Silly golf holes

[faldo]

That query about how to play #10 at Nation got me thinking that there is no normal way to play the hole!! It's short with no way to go for the green & there's also no reasonable fairway landing area to try to lay up into.. Totally not fair.

Feel free to nominate any hole you believe is really unfair. Or just plain silly.

I would like to nominate #17 at Edgewood. It might be now #8 if they switched nines??
It's a 350 yard par-4 with the most miserable excuse for a green that you'll ever try to land on. It's 4 paces by 4 paces & slopes away from you. No way for a high shot to hold & no room to bounce one in...

[Curious George]

#17 (?) at Chateau Cartier: straight uphill par 3. While it's hittable, it's not golf, it's a novelty hole. They should hide a couple of guys in skeleton suits that grab you as you walk by.

[Kilroy]

"Silly" holes can be fun. Once you figure them out, or learn to accept them for what they are. This thread may benefit from suggestions on how to play these holes and enjoy them.

[dasnutz]

what about the 18th green at Glen Mar? The one that is shaped like a horse shoe... I have always found it very odd...

[LBH]

This one may bring back some memories about the very first layout at the Dome (er... sorry Hautes Plaines)

I think it was #12. It was 350-360 yds I believe and was shaped live a V. I heard some guys would hit 7-8 irons over the trees and land directly on the green.

Now that was a silly hole.

And how about #16: par five way uphill, 90 deg dogleg than way back downhill. I hear they are building a new tee box much higher to help get the drive at the top of the hill.

Other silly holes include #16 at Loch March (that green is way too sloped!!!), the old #17 at Casselview when the green was a tiny mound on a 400 yds hole (90 degree dogleg) with the green protected by a large tree on the front right. Thank God they changed that green!

#4 at Montpellier is also silly if not completely ridiculous.

#17 at Greensmere isn't a silly hole but that dumb tractor around that tree was a silly idea. What exactly is the ruling if your ball stops underneath the tractor? It's a man made obstruction right?

One more vote for #17 at Chateau Cartier

[Slicer]

I wouldn't exactly call it a silly hole, it's now one of my favorites, but the first time I played #2 at Raceview myself and playing partner were doing 360 degree turns on the tee box wondering which direction we were supposed to be playing. We didn't see the front tees on the way up the hill, which would've gave us an idea.

[em69]

#6 (i think) at Poplar Grove
You need to hit a 300 yd drive in order to have a chance at the green. Those trees are getting way to tall now.

At Gatineau I like how they have back to back par 3 and par 4 and they are almost the same length.

The Meadows has several silly holes as well (mostly on the two latest 9s)...it's like they ran out of land or something.

Every course has them...I can handle one per course, after that it gets tiring.

[el tigre]

A par 3 course south of Ottawa called Sandy Mountain used to have a 90* dogleg left par 3 around the neighbouring trailer park!

The corner had a few trees protecting the green, but I guess some people could try for it (it was a par 3, after all). If they miss they end up bombarding the trailer park residents with golf balls, especially the unlucky guy that lived right at the corner!

What were they thinking? They have since changed it to a par 4.

[Kilroy]

Half the holes at xxx are silly.

This is not an acceptable comment.

[gwil]

#12 at the Canadian. 2 wedges or a driver over the trees.

[mr shank]

Originally posted by faldo
That query about how to play #10 at Nation got me thinking that there is no normal way to play the hole!! It's short with no way to go for the green & there's also no reasonable fairway landing area to try to lay up into.. Totally not fair.

- The safest way to play this hole is hit your 170 yard club to the right of the bunker, since it's almost impossible to see the fairway, aim for the 100 yd marker that is on the far side of the fairway. This will leave you a wedge in from a elevated lie and makes the hole pretty easy. Only other option is to hit a driver or 3 wood & try to bend it around the corner.

However they are building a new green on #10 that will be beyond the creek that is currently behind the green. That should add about 50 yards to the hole.


I would like to nominate #17 at Edgewood. It might be now #8 if they switched nines??
It's a 350 yard par-4 with the most miserable excuse for a green that you'll ever try to land on. It's 4 paces by 4 paces & slopes away from you. No way for a high shot to hold & no room to bounce one in...

couldn't agree more. That green is the size of a dime & dome-shaped. I think I have hit every club in my bag at that green & never once have been able to hold it.

[ShaneOttawa]

I agree that a "silly" hole can be fun...the key is that it be fair.

#17 at Chateau Cartier is only fun for someone who can hit the ball long and high enough to get it up the wall. Its become a routine 5I shot for me - its an exercise in frustration for my wife, however, who must hit to the bottom of the hill then hit two wedges to get to the top - hoping that her "approaches" stick to the wall and don't roll to the bottom. I understand that there were plans to shave the wall down by about 30 feet but it never happened.

#15 at Mt. Cascades USED to be silly...turning it into a par 3 was a great idea.

I disagree that #16 at Loch March is silly. Its a short enough par 3 that you don't have to be a scratch golfer to make the adjustments to put the ball on the right tier. I consider 16 and 7 at Loch March to be two of the best par 3's in the region.

Anyone ever play Lakeview in Mississauga? Its a municipal course now but hosted a Canadian Open or two back before Moe Norman was born. Its an outstanding track but has one of the silliest holes I've ever seen. The fairway takes 90* turn at about 200 yards and the green is on a ridge that runs parallel to this second part of the fairway. Half the ridge is filled with apple trees, the green is perched on the end. Behind the ridge is OB. It really has to be seen to be appreciated for its silliness - it really sticks out on what is otherwise a classic parkland course.

[ShaneOttawa]

Originally posted by faldo
That query about how to play #10 at Nation got me thinking that there is no normal way to play the hole!! It's short with no way to go for the green & there's also no reasonable fairway landing area to try to lay up into.. Totally not fair.

That's a very fair hole, in my opinion. A perfect shot over the bunker will be rewarded, but the risk is too great. As someone else said on the thread devoted to this hole, 10 is set up to suck people into making the wrong decision - cut off the corner by going over the bunker. The right decision is to aim right of the bunker to a landing area that is much larger (and closer to the green) than it appears while standing on the tee.

[Weazl]

17 at Cartier gets my vote as well, as does 17 at Bearbrook I think. Par 4, 7 iron 9 iron in. No way around laying up.

[LongHitta]

I dont know how many of you venture out to Tremblant. But at Le Belle course, hole #15 i think is this ridiculous par 3 with an extremely elevated teebox, the hole measures in the 250 range from the back tees, around 210 from middles(which isnt bad). 250 from the back???? you kidding me, do i look like tiger woods?? I do hit Long(as my name suggests) but its one thing to make the distance, its quite another to hit the green, especially since on the right rough and back rough it slopes down a hill. One time there was about 8 of us playing, all of us between 5 - 15 handicaps, and none of us hit the green off the tee, which in my mind isn't acceptable, but thats what makes the course interesting, and its not like we were mad, the fact that we're playing any tremblant course is enough to make us forget about any bad experiences we may have had.

[Colby]

I have to agree. The 15th at La Belle also crosses the 18th fairway, so people from both holes are usually wandering around in the trees to the left of 15th green. The card also say 250 from blue and white, 212 from the yellow tees, we never made the green either.

And this is after cramming in a little par 3 over a gully for #14.

[LBH]

I've heard many stories about #18 at Camelot, especially the slope of the green and the hill it is "perched" on. If you hit behind the pin, many people will putt back down the fairway to 50 yds. Some people try to stick it and it rolls back down to 50 yds over and over again.

Actually, 3 people from last year's club championship took an 18 on that hole. How fair is that?

[NoBack]

Just went to Tremblante for the first time, a couple weeks ago, played La Bete, La Belle and Le Diable. Great time for sure. Great elevation chages indeed. We were 7 and all capable of hitting long (9- 16 handicap) and no one got on one either.:crying

If I'm not mistaken, that hole is the one right after a short 135-145 par 3 that has a reveen in front and on a sever angle to the left with a side of a mountain on the right. Then no relief at back as it too is submerged in trees. Not to forget about the 30 ft long and 15 foot wide green you have to hit. Definately a two hole stretch that will grab you're attention.

[cruxradio]

#9 at Norway Bay!
I play Falcon Ridge quite often and #10 is silly because your first shot has to be perfect, #11 your shot must be perfect too, if you miss the center of the 20yard wide fairway your ball bounces sideways into the woods! #12 has too many trees in the middle of the fairway but its actually a nice hole (but silly right now)

[The Shtick]

I agree that the 250yd par 3 is "silly". The worst part about it is not the distance (huge drop) but the danger for the golfers below on other holes. When I was there with Steve, I pulled my shot to the left and onto another fairway. I yelled "FORE" but the problem is that the people below on the other hole had no idea where the ball was coming from!

#15 at Cascades used to be a "silly" hole. This one hole even slowed down the pace considerably during tournaments. One player lays up (in scramble) and 3 go for the green.

While on the Cascades thing, #12 is pretty "silly" as well. Rumor has it though that EVENTUALLY it may be changed into a reachable par 5 with the dogleg coming into play on the third shot (or second) after a huge drive over a ravine.

#17 at Cartier also gets my vote.

#4 (I think) at Nationview is also "silly". A little dog-leg right with a tree in the middle. The problem that I found with this one is that the map you see at the tee-off isn't very accurate. I saw part of a green from the tee so I layed up (160yds) just to the left (and past) the big tree in the middle. I lined up for my second shot and realized that I was going for the wrong green! Another one was tucked in way to the right. Needless to say, the tree was right in my way now. I'm sure that I could have faded in a 6 iron from the tee to reach this par 4 in one shot!

[Slicer]

I wouldn't call the three Falcon Ridge holes "silly". No doubt challenging, but not silly. What makes them tougher is that the front 9 plays so long but wide open and then these three await the start of the back. Played there several times and #10 has always given me a score i'd rather forget.

[LongHitta]

yeah, the 14th hole at la Belle is the short par 3 with the ravine in between. I actually think that hole is the best hole on the course, very intimidating, and everyone usually plays it fairly well. Its a shame the par 3 after is so "silly!". I forgot about the 18th fairway going underneath too, that kills me. One of my buddies hit it down there one time, and some old lady and her walker hit the ball, he told her it was his ball, and she started yelling at him in french , he had the most priceless look on his face!!

[LBH]

Speaking of Nationview, The Shtick mentioned #4 as silly (small 90 deg dogleg to the right) but what about #13 and #14...

#13 is a 90 deg dogleg left par 5 where you have to hit something like a 5-6 iron off the tee because the dogleg is at less than 200 yds! Then you're left with a 200+ yds 2nd shot to the green. And if you try to cut the corner, you can end up on the 12th hole which is considered OB of all things!!!

#14 is a 600+ yds par 5 with one huge tree in the middle of the fairway, a ditch, a water hazard on the left side and three sand traps that surrounds a mound where the green is. Oh yeah and I forgot that sand trap in the middle of the fairway. Now imagine that with a two club wind in your face. I once played this hole with a 3 club wind and went driver, driver and 3 iron to hit this green in regulation with all three good shots! Yikes!

#12 at Canadian (small par 4 with sharp dogleg) gets a vote from me.

[Colby]

This is one of the reasons I don't like playing at the Canadian. Just plain dumb in my opinion (which really doesn't count, hahaha)

[el tigre]

IMHO, a hole that forces you to play a club you don't normally use or don't like to use off the tee does not mean it is a "silly" hole.

I would put Nation #10 and Nationview #4, 13 and 14 in this category.

Nation #10 & Nationview #4 - True, the first time you play it you have no idea where to hit the ball. Afterwards, your tee off is an easy shot, and your second shot is a tough but makeable approach. I don't think that qualifies as "silly".

Nationview #13 - It's a par 5. OK, so you can't reach it in two and you tee off with a 5-iron instead of a driver. That makes it silly??

Nationview #14 - No doubt about it, it's a tough hole. Big tree and big bunker in the fairway, and 600+ yards. But it is reachable with 3 good shots. IMHO, that makes it difficult but not silly.

My vote for a silly hole is Falcon Ridge #12. One big tree in the fairway is a challenge, two trees make it a very tough hole - but three trees spaced out at intervals to block your approach is pretty much impossible. I have no idea where to try and place a tee shot to negotiate my way around them that does not involve pure luck (unless you count a 150-yd bump-and-run as a legitimate golf shot!). Cut one tree down and the hole becomes tough but possible.

[Colby]

I have to disagree with #10 at Nation el tigre. I've never played Nationview so I can't comment there, and don't know Falcon Ridge.

But #10 at Nation is a 150-170 club to the right of the trap and then a wedge to the green. There is no realistic reqrd for the risk of taking a longer shot or even trying for the green. At least on #1 at Nation, another 170-180 shot followed by a wedge to the green, at least you have a reward for taking the risk of going for the green over the trees on the right. The same for #11 at Nation. If you are long enough, take the chance of going for the green. #13 is also very similar to one, except the risk of going over the trees gets you to a close second shot rather than taking the fairway to the left and having a long approach shot.

#10 looks like it was squeezed in to make it fit. I'm not saying that every par 4 should be a bomb with a long iron/wood/driver, just give me an option that is worthwhile trying. #10 at Nation has no option. Long and over the bunker used to be swamp, now filled in, left is creek and trees. The bunker takes up the lower part of the fairway with almost no landing zone, and it you can bring the ball far enough right to left, the green is so protected on the left and rear with yellow staked creek, it's just not worth the miracle shot. So on your 10th hole you play a simple layup shot on a short par 4.

My $0.02.

[Curious George]

I agree with El Tigre. Those holes are not silly.

#10 at Nation makes you think, that's all. Nothing says a driver (or wood) off the tee is the first choice.

[Doooooh!]

Hey, even Freddy Couples (or Graham Cook) included a monster "silly" par-3 at Le Maitre... If I remember correctly, it's something like 230-240 from the tips, going uphill slightly, ouch.

When I saw the topic, I immediately thought of 16 at les Hautes Plaines, although the "old" tenth" wasn't too hot either, making you aim right at the houses...

[golfdoc]

What is wrong with #16 at Hautes Plaines (dome)

It rewards a long straight drive. Plain and simple. If you can hit it on top of the hill, you can probably reach the green in two.

If you can't get on top, you have a second shot from an uphill lie.

That's all. Either 2 or 3 shots to reach the green.

[Curious George]

I think people are replacing the word "silly" with "difficult" or "thought provoking".