Tpc river highlands for the 15th maybe
Greatest holes 1 thru 18
PA-PLAYA - I know where you are coming from in your opinion. I've walked Augusta National during The Masters and without a doubt deserves its lofty acclaim. I've played courses that also are ranked as among the best in the world and my two favorites where the designer blended the course into the natural lay of the land are Pebble Beach and Sandhills. I have also played TPC Sawgrass and marveled at the resulting track because Pete Dye created a masterpiece out of a huge swamp. Construction was hampered by near daily encounters with critters, gators, and poisonous snakes in addition to navigating equipment in and out of the muck. Dye had doubts about being able to finish the project once construction started and #17 as we know it today wasn't in his original plans. During the playing of The Players, if you watch the action on the tube, there's a couple camera angles that have either the 17th tee box from the 16th or from behind the 17th with the 16th fairway in the background. I occasionally catch the guys walking along the 16th peeking ahead at what lies ahead.
So while I agree with you and the majesty of the 12th at Augusta National, I can also justify my pick. There's an old saying that replicating someone else's work is the best form of flattery. I know I've played at least 5 other courses that have their own form of the 'island green' and all were built after the completion of TPC Sawgrass.
The 17th at Sawgrass is indeed an iconic hole... Dye has been ordained as one of the modern-day great architects for the very reasons you mentioned - that he can take an unworkable piece of property and make something memorable out of it.
I've played several of his layouts and can easily conclude that he created something that very few other modern-day architects could replicate.
Two of the more prominent layouts of his that I've enjoyed over the years is the Dye course at Barefoot landing in Myrtle, and the Dye course at PGA National in Port St. Lucie, both of which are open to the public with daily tee times. Not to mention the Ocean Course @ Kiawah Island in SC, where the '91 Ryder Cup was hosted. It joins TPC Sawgrass as two of his more renowned Dye layouts that I have not had the pleasure to experience yet.
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#3 Oakmont par 4 with the church pew bunkers
#8 Pebble Beach par 4 along the ocean
#16 Shinnecock Hills par 5
Looks like we need three 4's and a 5 to finish this out. A par 5, fifth hole and the others should be par 4's. Unless we make a really good case for a par 71 or 73 layout. If we keep with the averages we're looking at now, we're on pace for a 6,921 yard layout for a par 72. Anyone know of a really long par 5, 2nd (or 5th) hole anywhere?
#9 at Harbor town is a great par 4!
Ok... Par 4, 5th hole? I could use Augusta National, but we've already got 4 holes from there. Anyone?
puttnfool - I hereby nominate the 520 yard par 4 #5 @ East Lake. East Lake is home to THE TOUR Championship and this hole had a scoring average of 4.267. The course architect is the famed Rees Jones so I won't get any crap for nominating Pete Dye again.
Well, there you have it. Par 72, 7,022 yards with 2 (I think) driveable par 4's and only one par 3 over 200 yards. It's got some length (obviously), but other than needing to play a few of those par 4's as 3 shot holes, it seems fairly playable.
Who wants to email the Tour 18 corporate office and tell them that Golfbuzz.com did a survey and came up with their next layout?
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This would be great add to the list but not tour stop
Pine Valley 18
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Provisional that looks much like Pine Valley #17. There was a replica of 17 on the Tour 18 course I played in Dallas and it was pretty tough. I think I ended up in the front bunker after a 4i to the left rough. Hit a decent bunker shot out, but missed the putt. Routine bogey.
Well, if we were allowed to add holes that are on courses that were not tour stops, the 16th at Cypress Point would have topped the list. Probably the most beautiful and challenging par 3 in the world.