Writing down “6” on a scorecard is almost always painful. How much it hurts, of course, is circumstantial. On a par five, especially a difficult one where provisional shots or penalty drops are involved, the pain is tolerable. It could’ve been much worse, you’re likely to think. And you’d be right.
Sixes and par fours never get along. It’s hard not to feel like a good round has been sabotaged when you card a double bogey.
A six on a par three? Well, I don’t need to tell you how that feels. We’ve all done it at one time or another, and if support groups don’t exist to help with the therapy, they should.
Every once and a while, however, a scenario presents itself where a six on the scorecard doesn’t hurt. It will even feel like an accomplishment. In these instances, a six is an accomplishment given that it represents par. Yes, out there living in solitude like endangered animals are the occasional par-six holes, and here, we spotlight—you guessed it—six of them.
18th Hole, Golf de Seignosse—Seignosse, France
While playing a handful of golf clubs in the greater Bordeaux region back in 2017, I encountered an engaging Robert Von Hagge design at Golf de Seignosse—a layout that dates back to 1989 and one that saves its best punch for last. The yardage book describes the 18th as “the hole from hell,” snaking its way uphill to a “wicked” green. Measuring 666 meters (the equivalent of 728 yards) from the tips, this par-six has all the makings of a hellish conclusion, but it’s not insurmountable. One of my better drives of the day set me up with a good angle for a fairway-wood second; yet, even after two good swings, I still needed all I had with a 7-iron to reach the putting surface. “You’ll need humility and strategy for a good score,” the yardage guide advises. More so than that, you’ll need to remind yourself that you’ve got six strokes to make par.
9th Hole, The Links Golf Club—Post Falls, Idaho
You know you’re in for a stout test at The Links Golf Club in northwestern Idaho when you glance at the scorecard and see that it plays almost 8,300 yards from the tips and more than 7,100 yards from the Blue tees. As you might expect, the course’s par-six 9th hole accounts for a lot of that—it’s described as a “monster par six” from the back tees (playing almost 850 yards) but it’s not any less gargantuan when played from the blues, where it still stretches 725 yards. The club describes its course as one that offers wide-open fairways and a “good number” of strategically placed bunkers. Fortunately, most of those bunkers are found elsewhere, which gives players of average ability a modicum of hope of getting down this largely straight-away hole without incident.
8th Hole, West Midlands Golf Club—Solihull, England
At the West Midlands, set about 10 miles southeast of Birmingham in central England, golfers have seven holes to work out any kinks in their game. Once they reach the 8th, they’ll need their swings grooved if they hope to post a respectable score. “Welcome to ‘The Devil,’ the UK’s longest golf hole,” the sign by the tee boxes reads. Predictably, this devil measures 666 yards from the member’s tees, but it stretches beyond 700 yards from the tips. On your walk or buggy ride from the tee, it might take you a while to reach the front edge of the fairway. When you do, you’ll still be left with 580 yards to the green, though with any luck, your ball will be considerably farther up the fairway. A smattering of bunkers guard stretches of the fairway and portions of the green, while two small water hazards along the right serve as additional obstacles, though they’ll only swallow balls that are hit notably offline. There is no yardage guide at West Midlands, but if one were to exist, I can imagine it instructing you to “hit it hard, then hit it hard a second, third, and—maybe—fourth time.”
3rd Hole, Meadows Farms Golf Course (Longest)—Locust Grove, Va.
Meadows Farms comprises three distinct 9-hole courses, but unlike some of the par-six holes spotlighted in this story, the third hole on the “Longest” course at Meadows Farms doesn’t hang its hat on distance alone. That should serve as a cautionary tale, given that the hole holds a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest hole in the United States. From the Championship tees, this whopper measures 841 yards, which, if you’re doing the math at home, equates to just under half a mile. The dogleg-right hinges almost 90 degrees, but a water hazard guards the inner elbow of the turn and, oh yeah, from the back tees that elbow is more than 400 yards away. The second half of the fairway widens considerably, which feels like a gift, but only until golfers realize they need to carry another prominent water hazard to reach the green. If ever there was a hole where a six feels like a victory, this would be it.
12th Hole, Lakewood Golf Course—Madison, Maine
If the aforementioned hole at Meadow Farms is Dr. Evil, the 12th hole at Lakewood in Southcentral Maine is Mini Me. The hole shares many of the same characteristics, namely the extreme angle of the dogleg right at about the halfway point, as well as two water hazards—although both here impact shots around the middle portion of the hole. That said, the course only plays 6,200 yards from the tips, which means many of the other holes along the way will feel friendly (at least in terms of distance) when compared to the more than 600 yards at the 12th.
17th Hole, Black Mountain Golf Course—Black Mountain, N.C.
A split fairway; a late, subtle dogleg to the right; and dense woodlands lining much of the right side of the hole—that’s what players have to contend with when they step on the tee of this 747-yard par six. Strategic shot placement is necessary from tee to green, where staying left off the tee and with your second shot is the only way to ensure you stay in play and have a comfortable stance and lie (much of the fairway pitches hard from right to left). Although the yardage book acknowledges that big hitters might be able to reach the green in three, there’s enough trouble with the late dogleg to call that a low-percentage play. Getting on in four and two-putting for par really is a victory, and the yardage book agrees: “It may sound strange but 6 is a great score. A birdie 5 is something to really celebrate!”
Have you ever played a par-six hole? Tell us about your experience in the comment section.
Green Tree, Egg Harbor Twp. NJ