A few years back, British golf influencer, Peter Finch, was nearing the end of a round on his “nemesis” layout, the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, host of the DP World Tour Championship. As Finch—a scratch golfer—approached the 18th, his cameraman announced that a birdie on the hole would give the YouTube star a final score in the 60s. “Fortunately,” the vlogger said sarcastically, “it’s come on a 606-yard par five, into wind, with a creek winding through the middle.”
For the first half of the hole, that creek meanders its way down the right side; and while golfers can more easily avoid the water with their tee shots, they’re forced to deal with it on their next shot—whether they choose to lay up or go for the green—as the waterway effectively splits the fairway in two.
In honor of that demanding finishing hole, we’ve highlighted eight holes at courses in this country with centerline hazards—holes proving that every once in a while you don’t want to be right down the middle.
Karoo at Cabot Citrus Farms, 1st hole—Brooksville, Fla.
Right out of the gate, Karoo forces you to have to make a choice. With a line of bunkers running straight down the wide first fairway, there’s plenty of space to land a drive on either side of those traps, but the bunkers are also wide enough to easily swallow a tee shot that doesn’t stray far enough from the middle. While it’s true that short grass is short grass, especially on the opening hole of a round, the green complex on this hole is massive—it’s shared with the par-five 6th—which means notable advantages can be had going left or right. It all depends on where the hole is cut.
Greywalls at Marquette Golf Club, 7th hole—Marquette, Mich.
As the saying goes, “fortune favors the bold.” The same can be said for those who take on the challenge of driving over the cliff that bisects the 7th fairway at Greywalls. The conservative approach on this hole requires players to lay up short of the drop-off, but that leaves more than 200 yards into a narrow green with a steep runoff that funnels inaccurate shots into a collection area left of the putting surface. Those who successfully drive the cliff will be left with no more than a mid-iron into that green. Those who try but miss their line will, at best, find themselves with an awkward, sidehill lie. On the plus side, the previous six holes will likely have those players conditioned to such challenging stances.
National Golf Links of America, 8th hole—Tuckahoe, N.Y.
Branded with the moniker “Bottle,” the 8th hole at National Golf Links is both enigmatic and transparent. The hole’s name reflects the bottleneck effect that characterizes both sides of the fairway—sides that, incidentally, are split by what some have aptly described as a “necklace of penal bunkers” that run down the center. That’s the obvious part. What’s more in doubt is which British hole provided C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor with the design inspiration to create it. Some have pointed to the 12th hole at Sunningdale, which features a string of Harry Colt-designed bunkers that cross and bisect the fairway from the left up near the green. Others have said that National Golf Links of America’s 8th hole was patterned after a now-defunct hole at Leven Links Golf Course in Scotland. What is clear is the objective from the tee: Pick a side…and hope your drive doesn’t venture too close to the center.
Shepherd’s Rock at Nemacolin Resort, 4th hole—Farmington, Pa.
The second par five on the second Dye family-designed layout at Nemacolin Resort could offer players a chance to reach the putting surface in two. Doing so, however, will first require golfers to not only miss the sprawling (and deep) bunker that consumes the center of the fairway, but also to challenge the right side of the hole. Because the corridor is cantered notably from right to left, golfers who can position their drives right of the bunker will avoid a blind shot for their second. If they’re longer hitters, those golfers might have a chance to flirt with the green—should they hit a good approach. But that higher segment of the fairway on the right presents a narrow landing area, especially since tee shots that land too close to the bunker will likely get a bad bounce that kicks them closer to the sand—or the lush native grasses that line its perimeter. On this hole there’s no mystery as to what hazard you need to avoid—it just happens to be staring you down from the center of the landing area.
Creek Club at Reynolds Lake Oconee, 5th & 12th holes—Greensboro, Ga.
The 5th hole at the Creek Club—one of two members-only courses at Reynolds Lake Oconee—is golfing proof that some things are inevitable. In this case, the unavoidable action is a shot that must be hit over a creek that meanders up the entire playing corridor. Take on that carry with your drive, hitting from elevated tees to the narrower portion of the fairway on the right, and you’ll be left with a mostly unobstructed angle to the green. Play it safe with a tee shot to the wider segment of fairway left of the creek, and you’ll be forced not only to carry that waterway on your approach, but a cavernous greenside bunker fronting the left-front portion of the putting surface.
Seven holes later, the hazards running up the center of the 566-yard par-five 12th are more expansive. Just as it was on the front nine, a creek of similar width bisects the fairway, but it’s bolstered by stretches of wetlands and seven pot bunkers that pockmark the left-hand side of the right portion of fairway. Taking on a carry over the wetlands to the fairway on the right offers a better angle to the green, but most players will take the prudent strategy of aiming down the left with their tee shots. After all, most golfers will need three shots to reach the putting surface.
O’odham Course at Talking Stick Resort, 12th hole—Scottsdale, Ariz.
According to Talking Stick Golf Club, the 12th hole on the O’odham Course (a Coore & Crenshaw design) is called “Red Mountain.” However, many others refer to it as “The Gambler,” and it won’t take first-timers long to understand why. The hole is characterized by a broad waste area that runs forward from the back and middle teeing areas, and this sandy expanse unfolds across the entire length of the 392-yard par four. At about the hole’s halfway point, however, that bunker narrows into a shallow arroyo that continues forward, ultimately guarding the right side of the green. Depending on the tees that you’re playing, this hole could be drivable (considering the wind’s direction and the firmness of the ground), but doing so requires golfers to also take on the risk of leaving their ball in that waste area. Choose wisely!
Tributary, 16th hole—Driggs, Idaho
By the time players reach the 16th hole at the David McLay Kidd-designed course at Tributary (formerly known as Huntsman Springs), they’ve been conditioned to dealing with winding creeks, forced carries, and boldly contoured putting surfaces, the latter of which makes the angles from which players take their approach shots an imperative aspect to course management. On the 16th, the winding creek that bisects the fairway on the 396-yard par four is in play, no matter which side of the corridor golfers choose to play down. That said, when the hole is cut on the right and back quadrants of the green, challenging the creek off the tee with a drive positioned down the left side will pay dividends for those brave enough to take it on.
Monument Course at Troon North, 3rd hole—Scottsdale, Ariz.
“You can’t miss it,” says Brian Thorne, the general manager at Troon North. He’s speaking of Monument Rock, a large granite boulder that stands stoically in the center of the fairway on the 3rd hole of the club’s Monument Course, a Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish design. From an observational standpoint, Thorne is right. The geological formation, which stands at least 20 feet high and more than a dozen feet wide—and which gives the course its name—is an attention-grabber from the tee box. From a strategic standpoint, however, missing Monument Rock is exactly what golfers hope to accomplish when they hit their tee shots. In other words, if your drives always bring at least a few yards of lateral movement, you can rest easy taking dead aim at the rock. If you’re one of the few who can throw darts with the big dog, well…the rock is not your bullseye. “A good rule of thumb is to aim at the rock,” says Thorne. “But if you hit it where you’re looking, you have to choose to go left or right of it.” Aggressive players will want to aim to the right, as a small speed slot can give good drives an extra boost down the fairway.
We know there are plenty more examples of holes with centerline hazards. Which is your favorite?
How about the centerline hazard that was at the root of strategic golf design? Number 4 at Woking Golf Club.