Conference 7.286::golf

    
    This weekend I played a course in Maryland, called Chesapeake Country
    Club. The 18th hole is 660 yrds long. The rest of the course is
    average length (6800 yrd course). Very challenging hole.
    
    There is also a hole on a course called Hogs Neck, in Easton Maryland
    that has been listed in Golf Digests top 100 public courses. This
    course is measured in meters, there is one par five there that is
    about 620 yrds.
    
    I do not recall any hole shorter than you mention on a regulation
    ,not par three, course.
    
    			Fred Deady

    I think Stockbridge Golf Club's 5th hole is 95 yards from the men's
    tees (that's in Stockbridge Ma). It is real short and the entir
    hole is carry over the Housatonic River.
    
    Pleasant Valley has a par 5 that is around 610 or so. It's fairly
    easy thoug, drive, 4-wood and then anywhere from 8-9-W to the green.
    
    Mike

    Sunday's Globe had a list of the longest 3,4,5,6, and 7 par holes
    in the world.  The par 7 was over a 1000 yds long.  It was in
    Australia.
    
    tim

    	I think Brentwood in Keene, NH has a par 5 that's over 600 yds
    long. There is a course in Haverhill, Mass that has a par 3 that
    is 85 yds from the BACK tees. Crystals Springs is the course. Not
    a real good course, but it still gets me enough bogeys. 

	re.3
        	Golf Digest had the holes you mentioned. The longest
    par 3 in the world is somewhere in Mass. A 270 yd par 3. Ugh

    The 270 yd par 3 is at a course in Bolton. The name eludes me at
    the moment. At the course I used to work at (Wyantenuck) we had
    a 245 yard par 3 but your tee shot was blind! You could not see
    the green. There was a pole in the middle of the fairway where it
    dipped down to guide you but no vision of the green. Also, the green
    sloped away from the tee. Tough hole...
    
    Mike

    RE:  270 yd par 3 is at a course in Bolton.
    
    That would be "The International".
    
    Chuck

    Sunningdale in Dover N.H.
     
    I think it's number 7, but it's a par 3 down hill through the trees, 
    about 200 feet down hill and out about 200 yards long. Guarded
    by a pond in front, and if I remember correctly ther's a
    bunker there also. The type of hole not easily forgotten
    when thinking of disasters.
                                                          
    Dave

   The latest copy of the Golf Monthly (Scotland) magazine contained 
the following information on the longest holes around the world:

   Par 3 - 270 yards, 16th, The International, Bolton, Massachussetts

   Par 4 - 500 yards,  6th, Eisenhower Club, California

   Par 5 - 710 yards, 17th, Palmira Club, Indiana

   Par 6 - 747 yards, 17th, Black Mountain, North Carolina

   Par 7 - 948 yards,  6th, Koolan Island, Western Australia

   I'll never complain again about the length of the holes at Troon.

Mike

    Speaking of long par 3's:
    
    Try No. 17 at Juniper Hill (Northboro) sometime.  With the tees
    back, it's only 220 yd . . . all water.
    
    Better hit it on the screw.
    

    re: .10 - every time I've played that hole there was a stiff wind
    into my face.  Took alot of club to get there....
    
    Peter

In Mazatlan, Mexico at the El Cid Hotel they've got a pretty nice (but 
very tight) 18-hole course. Anyway, there is a 640 yard, par 5 hole. If 
that isn't bad enough you have to hit your drive off the tee about 200 
yds. in the air to clear some water. Then once you've done that, there's
a huge tree right in the middle of the fairway (about 350 yards from the
tee) that just about covers the entire fairway. I considered myself very 
lucky one day when I par'd the hole (don't ask about how I did on it the
other two times I played it).

    How about monster courses?  I just played Spyglass Hill out here
    in Pebble Beach, California.  I will never play it again!  For a
    golfer of my skills (I shoot 80-85 on a "normal" course) the place
    is just too difficult.  Example: 10th hole, 430 yards, dogleg left.
    Two trees in the MIDDLE of the fairway!  And the greens - tiny,
    elevated, hard as rocks, fast as hell, and impossible to read. 
    Trees, wasteland, sand, rough, canyons, and the hated iceplant
    everywhere.  It's too tough for me.
    

     Re: .-1

>    How about monster courses?  I just played Spyglass Hill out here
>    in Pebble Beach, California.  I will never play it again!  For a
>    golfer of my skills (I shoot 80-85 on a "normal" course) the place
>    is just too difficult.  Example: 10th hole, 430 yards, dogleg left.
>    Two trees in the MIDDLE of the fairway!  And the greens - tiny,
>    elevated, hard as rocks, fast as hell, and impossible to read. 
>    Trees, wasteland, sand, rough, canyons, and the hated iceplant
>    everywhere.  It's too tough for me.

     I would like to respectfully disagree.  It is a significantly tougher
     course than the average golfer is used to.  I do believe that the
     course rating is 75.?  which means that it should play any where
     from 3-6 strokes harder.   The greens are small, however I don't 
     remember trying to hit too many long irons and fairway woods into
     them.  The greens are very fast but the putt true.  I like fast greens
     because I die putts at the hole instead of charging them.  A charging
     putting style will spend a lot of strokes fast at Spyglass.

     I agree that iceplant is very difficult to play out of.  (A good shot
     is a full swing with a sand wedge that advances the ball 20 yards.)
     You are better off taking relief under the unplayable ball rule and
     hitting from a spot where you aren't in the ice plant.

     I did have the same problem with the two trees in the middle of the
     fairway on #10.  (I hit one with my approach shot.)

     Having to play there the rest of your life isn't heaven.  However
     I found it a long ways rom being hell.  If you want to talk about
     a course that is hell, how about Poppy Hills just up the road from
     Spyglass?  It's a 7000+ yards Robert Trent Jones course with very
     fast severely sloped greens!  Many courses have "caddy" books that
     show you the course, yardages, etc.  This was the first course that
     I saw with a caddy book for the contours in the greens!  

     Larry

    Larry, I hope that you still read this notes file! I saw
    your note about Poppy Hills and thought I would reply to
    it. That is absolutley the toughest course I have ever
    played. I have played there several times now and still
    have not broken 100 ;^{ ! It is the only course I have 
    played at were you get penalized for making good shots
    as well as bad, only great efforts seem to be rewarded!!!
    It appears that the greens were used for some kind of
    burial grounds for some strange creatures due to the
    enormous bumps and dips that you must negotiate on most
    putts. There are so many blind hazards that it became
    a matter of survival just to keep a ball in play. The
    only hole I play well is 9. All it takes is a monster
    drive, a mammoth 5-wood to the green, and 3 putts for
    a par. Isn't that how it is done there?
    THE MAD HACKER

RE: -.1

>    Larry, I hope that you still read this notes file! I saw
>    your note about Poppy Hills and thought I would reply to
>    it. That is absolutley the toughest course I have ever
>    played. I have played there several times now and still
>    have not broken 100 ;^{ ! 

   I still follow this notes file, unfortunately I've been very busy so I'm
   doing more reading than writing.  I don't remember what I shot, but if it
   was near 100 I would have been thrilled (I play to about a 15 handicap).

>    It is the only course I have 
>    played at were you get penalized for making good shots
>    as well as bad, only great efforts seem to be rewarded!!!
>    It appears that the greens were used for some kind of
>    burial grounds for some strange creatures due to the
>    enormous bumps and dips that you must negotiate on most
>    putts. 

     Your observations agree pretty much with mine.  It was a endurance trial
     and not very fun.  The previous days I had played Spy Glasss, Pebble Beach,
     & Spanish Bay which are all tough tracks, but if you play less than
     sterling you can still enjoy the round.  (However your score will soar!)

>    There are so many blind hazards that it became
>    a matter of survival just to keep a ball in play. The
>    only hole I play well is 9. All it takes is a monster
>    drive, a mammoth 5-wood to the green, and 3 putts for
>    a par. Isn't that how it is done there?

     I think I made par on 18 just off in 3 chip on to 30 feet and sunk an
     up hill/side hill putt that only broke 3 different ways across the backs
     of buried elephants & camels on the way to the hole.

     I'm glad you enjoyed the course. ;-)  Actually when I'm next back in
     Monterey I'll play it again.  (Of course I'll played the big 3 first.)

	Larry

    DUMFRIES&COUNTY HAS A 90YD PAR 3 13TH SURROUNDED BY SIX BUNKERS

     There's another long par 3 in Mass. that I think is worth mentioning -
    number 3 at Myopia Hunt Club - 253 yards, uphill, with a cross bunker
    30 yards in front of the green. I actually like the hole - it is
    beautifully situated. Number 6 at Myopia is a 260 yard par 4 with a
    severe back to front pitch, brook short of the green and pond right
    that is one of the best short 4's I've ever seen. Number 9 is a 136
    yard par 3 surrounded by deep pot bunkers that I think is the best
    short par three I've ever played. Think I like the front 9 at Myopia ?
    I could do a Myopia "Note" - the place gets better every time I see
    it...
    
    __JV
     

   Wow Jack.  Your note on Myopia has brought back a flood of memories.  I
  caddied there for a couple of years in my youth.  Great course! Got to
  play once a week.  Now if only I could get those 30+ rounds back and 
  spread them out to 1 round a year for the rest of my life.....  

-rick

    RE: .13 on Spyglass
    
    I've played that course 3 times and have enjoyed the challenge each
    and every time. Sure it's very difficult, one of the most difficult I
    have ever played but great golf holes. Playing from the tips it
    requires all the clubs in the bag. I did find the greens very fast but
    as other notes point out - true. The greens did however hold all shots
    whether it was a wedge, a long iron , or one of those rare woods shots
    to the green that went where it was suppose to !
    
    The up hill shots are difficult, especially # 8 - but coming off eagle
    at # 7 that was ok.  I shot 88 which is 5 - 8 shots higher than normal
    but was very satisfied with the round. If I could only putt !!! 
    
    Tom