I used to be scrolling via Instagram once I got here throughout one thing that grabbed my consideration.
The account known as Design Disasters, run by the fantastic people at The Fried Egg. In case you are an avid MGS reader, you’ve most likely seen me write about The Fried Egg’s excellent podcast and phenomenal YouTube channel (each had been included in our high golf podcasts and YouTube golf channel rankings).
Design Disasters is strictly what it seems like—we’re speaking about golf holes that make everybody cringe. The Fried Egg’s Joseph LaMagna hosts brief movies highlighting a few of the worst holes on the planet. Particular company Brendan Porath, Andy Johnson, Will Knights and Tron Carter (of No Laying Up) have joined to interrupt down what is occurring with a few of these epically disastrous designs.
After watching a number of movies within the collection, I’m utterly hooked. I’ve now been via all 40-plus posts which were put up since debuting in November. Apparently, I’m not alone, given how greater than 20,000 followers have rapidly signed as much as be up to date by the worst golf structure has to supply.
Why are these movies entertaining?
First, it’s simply comical how unhealthy a few of these holes are (and unusually a number of them are in Illinois? What are you guys doing there?). It often comes all the way down to lack of land or builders making an attempt to shoehorn a gap into an area that shouldn’t have a golf gap.
It’s additionally a enjoyable a part of golf’s shared struggling. When a gap is brutally unfair or unusual, it unites golfers in a method that little else can.
In that spirit, I reached out to the Design Disasters staff asking if I might spotlight a number of of the horrible holes they’ve featured. They agreed so listed below are 10 of my favourite disastrous designs on the channel.
Please comply with them! You’ll find it right here on Instagram and on YouTube.
Additionally, if you’re curious about appreciating good golf course structure, you may be taught extra about that right here or seek the advice of The Fried Egg web site which is teeming with wonderful movies, newsletters, podcasts and extra.
10. eleventh gap at Salt Creek Golf Hyperlinks (Warkworth, Ontario, Canada)
Do you want U-turn holes the place going backwards off the tee might be extra helpful than simply enjoying the opening usually?
If that’s the case, the par-5 eleventh at Salt Creek Golf Hyperlinks in Canada is simply what you might be hoping for.
The opening begins with a tee shot that asks for a 230-yard drive that’s hopefully into the opening the place you may be making a pointy flip along with your second shot.
The second shot is about 230 yards from the inexperienced which has random tree straight in entrance of it. Behind the inexperienced is a creek, only for good measure.
My actual query is whether or not you may punch a tee shot via the timber into one of many different fairways, leaving a shorter second shot. I’m guessing it’s not an choice however somebody please report again.
9. ninth gap at Hickory Hills Nation Membership (Hickory Hills, Illinois)
Should you’ve seen a Google Earth picture of this gap and weren’t unsure what you had been taking a look at, let me assist you to.
You’re looking at a center-line cart path.
The par-4 ninth at Hickory Hills Nation Membership in Illinois has a cart path that goes straight down the center of the green, resulting in a second shot that probably has to fly timber.
One other design catastrophe awaits you at this course because the parking zone is a number of yards straight behind the 18th inexperienced.
Don’t park there.
8. eighth gap at Blackmoor Golf Membership (Murell’s Inlet, South Carolina)
The par-4 eighth gap at Gary Participant-designed Blackmoor Golf Membership in South Carolina contains a risk-reward choice that’s no choice in any respect.
It’s a drivable gap that gives a “chute” for golfers to hit down straight in direction of the inexperienced. The bottom on this chute isn’t fairway grass—which is form of a bizarre state of affairs—however the distance from the tee to the inexperienced is similar yardage as what it might take to hit a correct layup to the left.
Amusingly, the ahead tees on this gap haven’t any choice to go down the chute as a result of the timber block these gamers out.
Woof.
7. 4th gap at Skyview Golf Membership (Sparta, New Jersey)
Whereas not showing too egregious at first look, the par-5 fourth at Skyview Golf Membership in New Jersey asks golfers to hit a weird sequence of photographs.
The opening (nicknamed “The Edge”) begins with a tee shot that should discover a 25-yard-wide fairway that slopes exhausting proper to left. Something not on the green is unhealthy information.
Should you hit the green, you might be then requested to hit a blind lay-up shot—however solely about 150 yards.
The explanation for under desirous to hit a brief second shot is as a result of the inexperienced is 70 toes beneath the green. It’s surrounded by rock outcroppings so going for it in two will not be actually an choice.
An AJGA occasion was held right here in 2011 and the typical rating was a double bogey.
There clearly shouldn’t be a golf gap right here. “The Edge” is nightmare gasoline for anybody who struggles with accuracy.
6. 2nd gap at Oakland Riverside Golf Course (Oakland, Iowa)
You’ve heard of OB bordering holes—however what about aerial OB?
You’ve questions. That’s honest.
The par-4 second gap at Oakland Riverside Golf Course in Iowa is a 90-degree dogleg proper that goes round property not owned by the course.
You could possibly go for the inexperienced—it’s solely about 160 yards or in order the crow flies—however you aren’t allowed to try this.
There may be an OB stake on the nook of the property. Something proper of that pole, because the ball flies, is taken into account mechanically OB even when the ball lands in bounds.
Think about the fights over whether or not a ball crossed the OB or not!
There are two choices for learn how to play the opening. The primary is to hit an 150-yard shot after which hit a wedge over timber to a inexperienced that has OB a number of paces from the correct edge. The opposite choice is to hit an extended membership across the nook after which hit again to the inexperienced.
Both method, I’m unsure what is occurring right here.
5. fifteenth gap at Mistwood Golf Membership (Romeoville, Illinois)
Mistwood Golf Membership’s again 9 involves a crescendo with Kelpie’s Nook, a number of brutally tough holes that wrap round a lake.
The par-3 14th requires an extended shot with water brief and left with OB proper. The par-4 sixteenth has golfers hit to an island of fairway surrounded by water and OB earlier than hitting over the water to a rigorously guarded inexperienced.
In between is the par-5 fifteenth, a hilariously slim gap that takes a tough left flip across the nook of the lake. The green is about 25 yards huge, guarded by water on the left and OB lengthy.
Should you take a extra conservative method off the tee, you might be left with a layup right into a 13-yard huge fairway that slopes exhausting proper to left. By the way in which, you continue to have water left and OB proper.
Should you squeeze driver into the green, you continue to need to hit a second shot into an space that’s about 50 yards huge between the water and OB.
The actual “charm” of this gap is that the tee shot is principally OB on each side as a result of hitting into the water would necessitate a re-tee. Golfers have been recognized to take massive numbers right here. You’ll be able to see why.
Should you add in any wind, this terribly designed gap will get much more comical.
4. third gap at Legacy Golf Course (Buford, Georgia)
Lake Lanier in Georgia is thought for being haunted.
This golf gap additionally has some ghosts.
The par-4 third is a superb instance of when builders simply don’t have sufficient area to place an precise gap.
Your choices are to hit a 220-yard shot right into a fairway the dimensions of a thimble or you may take a rip on the inexperienced about 250 yards away relying on which tee you might be enjoying.
The large difficulty is that there simply isn’t sufficient room. Something brief is within the water and something lengthy might simply catch the cart path en path to crusing into the timber. Both choice requires a shot that lands right into a 25-yard-wide space (at finest) with no bailout.
There are additionally a number of drunk boaters hanging round so be ready to hit a terrific shot.
3. 14th gap at Sheridan Park Golf Membership (Tonawanda, New York)
What occurs once you design a golf gap that goes round a upkeep advanced?
Issues get difficult.
The 14th gap at Sheridan Park Golf Membership simply exterior of Buffalo is a par-4 that asks golfers to hit throughout a creek right into a fairway and again throughout the creek once more to the inexperienced (just some yards past and to the correct of the inexperienced is a residential street). That form to the opening is necessitated by a big upkeep advanced.
With the creek being a hazard and the upkeep facility being out of bounds, that led to a number of confusion. Gamers had been hitting drives that will or could not have discovered the water or the OB. It was tough to inform.
After a few years of looking for an answer, the course determined to make every thing (together with the water) between the 2 bridges OB so the water is barely a traditional hazard earlier than the primary bridge and after the second bridge. As you may think about, a number of golfers go method left in response.
Right here is the place it will get fascinating: Higher golfers can carry the upkeep facility with their tee shot. It’s a couple of 265-yard carry to go over the advanced and attain the opposite aspect.
Notably, the roof to the upkeep shed close to the green is flat—so even a barely shorter drive will nonetheless bounce ahead.
Should you can pull it off, you solely have a flip wedge into the inexperienced.
Now that’s golf course structure.
2. ninth gap at Ramsey Golf and Nation Membership (Ramsey, New Jersey)
The par-4 ninth gap at Ramsey Golf and Nation Membership has a commuter rail, energy traces and a visitors cop.
Critically.
The 423-yard gap requires an ideal tee shot across the nook to a 35-yard-wide hall between a commuter rail on the correct and energy traces on the left. Miss in both path and it’s OB.
Should you hit the green? You’re left with a long-iron method to a small inexperienced … and it’s important to be careful for folks enjoying one other gap that shares the identical fairway with the ninth gap.
As a consequence of this design catastrophe, the membership employs a “traffic cop” in a hardhat to sign when gamers ought to hit.
How did this occur?
1. 18th gap at Rolling Hills Golf Course (Godfrey, Illinois)
I selected this as my favourite disastrous design for one cause.
Inner out of bounds.
In your personal fairway.
You learn that appropriately.
The 18th gap at Rollings Hills in Godfrey, Sick., is a chicken-wing 250-yard par-4 that was clearly jammed into the property resulting from a scarcity of area. The opening requires that you just hit a shot 200 or so yards into the green after which make a pointy dogleg to the left the place you hit via a slim neck to the inexperienced. Every part left off the tee is guarded by tall timber.
That’s the boring half. There are OB stakes within the fairway that forestall gamers from reducing the nook (I’m assuming the reason being so gamers close to the inexperienced can’t get bombarded with tee photographs).
So in the event you hit a sweeping draw that finally ends up 40 yards wanting the inexperienced, completely within the fairway, you might be re-teeing.
Should you had been to, say, high one off the tee, the interior OB within the fairway goes away. It’s just for the tee shot. Provocative!
On high of that, the tee shot is made tougher by a cart path and timber awaiting golfers who go too far off the tee. However in the event you go too brief, you will be blocked out by timber.
This can be a true nightmare. I like it.
What are your design disasters? I’m certain there are some egregious ones on the market. Let me know beneath within the feedback!
The put up Design Disasters: 10 Of The Worst Holes In Golf appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
