Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Thomas Dai on October 27, 2014, 09:01:07 AM
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Would the 1st hole at TOC be the best and most memorable 1st hole on a course you've played?
If not, what would be other contenders?
atb
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I agree that nothing quite compares to the opening tee shot at TOC with the R&A clubhouse in the background, the ocean, etc.
But to be contrarian--how about the first hole at Royal Lytham? Not too many places start out with a tough par 3
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But to be contrarian--how about the first hole at Royal Lytham? Not too many places start out with a tough par 3
Which is one reason the 1st on the Blue Course at The Berkshire is so memorable.
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Is there something about the architecture at #1 TOC, or just the anticipation of playing a round there?
For me, #1 at Bethpage Red is most memorable. Far from the "gentle handshake", a 470 yard hole with an blind uphill approach shot.
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The 1st at TOC wins for being the most iconic but in terms of greatness, I would say the 1st at NGLA is the best I have played.
But it looks so easy on the card!
What about the first at the Kingsley Club with that first tee shot -- which way do I go?! -- and the false front? Great par 5 opener.
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Thomas,
I don't know that the 1st at TOC is the best, but maybe the most memorable. With people swirling all around it is tough to beat from an intimidation factor. I am not sure there is a more right in front of everything type of first tee. It may however be the easiest hole on the course though with a massive fairway leaving a wedge for the approach.
Obviously, many will think of the 1st at Machrihanish, but after the tee shot, is the hole great? I'm not too sure, although I am a sucker for Machrihanish so I like it and the somewhat punchbowl nature of the green.
Merion has a very intimidating first tee shot as well with the first hole right next to the dining area, and depending on the time of day can be in front of quite a crowd. Although, I love that aspect of the hole. NGLA has a spectacular opening hole if for no other reason than the severity of the green and the small targets within the green you are faced with.
For interesting first holes, how about Garden City with the interesting bunker position asking you to make a decision right away with the first shot.
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The architecture of the first at TOC--a tee shot so wide that it gets into your head that it can't possibly be missed. A precise layup to leave a yardage to attack a firm green fronted by a burn that makes front pin positions difficult to get to and makes it more difficult to hit a lower flighted shot if the wind is up. That's pretty tough even without the anticipation and the history
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Crystal Downs - One of the great views in golf
Sunningdale Old - Iconic clubhouse / patio directly behind you
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Best and most memorable?
I would have to say one of Hoylake, Machrihanish, Portsalon, Kington, Yeamans Hall or TOC.
Ciao
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Machrihanish?
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I love the the first at Yale, the opening drive over Griest Pond lets you know this is not an older course that is hurt by modern equiptment. The first hole at Canoe Brook South (certainly not a course on par with the others mentioned) is a great opening hole as you can see much of the golf course from the elevated tee.
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I won't necessarily claim it's the "best" opening hole I've ever played but the 1st at Delamere Forest goes against type in a way I found compelling.
So many courses offer a stereotyped downhill opening tee shot. I guess that's partly because clubhouses tend to be situated at the highest point on the property quite often. The opener at Delamere is distinctly uphill and even after cresting the hill with ones tee shot, this 420 yard (from the *visitor* tees, mind) Par 4 is very effectively bunkers greenside. The green itself isn't spectacularly contoured but like all the greens at Delamere any putt beyond tap-in range will have some break to it.
Now that I think on it, maybe it is at least among the best opening holes I've played. Certainly the best opener I've played this year. Not spectacular but it produces a bit of a jump in the pulse rate when I step on the tee (and a much higher heart rate, still, once I've walked from the tee to the high point of the fairway).
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1st Tee at Brora is pretty special.
1st holes at either course at the Berkshire run it close.
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1st Tee at Brora is pretty special.
1st holes at either course at the Berkshire run it close.
I love the Berkshire but the first on the Red isn't particularly memorable imo. Pretty much always the wettest spot on the property too.
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The 1st tee at the Currahee Club in Georgia is quite memorable. It's a 600+ yard par 5 that features a steep drop before levelling off to the green. You're so high up that it's impossible to gauge the yardage that you can or should hit the ball to either carry the bunkers or lay up to avoid the end of the dogleg. Crazy shot for the first of the day
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1st Tee at Brora is pretty special.
1st holes at either course at the Berkshire run it close.
I love the Berkshire but the first on the Red isn't particularly memorable imo. Pretty much always the wettest spot on the property too.
I hear you Adam, but it was the first heath I played and it just looks so inviting. When I think back to 1st holes, it sticks in the memory.
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The 1st at Sand Hills deserves consideration in this category. What an eye-opener it was for me, 18 years ago.
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Obviously very personal, but most memorable for me was the first at Prestwick -- "quieter" than TOC. No idea about the best.
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I have three memorable first holes. I was playing with my wife at TOC. There must have been fifty folks milling around. I was told to hit and promptly sliced my tee shot out of bounds. I had never been so nervous, not because of the folks but the place. I did get it around in 78 after that horrendous start. Calmed my wife down, however.
The second has to do with a good friend, Don. We both were playing Merion with our sons. The boys wanted to play from the back tees. I wasn't so sure but we did. I hit a tee shot down the middle and so did the boys. When It was Don's turn hit hit six inches behind the ball and barely got it to the rough in front of the tee. Of course, there is a big sign "no mulligans." It took him two more shots to get it to the fairway.
In 1987 I played in a pro-am with Arnold Palmer and my same friend Don at Harbour Town. We started on ten and I promptly hooked my tee shot into the water. Hit my third shot onto the green and made the putt for a routine four.
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The most memorable for me was the first hole at Southern Hills in 1998 during the first round of the NAIA National Championships. The combination of the view from the top of the hill overlooking Tulsa and the player introductions that followed combined to make it truly special.
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The 1st at Sand Hills deserves consideration in this category. What an eye-opener it was for me, 18 years ago.
Sand Hills is quite amazing -
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How about the first at Merion East Chris R.?? The history plus the lunch crowd judging your swing. Nice draw with a club sandwich chaser? Love this tee shot, calls for a slight draw or maybe a little fade. But it is the silence that happens when the tee goes into the ground that's special.
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Would the 1st hole at TOC be the best and most memorable 1st hole on a course you've played?
A resounding YES, Sir Thomas of Dai..
Contenders:
Machrihanish
Cypress Point
Prestwick
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The first at Spyglass is special. Others I like: Kingsley, Eastward Ho!, Sage Valley, Cliffs at Glassy.
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Lots of memorable first holes. Besides the history of TOC< where my knees shake, there are the less historic courses, where I consider a great first hole one that tells you right off the bat from the tee its a very special course.
First at Crystal Downs is that, for sure.
Slightly less so, but also important was Mike Young's first at Long Shadow. Driving in the entry, you see the first hole and I could barely wait to get out of the car to see the course.
Funny, and while I haven't played them all, not many top 100 courses have truly memorable opening holes. The aforementioned CD and SH, and maybe Shinny, SF (although I like 10 better) and maybe Spyglass, with NGLA maybe in the running, too. Maybe its the old design mantra of a gentle handshake to start the course?
I say that because when designing the Quarry up in MN, I had a routing with a Cape Hole over the same lake as 18, water on the slice side, from an elevated tee. Owner had concerns about such a tough opener, it faced east and had sun problems, and the coup de grace was some environmental issues, as an old RR loco servicing facility was in the fw area (although I do note the area has been developed now, so many those superfund rules that would have cost millions have changed a bit) But, it would have been memorable.
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Some terrific suggestions so far.
Like Ryan the 1st at Brora came to my mind, as did the 1st at Portstewart and the 1st at Royal Aberdeen. Also the 1st at Cruit Island.
The 1st at TOC is though a 'bit special'.
Nevertheless, my best and most memorable is the 1st at Royal Jersey. 480 par-5.
Beach immediately on the right with France just on the horizon.
Play your opening shot of the day directly over the 18th green while aiming to keep your ball between this fortified mini-castle and two WWII gun emplacements located just above the beach-
(http://www.royaljersey.com/imagedisplay.aspx?id=3966&m=background)
and all the while Mont Orgueil Castle - which makes a few other golf course castles look tame and should be visited in it's own right as it's wonderful - looks down upon you.
(https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTF49HNwGoZS08dhXM-FG-L99FkPYO_A12N2-ITf15aeIGO-wvaiw)
This Bing satmap shows it all - zoom in/out for more - http://binged.it/ZTrGup
Once played, never forgotten.
atb
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Obviously, many will think of the 1st at Machrihanish, but after the tee shot, is the hole great?
No -- it's not. Thrilling drive, for sure, but the rest of the hole is lacking.
Besides, how can a 1st hole be the best in the game if it's only the 7th best hole on the front nine of its own course?
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TOC pretty tough to beat. Crystal Downs and Spyglass also standout for me.
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The first at Kapalua Plantation is quite striking. As memorable, not the best, but the 1st at Stanford Golf Club is memorable, it is not every day you get to drive over a 4 lane road.
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Castle Pines and Hokulia
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The 1st at TOC wins for being the most iconic but in terms of greatness, I would say the 1st at NGLA is the best I have played.
Correct.
I mean... I agree. :D
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The architecture of the first at TOC--a tee shot so wide that it gets into your head that it can't possibly be missed. A precise layup to leave a yardage to attack a firm green fronted by a burn that makes front pin positions difficult to get to and makes it more difficult to hit a lower flighted shot if the wind is up. That's pretty tough even without the anticipation and the history
The history is something you think about on the 1st at TOC. However, it is so wide, and you are thinking, "anywhere but right". I hooked one so bad one day that it ran and ran and almost went out of bounds on the left side by The Links Road. It is pretty funny how hard it can be to hit a 100 yard wide fairway.
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I only wish that I had played all of the courses mentioned, but for me the 1st at Tobacco Road is the most memorable and the one with the highest pucker factor.
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From the title I first thought of TOC with the history and all the gawkers. Then I thought of Aberdeen for personal reasons. I got there early to look at the clubhouse memorabilia and have a bit of lunch. Just as I was finishing lunch the men’s grill room was filling up. For those who haven’t played there, the first tee sits directly outside the big floor the ceiling windows of the grill room, so it’s more like a stage for the amusement of the diners. The only thing missing is the footlights. When I checked in, about a half hour before my scheduled tee time, the starter asked if I was ready to go then and get out ahead of lunch crowd. Sure, I’m ready. My first tee shot in Scotland, no warm up or stretching, my first experience of an old links, playing alone just to see the course. That day the clubhouse protected the elevated tee from the 35 mph helping breeze. I guess the adrenalin and the excitement, combined with the knowledge I had a full lunch crowd watching, stimulated my fear-of-failure instincts and I hit one the longest and best drives ever clearing the fairway bunkers and leaving only a lob wedge to the green which, of course, I dumped in a greenside bunker. Very memorable.
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Chuckle.
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The first at Spyglass is special. Others I like: Kingsley, Eastward Ho!, Sage Valley, Cliffs at Glassy.
You beat me too it. Standing on the first tee of the down hill first at Spyglass with the mountains, ocean, and tees is simply amazing. I've yet to see a better view on the first hole anywhere.
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For the thrill, shear anticipation and quality of golf, it has to be the first at Forfar.
Niall
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1st at Ballybunion Old: literally, dead right!!
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There is no other shot in golf quite like the first at TOC. I waited 41 years to hit that shot.
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Since I have not experienced TOC, I'll choose Merion's 1st adjacent to the outdoor dining area:
(http://www.meriongolfclub.com/SiteDesign/splash5/image5.aspx)
(http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/14763841/170297692.0_standard_352.0.jpg)
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Spectators and setting make the opening shot a little special, TOC and Merion are hard to beat in that respect.
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My top 3 have already been cited: Sand Hills, Cypress Point and Spyglass Hill.
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Streamsong Blue #1 gets the round off to a very memorable start. Climbing (or riding) up to the top of that sand heap might seem a bit artificial, but the payoff is worth it.
It's not TOC, however, which can't be equaled.
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But to be contrarian--how about the first hole at Royal Lytham? Not too many places start out with a tough par 3
Which is one reason the 1st on the Blue Course at The Berkshire is so memorable.
Hayling. Sorry. Shameless, biased promotion of another opening par 3. I'd actually suggest the par 3 opener down the round at Liphook is better.
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The best - for me - is not the opener of the Old Course.
It is the most memorable.
My choice for "the best" first hole is Crystal Downs, setting, architecture, it has it all.
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Also in the mix should be...
Plainfield - Typical Ross tee to green and one of his best greens.
Colorado Golf Club - Nice start without a level lie for full blast shots
Pine Valley (why this green is not replicated more is beyond me)
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I'm not surprised to see so many mentions of TOC, not because it's any good -- almost no one is able to judge for themselves these days: the hole is so overexposed it has become impossible to see. Instead of seeing the hole, confronting it, you just confirm the image placed in your mind by others. You are there just to confirm or to reinforce what you've seen before you stepped foot on it, what you already know.
It has become impossible to see the hole.
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Standing on the first at The Old Course sure stirs the soul..
So does the first at Sand Hills which is no doubt breathtaking. I consider it to be the greatest introduction to a golf course on earth.
Ngla's has qualities of each of the above and is simply magnificent.
Merion and Machrihanish over the years have been selected in print material as the two best.
The most underrated is at Shinnecock Hills, one which includes many of the characteristics of all of the courses I've listed.
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TOC, Doonbeg, Riviera, CPC, the old championship tee at Pasatiempo
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Playing the first hole of Pacific Dunes has stirred my soul more than any other opening hole. Pure bliss.
Standing on top of the knoll in the first fairway of Chambers Bay with the vista behind is #2.
Lundin Links takes #3, followed by the Jubilee course at #4, and Elie #5.
The town of St. Andrews always had my soul stirring, and the anticipation of playing the Old Course made me pacing back and forth impatiently the entire time I was standing by the practice green, but the first hole is plain, not very exciting, and left we craving the remaining 17 holes more. Bliss was found waiting by the first green/on the second tee taking it all in.
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My top 3 have already been cited: Sand Hills, Cypress Point and Spyglass Hill.
Terry,
Great choices, I'd add NGLA, Shinnecock, Pasatiempo, MPCC Shore, Bethpage, Mountain Ridge, Newport, Streamsong Blue, Streamsong Red and Seminole to name a few. ;D
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Also in the mix should be...
Plainfield...
Plainfield gets my vote for best 1st hole I have played
Streamsong Red might be the most memorable
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Merion East gets my vote.
Also in the mix would Oakmont, Greenbrier Old White and Yale. Plainfield is certainly in the mix for me as well.
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Royal Aberdeen
Portsalon-the tee shot is wierd-the second shot epic (and then of course there's the view of second hole)
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Agreed, #1 at TOC gave me a bunch of butterflies.
#1 at Old White-Greenbriar is pretty cool.
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For setting and atmosphere it has to be Alwoodley for me. As for the best first hole Birkdale wins it hands down. This would be considered a great hole at any point during the round but it is a real eye opener as the first.
Jon
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TOC: was certainly the most nerve racking first tee shot ever. Had been up early in the morning, end of March, then standing around waiting for what seemed like hours with no warm up. It was freezing cold and yet there must of been no less than a couple hundred people standing around, most of which were not golfers. Then they called my name...sweating bullets I could hardly stand yet hold the club and managed to shank a 3 wood of all clubs that bounced off the fence down to the right and stayed in play. I can remember people laughing so I took a bow. Hit the approach into the burn. Good start on my first ever golf trip outside The Netherlands and my only play of the old course. One day soon revenge on that hole will be mine :-).
Garden City:
Semi blind first shot in which you have to hit over the driving range. Since most of the players there seem pretty strong it's a daunting shot. First played two weeks ago on a beautiful sunny Sunday. Driving range was overfull and all these guys just stop and walk slightly to the side, still standing almost in front of you and watch your group tee off. I had flashes of TOC so wiped my brow once I had ripped my tee shot right down the middle. Damn, that feels good...
Merion:
If you are a lefty the first tee there would be the worst tee shot in the world if played on a nice day around lunch time with a full terrace. Bad as a righty as I'm sure there is plenty of noise front he peanut gallery. However, for a lefty...yikes!
Kennemer B - 9:
Pretty awesome from the back tees as the tee box sits right against the clubhouse and next to the patio as well. Plus it's a pretty tough hole and long tee shot. The hole is about a 450 yd par 4 from an elevated tee with high rough left and right and a huge bunker in the landing area right.
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TOC: was certainly the most nerve racking first tee shot ever. Had been up early in the morning, end of March, then standing around waiting for what seemed like hours with no warm up. It was freezing cold and yet there must of been no less than a couple hundred people standing around, most of which were not golfers. Then they called my name...sweating bullets I could hardly stand yet hold the club and managed to shank a 3 wood of all clubs that bounced off the fence down to the right and stayed in play. I can remember people laughing so I took a bow. Hit the approach into the burn. Good start on my first ever golf trip outside The Netherlands and my only play of the old course. One day soon revenge on that hole will be mine :-).
Garden City:
Semi blind first shot in which you have to hit over the driving range. Since most of the players there seem pretty strong it's a daunting shot. First played two weeks ago on a beautiful sunny Sunday. Driving range was overfull and all these guys just stop and walk slightly to the side, still standing almost in front of you and watch your group tee off. I had flashes of TOC so wiped my brow once I had ripped my tee shot right down the middle. Damn, that feels good...
Merion:
If you are a lefty the first tee there would be the worst tee shot in the world if played on a nice day around lunch time with a full terrace. Bad as a righty as I'm sure there is plenty of noise front he peanut gallery. However, for a lefty...yikes!
Kennemer B - 9:
Pretty awesome from the back tees as the tee box sits right against the clubhouse and next to the patio as well. Plus it's a pretty tough hole and long tee shot. The hole is about a 450 yd par 4 from an elevated tee with high rough left and right and a huge bunker in the landing area right.
David, as a lefty I had the exact same thoughts when looking at the photos of the first tee at Merion someone posted earlier in the thread. I had the butterflies in the pit of your stomach feeling just thinking about that tee shot.
Michael
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TOC is certainly the most nervous I have ever been on any golf course, let alone the 1st tee, everything went to jelly but I really love the first at Perranporth, it sets the pulses racing straight away. Clubhouse to your left, par 4 downhill, 380 yards, to a green that over looks perran sands. wonderfull..
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Two that come to mind for me are The River Course at Blackwolf Run and Wolf Run in Zionsville, IN.
Blackwolf Run's first is an excellent par 5 that hugs the river. Its both a scoring opportunity and a fantastic introduction to the round.
The first at Wolf Run is serpentine par 4 that plays significantly downhill. It has really good strategic characteristics and you must challenge the bunkers on the tee ball to get a good look at the green. The view from the tee box lets you know you're in for a memorable round as well.
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The first 5 that come to mind:
Royal Aberdeen
Doonbeg
Portmarnock
Machrihanish
Portstewart
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The first at Scioto can be nerve wracking with innocent bystanders eating lunch on the patio
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Oakmont, Shinny, NGLA, Chicago Golf , Riviera, Milwaukee CC, Charles River, Eastward Ho, Mountain Ridge, Yeamans Hall Club: All strong openers with very challenging green complexes.
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Great first holes, Minneapolis-St. Paul Division: I'd give it to White Bear Yacht Club. It's one of those "step from the clubhouse to the putting green to the tee" compact areas, overlooking an inviting fairway and a daunting second shot to an elevated green.
Great first holes, N.L.E. Upper Midwest Division: R.I.P. #1 at the original Sutton Bay course. An amazing vista of hills with Lake Oahe in the background. It never failed to excite and engage me.
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(http://www.meriongolfclub.com/SiteDesign/splash5/image5.aspx)
Now imagine being left handed and teeing off at noon for my first round at Merion
... tad intimidating when everything went silent as I addressed the ball
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Memorable
1. Stanford
Up in the foothills, overlooking the kinder-gentler parts of Silicon Valley across to the Bay. The hole opens up below you and requires a long draw off the tee, as close as you dare to the bunker and barranca on the left and then a long high fade to a green angled sharply from left to right. You are always warm and wearing shorts, even in January. Usually the sun is shining. In my day you walked on a creaky bridge acrosss the then 2-lane Alameda des las Pulgas to the fairway 50 feet below. How could you not remember such a hole?
Runners-up
--Woods Hole
--Painswick
--Aberdour
--Carnoustie
Best
1. NGLA
Your wizzened caddy hands you a driver and you ask for the knife and you melt it, failing to carry the far left bunker by a pubic hair, and you are f***ed. But then you blast out, hit a bump and run to 5 feet, sink the putt and the guys who hit driver to the fairway are struggling for bogey.
Runners-up
--Pacific Dunes
--Dornoch
--Sand Hills
--Prestwick
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Memorable - Kingsley
Best - Brookside
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Rich
You know the course markedly better than me, what is it about Dornoch's 1st?
In my few visits, I've been eager to get to the 3rd "where the course begins" so to speak.
Would be interested to hear more about your take on the 1st, what am I missing?
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Ryan,
not who you asked but I just got back from Dornoch :) 1st and last holes are okay but not the best Dornoch has to offer. Despite the mount of rain last night the course was playing well in the October sunshine and just two other groups out there.
Jon
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Great first holes, Minneapolis-St. Paul Division: I'd give it to White Bear Yacht Club. It's one of those "step from the clubhouse to the putting green to the tee" compact areas, overlooking an inviting fairway and a daunting second shot to an elevated green.
Great first holes, N.L.E. Upper Midwest Division: R.I.P. #1 at the original Sutton Bay course. An amazing vista of hills with Lake Oahe in the background. It never failed to excite and engage me.
Agree with White Bear. 2nd place to Oak Ridge. Honorable mention to the humble 1st at Minikahda -- with its Merion-like 1st tee, just off the pro shop and a patio. The very essence of a gentle handshake -- but easy to screw up!
I'd call the first at Sutton Bay an extraordinarily memorable hole (second to Sand Hills for me, but only because I saw Sand Hills first) -- but not a great one. It was the opposite of a gentle handshake; more like a brutal thrashing!
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Two very memorable opening holes from the south-west, but for the wrong reasons:
1st at what I still think of as Manor House Hotel with an unpredictable downhill drive towards a stream. Almost impossible to avoid the stream!
1st at Thurlstone which I once described: 'downhill par 4 of 268 yards. That you must drive out over a road and ditch, avoid out-of-bounds on either side, and could easily clatter into the clubhouse or car park is sufficient cause of anxiety for most of us. Deep seaside bunkers and a green angled across the line complete the defences.'
Certainly not the BEST opening holes I have ever played, but unforgettable.
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1st at Thurlstone which I once described: 'downhill par 4 of 268 yards. That you must drive out over a road and ditch, avoid out-of-bounds on either side, and could easily clatter into the clubhouse or car park is sufficient cause of anxiety for most of us. Deep seaside bunkers and a green angled across the line complete the defences.'
Geez, what do you tee off with? An 8-iron then another 8-iron?
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I thought the first tee at Kingston Heath was special.
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Rich
You know the course markedly better than me, what is it about Dornoch's 1st?
In my few visits, I've been eager to get to the 3rd "where the course begins" so to speak.
Would be interested to hear more about your take on the 1st, what am I missing?
Ryan
It's the easiest birdie on the course, but due to the subtleties of the fairway and the green complex it is a very easy bogey, particularly in competiton. It is an early warning to what lies ahead of you, the main essence of which is "Think, you golfing Moron!" The green is driveable, even from the tips, but requires a perfectly crafted strong fade to do so. The closer you get to the green, the more exacting the second shot, particularly since it may be your only chance at a birdie. You can lay up to 100-120 or so, but your 2nd shot must be hit crisply and accurately to hold the green--hard to do when it is the 2nd swing of the day. The tee is on grade, overlooked by the clubhouse and the putting green and full of vehicular and human traffic--even more than the 1st at TOC it is an integral part of the town. Most of all, you are just starting to play one of the finest experiences in the golfing world.
Rich
PS--As to what you are "missing" you might also include the 2nd. The views start on the 3rd, but 1 and 2 are two of the finest holes of their type in the world.
rfg
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PS--As to what you are "missing" you might also include the 2nd. The views start on the 3rd, but 1 and 2 are two of the finest holes of their type in the world.
rfg
Indeed. The second is a world class par 3. A sort of superior version of the 5th(?) at The Sacred 9.
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Also the 1st at West Cornwall is a great opener. Par 3 aiming straight at the church/graveyard.... :o
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Sand Hills
NGLA
Pinehurst #2
All have that feeling of greatness to come
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Shinnecock Hills
Canterbury
Machrihanish
Blackhawk CC (Falls Course)
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My most memorable first was at a dog track in Amherst, NY - an NLE called Creekside. I was 17, and it was the first hole I ever played. And I played it with my dad.
It was 1977, but I remember it like it was yesterday. He's gone now, but always with me in spirit
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Shinnecock Hills
Canterbury
Machrihanish
Blackhawk CC (Falls Course)
With so many amazing holes at Shinnecock the first seems almost pedestrian in comparison. A fine hole but doesn't stick out as super memorable.
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Rich
You know the course markedly better than me, what is it about Dornoch's 1st?
In my few visits, I've been eager to get to the 3rd "where the course begins" so to speak.
Would be interested to hear more about your take on the 1st, what am I missing?
Ryan
It's the easiest birdie on the course, but due to the subtleties of the fairway and the green complex it is a very easy bogey, particularly in competiton. It is an early warning to what lies ahead of you, the main essence of which is "Think, you golfing Moron!" The green is driveable, even from the tips, but requires a perfectly crafted strong fade to do so. The closer you get to the green, the more exacting the second shot, particularly since it may be your only chance at a birdie. You can lay up to 100-120 or so, but your 2nd shot must be hit crisply and accurately to hold the green--hard to do when it is the 2nd swing of the day. The tee is on grade, overlooked by the clubhouse and the putting green and full of vehicular and human traffic--even more than the 1st at TOC it is an integral part of the town. Most of all, you are just starting to play one of the finest experiences in the golfing world.
Rich
PS--As to what you are "missing" you might also include the 2nd. The views start on the 3rd, but 1 and 2 are two of the finest holes of their type in the world.
rfg
Rich
Thanks for the explanation. I wasn't suggesting they were bad holes, just not particularly memorable in comparison to some of the other stuff there. I will pay more attention next time round.
I will say that Dornoch is my favourite course, but I've never been in love with 'Foxy' either.
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Mid Ocean, Cuscowilla, and Peachtree have great openers.
Ken
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The first at TOC and the first at Tobacco Road are the first that come to mind for me.
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Mid Ocean, Cuscowilla, and Peachtree have great openers.
Good picks. Shorter than 350 yards, the first at P'tree might be the best hole on the course. The first at Cusco is a textbook example of classic strategic design. I've always loved it. The first at Mid-O, after the removal of scrub and dozens of trees, is much improved. Into the prevailing wind it is a monster. With the bonus that from the green you get stunning views of coral cliffs and crashing surf.
Bob
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Oak Hill East
Aronimink
Myopia Hunt
Winchester CC
San Francisco GC
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The first at Myopia Hunt is an interesting choice. I know many people who think it is the worst hole on the course. The usual criticism is that the hole feels like (and is in fact) an after-thought. The original first hole at MHC is now the 2nd.
But for all that the hole really is an interesting one. For longer players driving the green is an option. Miss on the wrong side and you are dead. Even if you lay-up, you can get badly out of position. All intriguing choices from the tee.
Bob
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Bob,
Hope you are doing well.
I picked the 1st at Myopia because I remember thinking the first time I played it that I was about to time travel to a differant era in golf and I was a bit nervous . I hit a solid tee shot, got lucky with a pitch and finished 5 feet right of the hole and proceeded to three -jack it. Welcome to Myopia. One of the Top Ten on my list that I have played. Everyone should have the privilege of playing it once. It it that good. I know that you would agree.
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Shinnecock Hills
Canterbury
Machrihanish
Blackhawk CC (Falls Course)
With so many amazing holes at Shinnecock the first seems almost pedestrian in comparison. A fine hole but doesn't stick out as super memorable.
Tim
I think the first at Shinnecock is one of the finest introductions to a golf course.
The hole usually plays with a wind out of the southwest. Take an aggressive line towards the right and miss it just a bit and the wind will be sure to push your ball in the junk or in one of the bunkers along the inside of the bend.
Take a more conservative line and you have to deal with the left fronting bunker on your approach. Get too aggressive and bounce over the green you are REALLY screwed.
Combining the firmness of the greens with the new extension of the green towards the back left and a wind from your left, a pin in the back left is extremely difficult to get the ball close.
This hole defines Shinnecock.
Subtle genius.
As far as memorability, standing on the tee brings most of the golf course in view.
A stunning vista with Thom's Elbow, the 9th green and the 13th tee up on a distant hill towards your right, the Ngla windmill due north while you're standing next to the oldest clubhouse in America, surely an iconic and majestic structure. During prime season those having lunch on the veranda watch your tee ball adding much excitement to the whole experience.
After you tee off and walk down the hill to begin your Shinnecock experience stop for a moment and look back up at the clubhouse from the middle of the fairway.
Takes my breath away.
Gene
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My most memorable first was at a dog track in Amherst, NY - an NLE called Creekside. I was 17, and it was the first hole I ever played. And I played it with my dad.
It was 1977, but I remember it like it was yesterday. He's gone now, but always with me in spirit
Gone, too, is Creekside. The land still glows at night, though.
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I give credit to those that nominate a par three. It must be special to capture your affection in such a short yardage. Likewise, those who nominate a par five are suggesting that each of the 2/3 shots toward the putting surface inherently carries challenge and/or memorability.
It must be interesting to have a magical first hole. In my mind, the getaway to a journey is filled with hope of what lies ahead, but is not necessarily the hope itself. The first lines of novels, while memorable, should rarely be the best. Same goes for song verses. Sometimes they happen, others they don't.
I like movement in a first hole. If a hole can combine both down and up, it resonates with me. For that reason, the openers at Whitinsville, Yale, the National Golf Links of America, Ballyhack, Eastward Ho! and others I'm forgetting take away my breath.
I don't mind a level hole. The first at Dunes (Michigan), Merion East, Fenway
So here's my nomination, yet to be mentioned herein. You traverse a bridge on foot to a tee tucked against a lake. Sure you have to carry a bit of water on the tee ball, but it's the elevated, sloped fairway that catches your eye. There is rough left and a stand of trees right (and both are hillsides!) and a saddle in the middle. Beyond the saddle, who knows!
As you ascend the slope, the fairway dives to the right and frets over a few hummocks on the way to the putting surface. If you've found the fairway, you're tempted to take a run at the green in two, for an opening eagle. There is a fair amount of trouble along the way, in the guise of sand, rough and uneven lies. You are in the Adirondack mountains and surrounded by trees, but they don't intrude.
The putting surface is sloped and quick, so if you're unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the time, you have your work cut out for you. If the first were any better, it would take away from the 2nd, which truly takes your breath away. For competition's sake, if par is a matter, it can play as a short 5 for those excluded from the legion of super heroes, and a longish 4 for the bashers.
It is the ideal opening scene for...
Glens Falls Country Club.
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Prestwick, Hoylake (original sequence), not Cypress Point (!) but above all else is The Old Course.
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Inverness, Grosse Ile, and Mid Pines
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My most memorable first was at a dog track in Amherst, NY - an NLE called Creekside. I was 17, and it was the first hole I ever played. And I played it with my dad.
It was 1977, but I remember it like it was yesterday. He's gone now, but always with me in spirit
Where was that course?
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My most memorable first was at a dog track in Amherst, NY - an NLE called Creekside. I was 17, and it was the first hole I ever played. And I played it with my dad.
It was 1977, but I remember it like it was yesterday. He's gone now, but always with me in spirit
Where was that course?
During its final days, its name was changed to Everglow, ooops, Evergreen. It was poorly built over a dump.
http://www.worldgolf.com/courses/usa/newyork/amherst/evergreen-golf-club.html
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Pasatiempo - on a clear day when you can see the pier.
Riviera - any day. The history of the place and being announced by the starter while the staff claps.
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Mid Ocean, Cuscowilla, and Peachtree have great openers.
Good picks. Shorter than 350 yards, the first at P'tree might be the best hole on the course. The first at Cusco is a textbook example of classic strategic design. I've always loved it. The first at Mid-O, after the removal of scrub and dozens of trees, is much improved. Into the prevailing wind it is a monster. With the bonus that from the green you get stunning views of coral cliffs and crashing surf.
Bob
The one time I played Mid Ocean the first really was a monster! My pal and I and a double caddy. Hit our tee balls and headed down the fairway. As we reached the balls a fierce squall blew in and through. The three of us huddled together in misery and suddenly the sun came out and off we went, on the Mid Ocean magical tour!
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Pittsburgh Field Club, Cherry Hills, Spyglass, TOC, Old White, apache stronghold,
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I first played this hole aged 13 - over 30 years ago - and it's still one of the most memorable openers I've seen anywhere.
Victor Harbor Golf Club, about an hour south of Adelaide in South Australia.
The tee sits next to the clubhouse, over 100 feet above the fairway below, and it's an exhilarating shot where you're well above the height of the huge gums that line both sides of the fairway. Beautiful views of Encounter Bay in the distance.
Nothing too complicated about how the hole plays - 440 yards, fairway bunker left, greenside bunker right.
A decent hit over the road that runs through the fairway gets some help from a downslope and leaves a mid-short iron to the green.
Wonderful stuff.
Andrew
(http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac255/Ffootey/1stHoleIconicHolesHallofFame_zps7f513a34.jpg) (http://s905.photobucket.com/user/Ffootey/media/1stHoleIconicHolesHallofFame_zps7f513a34.jpg.html)
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I first played this hole aged 13 - over 30 years ago - and it's still one of the most memorable openers I've seen anywhere.
Victor Harbor Golf Club, about an hour south of Adelaide in South Australia.
The tee sits next to the clubhouse, over 100 feet above the fairway below, and it's an exhilarating shot where you're well above the height of the huge gums that line both sides of the fairway. Beautiful views of Encounter Bay in the distance.
Nothing too complicated about how the hole plays - 440 yards, fairway bunker left, greenside bunker right.
A decent hit over the road that runs through the fairway gets some help from a downslope and leaves a mid-short iron to the green.
Wonderful stuff.
Andrew
(http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac255/Ffootey/1stHoleIconicHolesHallofFame_zps7f513a34.jpg) (http://s905.photobucket.com/user/Ffootey/media/1stHoleIconicHolesHallofFame_zps7f513a34.jpg.html)
How on earth did the greenkeeper come to the conclusion that the striping was a good idea? Talk about ruining the view!
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I first played this hole aged 13 - over 30 years ago - and it's still one of the most memorable openers I've seen anywhere.
Victor Harbor Golf Club, about an hour south of Adelaide in South Australia.
The tee sits next to the clubhouse, over 100 feet above the fairway below, and it's an exhilarating shot where you're well above the height of the huge gums that line both sides of the fairway. Beautiful views of Encounter Bay in the distance.
Nothing too complicated about how the hole plays - 440 yards, fairway bunker left, greenside bunker right.
A decent hit over the road that runs through the fairway gets some help from a downslope and leaves a mid-short iron to the green.
Wonderful stuff.
Andrew
(http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac255/Ffootey/1stHoleIconicHolesHallofFame_zps7f513a34.jpg) (http://s905.photobucket.com/user/Ffootey/media/1stHoleIconicHolesHallofFame_zps7f513a34.jpg.html)
How on earth did the greenkeeper come to the conclusion that the striping was a good idea? Talk about ruining the view!
Fair point, Adam. This better?
Andrew
(http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac255/Ffootey/818832_zps3890b69b.jpg) (http://s905.photobucket.com/user/Ffootey/media/818832_zps3890b69b.jpg.html)
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The 1st at Sand Hills deserves consideration in this category. What an eye-opener it was for me, 18 years ago.
+1
Best and most memorable opening hole I have ever played