With the sun shining and temperatures in the 60s, who isn’t feeling golf season right about now?!
Between the weather turn, and the PGA season in full swing with a stop at TPC Sawgrass for The Players Championship, I’m ready to hit the course.
I had a chance to play TPC Sawgrass last year, which means playing the iconic 17th hole with the island green. Sure, it’s an intimidating shot, but you’re supposed to feel that way. The identity of the hole is one to strike fear into the ball striker. The only fear I had of it though, was fear of disappointment. I didn’t really care about bogey or birdie or anything like that. I knew it’d be YEARS if I ever got another crack at it, if ever at all. So the hole isn’t scary so much as it’s fun… and fleeting.
The only fear I had of it, though, was fear of disappointment. I didn’t really care about bogey or birdie or anything like that. I knew it’d be years if I ever got another crack at it, if ever at all. So the hole isn’t scary so much as it’s fun... and fleeting.
Now, for holes that I do get a chance to play often. Well, that’s what brings me to you here.
I thought I’d put together a list of the holes that crush my soul just about every time. Have I ever bested them? Perhaps a time or two, but these are the 18 holes, and yes, specific to the number on each respective course, that somehow find a way to intimidate me, or ruin my round almost every time.
No, this is not not a ranking. If I forgot to include some dandies, then there would likely be one of two reasons:
1.) I play a tough hole well! (This might not be the most likely explanation but it is possible)
2.) I haven’t played your favorite course enough.
Lancaster, Buffalo Tournament Club, Niagara Falls Country Club, Rochester area courses, or some of the private courses; if I haven’t played it, that’s your fault, faithful reader. Gimme the invite already!
Ok, so here’s the rundown:
This collection of 18 holes that would have me ready give up the game. You know the feeling you have about once every round or two... that feeling. These "Evil 18" give me that all the time.
To the course!
Hole 1 - Diamond Hawk Golf Course
As far as opening holes go, Diamond Hawk’s first hole is flat out rude. I don’t know what kind of sick psycho asks you to play a bottle-necking par-4 right out of the gate.
Diamond Hawk, as a course, tends to be short and tight, and the first hole is long and tight. At 447 yards from the tips, you have to worry about your first shot finding both bunkers, or drifting too far to the left and taking away your view of the green.
Oh, you hit a good first shot? Great. Now your second shot in has some distance to it, and inevitably plays longer than you think.
Hole 2 - River Oaks Golf Club
The second hole is a doozy at River Oaks. A long par-4 down a hallway of trees, and an undulating fairway with bunkers will leave you wondering if that perfect shot that you hit found sand, and if you left it to the left at all, well, it’s going to funnel down into the tree-lined ravine.
You stand on the tee thinking, is this the narrowest hole in the history of golf?
Hole 3 - Sheridan Park Golf Course
No. 3 at Sheridan starts the three-hole slog that is in to the wind every time. You have three long holes in a row. It doesn’t matter if there is wind that day. You could have the calmest day of your golfing life, and those three holes at Sheridan have some sort of high-low pressure alignment so that you have to play all 1,200 yards of them up to about 2,400 yards.
There’s room to miss out there, but if you’re pushing the ball left and right in this stretch, keep the long sticks in your hands, because it’ll take forever to get home.
Hole 4 - Brierwood Country Club
It’s not hard, but the fifth hole is already in my head. Ok, excuse me for cheating here, because I wanted to have two No. 5s, so one of them is so bad that it gets in your head.
No. 4 at Brierwood is a relatively straightforward par-4. It’s straight and wide enough that they’ll often have the longest drive competition on No. 4, but if you’ve played the course before, you’re thinking about No. 5, which is going to club you in the face next.
Number 5 at Brierwood goes along the neighboring neighborhood (great writing there) and there’s a real fear that you could hurt someone if you pull left. So you decide to play it out a little more to the right, inevitably doubling the hole’s length. Oh you played it directly on the line that you should? That’s great, just hope you carried the bunker because that’s a black hole hoovering up really nice tee shots if they miss by a foot. The fifth at Brierwood is so nasty that #4 feels the effect like light failing to escape a black hole.
Oh, you played it directly on the line that you should? That’s great! Just hope you carried the bunker, because that’s a black hole hoovering up really nice tee shots if they miss by a foot.
The fifth at Brierwood is so nasty that No. 4 feels the effect like light failing to escape a black hole.
Hole 5 - Glen Oak Golf Club
Four holes in, your game is on life support, and I’m hitting you with No. 5 at Glen Oak.
This hole cannot be beaten. Smash away with driver, and you’re still probably looking at a three-shot par-5. Play it smart down the middle and you’ll bring water into play on the left.
Your second shot will have you fearing that you either find that water, or lose it to the water on the right, or leave a little too much meat on the bone for your approach.
It’s a jerk of a hole. It’s killed my round. If I said I’m happy getting out of it with a bogey, I’d be lying. I’ve stepped to the tee thinking that I can’t not get a seven, and planning where I’m going to be getting those strokes back elsewhere. It’s a beast.
Hole 6 - Links at Ivy Ridge
Ah yes, the hallway of trees that is Ivy Ridge No. 6.
Do you push tee shots right, or left? Doesn’t matter, because you’ll go straight to jail on either side!
Manage to push it down the center? Well great news, where the trees clear is water, on both sides again!
A long par-5 that takes three shots for, well lots of humans, and requires precision. Aren’t par-5s supposed to be where we make up strokes? Ivy Ridge No. 6 didn’t get the message.
Hole 7 - Links at Ivy Ridge
Phew, made it out alive of Ivy Ridge No. 6 to step into Ivy Ridge No. 7. A sharp dog leg right, that needs a pretty big tee shot, with not a lot of room to miss.
- Miss left, you're in the trees, and bunker.
- Miss too deep, you're in the trees.
- Miss too short or to the right, you're laying up and approaching the green on your third shot, if you can’t clear the trees.
If you make it through Holes 6 and 7 at Ivy Ridge doing well, you’re looking good, because there are opportunities to score elsewhere on the front. I never score with these two.
Hole 8 - Tri-County Country Club
Out to Forestville for the eighth hole, a par-4 down a mountainside. You’re hitting from the road, through an alleyway, to a creek below.
I’ve seen people carry the creek. It’s precisely the distance where I usually think about laying up. Problem with laying up is if you don’t get a full roll out of that iron, then you’re hitting to the green on a serious downslope. Nice safe tee shot, hotshot... your skulled wedge off the downslope is your reward.
Tight green surrounded by trees in the back. If you get to the bottom of the gully, your approach is mostly blind. The hole is a mind crunch.
Hole 9 - Harvest Hill Golf Course
The longest hole ever created. Up the hill. Into the wind.
The good news is you have some room to just pull out the driver and go. The bad news is that a ball speed of 600 mph will find wind here and you’re going to be hitting a long iron up a hill, and around a tree that’s protecting the green.
My scores here aren’t too bad, generally, but it leaves me feeling like I just ran a 5k.
Hole 10 - Arrowhead Golf Club
MOAR PAR-5s.
Arrowhead is up next with, what can be, a two-shot par-5, but you just can’t really see what you’re shooting at. If you play it enough, you’ve probably got the hang of it, but a second safe shot here, at least, gives you a look at the green.
For me, the routine here is to be in play with an approach to hit the green. The trouble for me here is it’s an awesome hole that I always feel like I’m playing well, but only come away disappointed.
Hole 11 - Holiday Valley
"The E’Ville corner", as a listener tweeted to me. I’d say it’s like that "L" Tetris piece.
This hole can mess you up. Can you play it safe? Should you even bother? Just blast down that hallway, take a stroke, and play it over the ravine to the green.
Of the holes to this point, it’s another where I don’t have total blowups, but standing on the tee makes me pull out a ball that I don’t want to use. Let’s sacrifice one to the golf gods, and call it a day.
Hole 12 - Tri-County Country Club
It might be the hardest green in Western New York.
No. 12 at Tri-County asks for a long tee shot, and then a long second shot over a grassy ravine to the dance floor. Holding your approach on that green is tough enough, as anything short might come back off the front.
As is generally the case at TCC, the green is lightning fast. Most holes there can turn any putt into a three-putt, and No. 12, right there with No. 11 at TCC, is top of the list.
Hole 13 - Delaware Park Golf Course
Old 13, and I think 12 now... the numbers are weird these days.
I know the numbers at Delaware, aka the Links at Scajaquada Meadows, have changed recently, so I’m talking about the second of the back-to-back par-3s.
On the first one, you have to go over a giant tree and cut around. On this one, you have to go under the trees, or shape your shot in perfectly. They should trim the tree. It’s as easy as that.
Hey Olmsted, help us out. Thanks.
Hole 14 - Brierwood Country Club
Big tee shot required to set up your carry over the creek on your second shot. You can lose it right to the water, or too far left behind trees, thereby blocking off any sort of aggressive play with your second shot.
I’ve never played with anyone that’s come close to sniffing the green in two shots.
Hole 15 - Glen Oak Golf Club
No one has ever reached the green in regulation on this par-3. It hasn’t happened.
It’s long, and plays longer. Maybe you made it once because you rolled up the front left side. Maybe.
Hole 16 - Sheridan Park Golf Course
No one had ever used the term “plays longer” until playing this hole. It’s so short and easy. There’s no reasonable excuse to come up short on the roadside par-3 16th at Sheridan, and yet… always.
I’ll play it in a few weeks, I will think of writing this sentence, and I will still leave it short.
Hole 17 - Holiday Valley
Ever climb Everest while also playing golf? On Hole 17 at Holiday Valley, you can!
You’ll crush the most stunningly beautiful tee shot of your life, mark off 20 paces, and be at your ball. It’s straight up a hill, and there are bunkers to catch you and make it worse.
Hole 18 - River Oaks Golf Club
I once bagged an eight to finish a round at River Oaks. A quadruple bogey to card a 92. I’m still mad about it.
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There it is! My nightmare fuel 18. I don’t hate these holes, I just know that they hate me.
Maybe next week I’ll toss together the 18 holes that make me think I could make the PGA tour. "The Easy 18."
But can I find 18?