for a variety of things on each hole. These include (but not limited to) how the hole looks visually, does it give the player options on how to play it or is it automatically driver from the tee, does it make you think, how well placed are the hazards, how does it sit in relation to the other holes such as maybe back to back par 3's or par 5's or a relentless run of par 4's, the playability of the green complex, what tricks has the architect used to fool the player such as false fronts on greens or 'greenside' bunkers that are actually well short of the green etc.

There are a whole load of things that make a hole good or bad!

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Great question, maybe those who have mentioned it could describe the 1st at Dornoch.

Nothing wrong with this hole Paul, a nice gentle opener to ease you into the round. From memory I think I hit 3w off the tee and had a wedge or 9i into the green. You go straight from this to a really tough par 3 with one of the best greens you are likely to see, perched up on a plateau that falls away on all 4 sides so it's it's nice to have the chance to start with a par before playing the 2nd!

 

[shortgame]

D4S has mostly covered it above but I'll add it needs to be a hole that you can't wait to play again (often therefore offering different ways to play it)

 

[need_my_wedge]

D4S has mostly covered it above but I'll add it needs to be a hole that you can't wait to play again (often therefore offering different ways to play it)

Hope that's not the end of it, was hoping to read different opinions and some good example holes

 

[Marshy77]

Could be anything from looking visually stunning from the tee, the structure of the hole from tee to green, the location, the way it's shaped - tree lined, water, bunker position. Any of these plus more could make a good golf hole.

 

[shortgame]

Hope that's not the end of it, was hoping to read different opinions and some good example holes

Oh I'm sure there will be lots of 'healthy' debate... especially when it comes to specific holes

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I would agree with what is in your post, I tend to just play the course.

I like a variety of different holes on a course, straight, short par 4, long par 4, doglegs, slopes on greens, I get bored easily. I do like elevation changes on courses and ideally well looked after.

For me my favourite kind of golf hole probably would be, quirky in many eyes but would include great views, not next to another hole or tee, elevated tee, sweeping dogleg, silly slopes on green and have to say probably in a tree setting. 18th at Delamere is an example or 9th at Sandiway or 14th and 15th at Mile End Golf Club.

Lots of other kinds of holes that I would say are good holes, like short drivable par 4s, pretty short par 3s, get the body all excited.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It has to be pleasing to the eye, playable, fair and when you leave it you want to go back to the tee and play it again. What is pleasing to my eye is not necessarily pleasing to someone else's of course. I tend to like trees, green fairways, colour and shape to a hole.

 

[User 105]

I agree with the above, holes that give you options and make you think. Holes you have to plot your way around.

Couple of other things that make a great hole for me is how it can change in different conditions and can still be challenging yet interesting. I also like holes that have different teeing options that can just subtly change angles and lines so the hole can again play different.

 

[shortgame]

To expand on my earlier post, there can be many factors, including:

- The 'WOW' factor
- How the hole fits into the course, and the flow of holes
- How natural it looks (for links or heathland), American style courses can be as artificial as you like
- What options it gives
- Risk/Reward

Personally I love short-mid par 3's and risk/reward par 4's

Of course, there are also many many good holes that are long/tough, however I love 'thinking' holes, holes that allow you different options so they don't have to be played the same way every week

 

[jamielaing]

Nothing wrong with this hole Paul, a nice gentle opener to ease you into the round. From memory I think I hit 3w off the tee and had a wedge or 9i into the green. You go straight from this to a really tough par 3 with one of the best greens you are likely to see, perched up on a plateau that falls away on all 4 sides so it's it's nice to have the chance to start with a par before playing the 2nd!

I loved this hole when I played the 36 hole open. My par start gave me hope. Then I hit my tee shot on 2 and it all went downhill from there.....

 

[Rlburnside]

Nothing wrong with this hole Paul, a nice gentle opener to ease you into the round. From memory I think I hit 3w off the tee and had a wedge or 9i into the green. You go straight from this to a really tough par 3 with one of the best greens you are likely to see, perched up on a plateau that falls away on all 4 sides so it's it's nice to have the chance to start with a par before playing the 2nd!

A good golf hole for me has to be visually good,a challenge with options how to play the hole, I have to disagree about the first hole at Dornoch, with all the history and with it being one of the top courses in the U.K. it is a poor hole imo.

From my experience of playing there I remember the exitment of the build up to playing, think I hit a 3wood and then a 9 iron onto the green and 2 putted for par,whilst I was obviously pleased to start the round with a par I remembered felling somewhat underwhelmed with this hole.

But Royal Dornoch is a fantastic course and I would love to go back and play again.

 

[patricks148]

A good golf hole for me has to be visually good,a challenge with options how to play the hole, I have to disagree about the first hole at Dornoch, with all the history and with it being one of the top courses in the U.K. it is a poor hole imo.

From my experience of playing there I remember the exitment of the build up to playing, think I hit a 3wood and then a 9 iron onto the green and 2 putted for par,whilst I was obviously pleased to start the round with a par I remembered felling somewhat underwhelmed with this hole.

But Royal Dornoch is a fantastic course and I would love to go back and play again.

how does it not have options? its a risk reward hole, down wind you can drive it if you want to take it on. but the fairway narrows the further along you get the rough either side is pretty thick with the stuff on the right being a lost ball most of the time.
far from the worst hole on the course if you were saying the 16th i'd say fair enough but not the 1st

 

[Orikoru]

I think a lot of people will say it's a good golf hole if there's a bit of risk and reward, more than one way to skin a cat and so on. So you could try and carry a lake or drive the green, or you can lay up, or go round it etc. Not just a straightforward par 4 with a drive and an iron to the green.

I have my favourite holes on my course but I don't know if they're 'good golf holes'. My favourite is the 6th purely because you drive from the highest point of the course, so you have a good view, plus the drive is downhill so if you catch it nice it really takes off down the fairway.

My least favourite is probably the 470 yard par 4 2nd because I have zero chance of getting there in two, so to have any chance of making par I have to hit three spot on shots and a one putt. Which I have never yet done.

 

[Curls]

To add to the comprehensive list above personally I would add isolation, the absence of distraction of neighbouring holes is a big plus. I think it detracts from a hole when you have to wait for someone else playing another hole to move out of the way. I'm sure there are examples of great holes, particularly in old links, where this is not the case. But for me I love standing on the tee and seeing everything on that hole in front of me, and nothing else.

 

[shortgame]

To add to the comprehensive list above personally I would add isolation, the absence of distraction of neighbouring holes is a big plus. I think it detracts from a hole when you have to wait for someone else playing another hole to move out of the way. I'm sure there are examples of great holes, particularly in old links, where this is not the case. But for me I love standing on the tee and seeing everything on that hole in front of me, and nothing else.

Great point 👍

 

[fundy]

id also add that good shots get rewarded and bad shots get fairly punished

for me aesthetics matter a lot hence why im not a fan of blind holes and would never call one a good hole (albeit i know others will disagree)

 

[Rlburnside]

how does it not have options? its a risk reward hole, down wind you can drive it if you want to take it on. but the fairway narrows the further along you get the rough either side is pretty thick with the stuff on the right being a lost ball most of the time.
far from the worst hole on the course if you were saying the 16th i'd say fair enough but not the 1st

That's not what I would call a risk-reward hole,at that yardage you have to be a good driver of the ball to reach the green so even downwind to drive the ball over 300 yards would count most of us out, so not much risk-reward there.imo