The current hole looks nothing like a Leven template. That doesn't mean it's a bad hole, devoid of strategy, or would be better if it had the features of a Leven. But if someone thinks this hole actually matches the Leven template, I'd like to hear more about how. I see it in the original drawing, but not in what's photographed on the ground today.
Jason,
I think if we are going to use the word “template” then the 16th hole at Blue Mound fits the template. It has all the features of a Leven hole, but the club removed one of the features on the tee shot. By definition, you can add or remove features to a template, you can exchange sand for water or high grass or a road. A template is not set in stone, it’s meant to have flexibility based on the site you are working on. The 5th hole at Chicago is a mirror image of this hole, but the carry bunker still remains. Does this make the Leven hole at Chicago a better example or just a different example?
I’m not sure why the club removed the hazard on the left, but if it was still there today, a 160-yard carry isn’t exactly heroic for a good player. The left hazard likely would have acted more as a guide to the better player and a very penal hazard for the high handicapper. The bunker didn’t exactly stretch across the fairway to give you four options off of the tee, like the original. After removing the fairway bunker, the hole is still dictated by the Mound fronting the green, which to me exemplifies the Leven hole. The Mound is the most important feature of the hole and it’s the feature that differentiates the hole from others on the course.
There is a course close to me that has a river running on a diagonal across the fairway and much like the original Leven it gives you four options off of the tee based on your playing ability. However, the green is flat and virtually unprotected in the front. By not protecting the green, there is no preferred side to come in from, so the strategy of the tee shot is somewhat lost.
Combining these two features makes the hole strategic. Perhaps the hole at Blue Mound is less strategic than the original, but it still borrows features from the original that dictates the play of the hole and hold the player’s interest. The hole becomes strategic when you get in the wrong position off of the tee. That is when you have to decide whether you are going to take on a bad angle or play it to the left of the mound and take your medicine. It seems to fit in perfectly with the other holes at Blue Mound which does a terrific job at keeping the golfer engaged from start to finish.