Golf Club Atlas

GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Tim Martin on May 20, 2023, 01:48:40 PM

Title: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: Tim Martin on May 20, 2023, 01:48:40 PM
For anyone that has played Oak Hill since Andrew Green’s restoration does 15 stack up as one of the toughest short par three holes you have played? The Saturday pin placement up front looks crazy hard to hit it close as everything wants to funnel right down the slope.


Title: Re: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: James Reader on May 20, 2023, 05:48:37 PM
They said on Sky that even the members haven’t played the new hole yet.
Title: Re: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: Matt_Cohn on May 20, 2023, 06:06:45 PM
They said on Sky that even the members haven’t played the new hole yet.


I know they said the course was closed since October, but wasn’t it open for a while before that?
Title: Re: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: Rob Marshall on May 20, 2023, 06:38:35 PM
It’s been open. The green is very narrow. Steep run off area where the pond used to be. Much better hole with the pond gone.
Title: Re: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: Matthew Rose on May 21, 2023, 04:05:31 AM
For anyone curious, I found some footage from the 1968 US Open of the pre-Fazio 15th.

About 20-21 minutes in they discuss it and show a fairly primitive diagram. One thing I learned from this is that prior to 1968 they had played it from a much different angle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il2NxwHbfog&t=164s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il2NxwHbfog&t=164s)
Title: Re: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: John Blain on May 21, 2023, 09:48:29 AM
They said on Sky that even the members haven’t played the new hole yet.


I know they said the course was closed since October, but wasn’t it open for a while before that?
The east course has been closed for all play since last fall.
Title: Re: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: John Blain on May 21, 2023, 09:54:41 AM
For anyone that has played Oak Hill since Andrew Green’s restoration does 15 stack up as one of the toughest short par three holes you have played? The Saturday pin placement up front looks crazy hard to hit it close as everything wants to funnel right down the slope.
Tim-
One of the biggest challenges is that is directly into the prevailing westerly wind. Hitting the green doesn't mean an easy par and missing the green can be a brutal up and down, often bringing double bogey into play.
The club originally was going to build a hole that was very similar to #3 at Wannamoisett but I have to tell you #15 at OH is much more difficult.
Title: Re: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: Michael Morandi on May 21, 2023, 09:16:12 PM
If the course has been closed for a long time, does that explain the softness of the face  in the fairway bunker on 16 that ate up at least 2 balls, dooming the chances of two contenders?
Title: Re: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: Tim Martin on May 21, 2023, 09:27:18 PM
If the course has been closed for a long time, does that explain the softness of the face  in the fairway bunker on 16 that ate up at least 2 balls, dooming the chances of two contenders?


Based on where those balls plugged just barely about the bunker and after all the rain I don’t think you can blame that on the course being closed. If it was firmer both those shots best case probably would have bounced back into the bunker. Both Conners and Hovland hit poor shots not to clear the face.

Title: Re: 15 at Oak Hill
Post by: Michael Morandi on May 21, 2023, 09:39:41 PM
Yes, they hit poor shots but based on the relief provided they’d prefer to be back in the bunker.