Your favorite golf hole and why

I guess part of my fascination is due to the elevation, coming from the flattest country on the planet (to all intents and purposes). I do think that one can see the North Sea, unless there's another stretch of water between the coast and the actual North Sea...
I uess it's a matter of nomenclature but most Scots would consider Kinghorn to be on the Firth of Forth rather than the North Sea itself though it is of course an inlet off the North Sea.
 
16 th at Sawgrass stunning golf hole.
The 17th gets all the attention but 16 is a fabulous golf hole.
Tee is set in a chute of trees with a huge bank right and jungle left.
if you hit a good drive you are faced with one of the biggest trees I have ever seen on a golf course.
so over it ( no chance) or under it watching the water right.
Cheeky look at 17th as you walk up to chip on.
stunning green like lightning if you go left.
 
I guess part of my fascination is due to the elevation, coming from the flattest country on the planet (to all intents and purposes). I do think that one can see the North Sea, unless there's another stretch of water between the coast and the actual North Sea...
I think what you are seeing is the Forth and then some more Forth. It's a long way off to the actual North Sea.
 
It’s hard to isolate scenery from golfing challenge, but the ones that immediately spring to mind that have elements of both are -

6th at Machrihanish
5th at Isle of Purbeck
5th at Shiskine
6th at Woking
7th at Hankley Common
9th at Pyrford Lakes
14th at Port Royal, Bermuda
14th at The Old Course, St A’s

But the winner surely must be the 7th at Corrie…
 
Great thread and so difficult to choose.
At my own course, my favourite is the 13th (Pot). A 380 yard par 4 where the very sloping green is in a bowl protected by hills on all sides. In the old days shepherds would keep sheep in there to protect them from the worst weather.



Screenshot_20230715_071244_Chrome.jpg

But, if I were to pick one hole it would be this par three on the Mauna Lani South course on the Big Island, Hawaii. Absolutely spectacular.
 
Third hole at Barnsley Municipal.

Very short par 4.
Off the yellows it is 258 yards and you can have a tilt at the green with a straight shot.
But laying up safely short of the green still gets you a great birdie chance with a good pitch or chip.
Off the whites it is 3 yards shorter!

255 yards but the tee is tucked into the corner making it a very tricky dogleg. Take a big club and you need a big slice, but you could find trouble one way or another.
Even the "safe" shot with a mid or short iron needs to be played with accuracy.
Great risk/reward hole early in the round. Gets you thinking.

3rd Barnsley.jpg

OOB to the right, of course.
 
I don't have many instances but I remember one when I was playing on the Richmond Park Golf Course in the UK during my so-called official visit. I got an extra day to spend there. So, I decided why not to dedicate it to my favorite pastime. During that game, that was the first and the last time I hit the ball 250+ yards with my driver and that's too straight. I don't know how I could do that. But I was amazed. :D
 
This one…the 1st at Dunkeld - just a mile from where my mum was born in a cottage on the hillside rhs of photo, and my parents were married (in Dunkeld cathedral just out of sight below and down to the left of the 1st green). A course I played many times over many years with my dad and brother on family holidays and long weekends camped in a field next to the course. Spiritually the most important golf course of my life. The view is pretty special also.

image0.jpeg
 
Last edited:
This one…the 1st at Dunkeld - just a mile from where my mum was born in a cottage on the hillside rhs of photo, and my parents were married (in Dunkeld cathedral just out of sight below and down to the left of the 1st green). A course I played many times over many years with my dad and brother on family holidays and long weekends camped in a field next to the course. Spiritually the most important golf course of my life. The view is pretty special also.

View attachment 49693
You forgot to mention the Birnam Oak (further down to the left out of picture) and the link to Shakespeare's Macbeth.
 
Is it possible to have one?

I've played some great holes, on courses that have little kudos or gravitas in the golfing world, and I've played some great holes on some courses that are seriously good.

Although I was only caddying for the youth, the 11th at Hillside was stunning - but I can't have it as my favourite as I didn't play it.

I'd probably go with the 14th at Dewsbury, one of those holes you looked forward to all the way round - elevated tee where a good drive can almost find it's way to the green on a dry day, and views across a significant part of West Yorkshire. It's also absolutely mint for sledging when we have a rare snowfall..
 
Is it possible to have one?

I've played some great holes, on courses that have little kudos or gravitas in the golfing world, and I've played some great holes on some courses that are seriously good.

Although I was only caddying for the youth, the 11th at Hillside was stunning - but I can't have it as my favourite as I didn't play it.

I'd probably go with the 14th at Dewsbury, one of those holes you looked forward to all the way round - elevated tee where a good drive can almost find it's way to the green on a dry day, and views across a significant part of West Yorkshire. It's also absolutely mint for sledging when we have a rare snowfall..
You are causing me pain again quoting Dewsbury. However, my favourite hole there is the 13th. Also, I used to prefer the shorter par 3 (that was the 14th) rather than the crazy uphill new(ish) 16th. I also like the 17th from the elevated tee where you have to drive over the mature oaks.

When I lived up there as a kid in the 70s we used to sledge down the 5th from up behind the 8th tee. No trees then. Great days.
 
You are causing me pain again quoting Dewsbury. However, my favourite hole there is the 13th. Also, I used to prefer the shorter par 3 (that was the 14th) rather than the crazy uphill new(ish) 16th. I also like the 17th from the elevated tee where you have to drive over the mature oaks.

When I lived up there as a kid in the 70s we used to sledge down the 5th from up behind the 8th tee. No trees then. Great days.

Is that the one slightly uphill with a wicked green think it is the 10th, I was on with my tee shot and 4 putted
 
Is that the one slightly uphill with a wicked green think it is the 10th, I was on with my tee shot and 4 putted
The hole you are thinking of is the 10th, and always has been as far as I know. That is the green that has loads of undulations and anything left of it is OOB. As you say, slightly uphill and from memory about 130 yards from the men’s tees.
 
Love the 2 par 3s at Seahouses .
The 10th & 15th . The 15th is only a wedge or GW but your teeing off over cliffs into a small thin green , usually a stiff wind .
 
You are causing me pain again quoting Dewsbury. However, my favourite hole there is the 13th. Also, I used to prefer the shorter par 3 (that was the 14th) rather than the crazy uphill new(ish) 16th. I also like the 17th from the elevated tee where you have to drive over the mature oaks.

When I lived up there as a kid in the 70s we used to sledge down the 5th from up behind the 8th tee. No trees then. Great days.

If you were there (on the 5th) when a kid and his dad crashed their sledge into a pine tree, that was me.
I walked away with a few scratches despite being on the front of the sledge, but I must have elbowed my dad in the chest on impact. He ended up with two broken ribs…. Spitting up blood and in agony all the way back to the car park, not the shortest of walks.

Agree on the par 3’s, the new one is a card wrecker, but does make good use of the space alongside the (now) 15th fairway, but the old one was a good hole. It’s still there as a spare as it happens, it was in use last winter while the 6th was being worked in.
 
Top