But now the days grow short, I’m in the autumn of the year. And now I think of my life as vintage wine from fine old kegs.
Now that I’m in the autumn of my life, I often think of those words, sung by Old Blue Eyes in It Was a Very Good Year. Except I’m thinking not of the days but rather of my golf shots that grow short, none more than my drives.
Perhaps that’s why I’ve developed a special appreciation for really interesting short par fours. The kind of risk/reward holes 300 yards or less where my experience and guile gives me at least a chance to best a long-hitting opponent.
Four such holes immediately come to mind and, in a rather odd coincidence, they all happen to appear as the third hole on the local scorecard.
The Third at Castle Stuart, Scotland
295 Yards
I can’t describe this hole any better than the course guide on its website, so why bother.
Yes, this is a drivable par 4 under most conditions. The green is long and narrow and sloping slightly rightward toward the sea. Recoveries from the left are quite testy although one can putt, chip or wedgeit from unevenly “rumpled” and tightly mown fairway cut. Aggressive players choosing wedge beware of the elevated green sloping away from your recovery position on the left. Those of more modest aspirations, have fun recovering with your putter. But whatever your decision on the tee, try and take the bunkers out of play with the first shot and remember how testing the lie, stance and angle can be from left of the green.
Risk/reward? Hitting a driver right into a series of bunkers and waste areas leaves little chance of reaching the putting surface in two. Playing an iron off the tee to the middle of the fairway short of the yawning fairway bunker yields a full wedge aimed straight down the length of the green. But the infinity edge makes the distance uncertain to the eye and, as Dr. Bob wrote, golf is a game of confidence. You simply have to trust the distance your caddy tells you.
The Third at Cruden Bay, Scotland
286 Yards
The hole plays even shorter than its posted yardage as the last 50 yards to the green are downhill. While the green is not visible from the tee, there is a marker post as an aiming point. Launch your drive at least 240 yards or so over the narrow, severely undulating fairway, land on the downslope just right of the post and your ball will skitter towards a green tilts back to front. A slight miss to the left leaves your tee ball in a pot bunker beside the green. Further left leaves a short pitch from an awkward stance. Even further left results in a pitch from deep gnarly grassed on the sand dune which lines the fairway on the left. Miss it right? You’ll find an even steeper dune and even deeper rough. Try to avoid double bogey.
Risk/reward? I’ve made plenty of “iron off the tee, wedge to the green, two putt” easy pars. I’ve also putted for two (I missed) and carded a two putt seven.
The Third at Royal Adelaide, Australia
270 meters
How can a hole of less than 300 yards without a single bunker be all that challenging or even interesting? Ask professional golfer Norman Von Nida who once carded a 9 here to lose the Australian Open. Credit Mother Nature for providing course architect Dr. Alister Mackenzie with the towering dunes, uneven ground, tall reeds and marram grasses. He didn’t design the hole as much as he discovered it then constructed the tee and green.
Risk/reward? Playing a long iron or rescue club to the top of the ridge which traverses the fairway leaves you with an awkward pitch to a narrow green that is angled to the line of play. Right is a steep embankment covered with deep rough; left is a depression filled with even deeper rough. Driving blind over the ridge yields the slight possibility of reaching the putting surface but the more likelihood of just how dense the reeds and pine trees are.
The Third at Sunningdale Old, England
292 Yards
Some would argue that this hole is somewhat clever but old fashioned as well. But then I’m an old fashioned kind of guy who thinks he’s clever enough to beg to differ. I’m not saying the hole is classic. My take is that the hole is interesting and can be challenging as well. The hole is loaded with bunkers and heather ready to catch a wayward tee shot, especially one to the right. Yet the easy line to the left leaves a difficult pitch to a green which slopes radically from left to right and seldom features a hole location on its right half.
The severely tilted green, with thanks to Ran Morrissett of Golf Club Atlas.
Risk/reward? Hit your tee shot to the right side avoiding the bunkers and heather leaves you with a pitch which can be easily left below the pin with a resulting birdie or routine two putt. Miss on this line and bogey or worse is a distinct possibility. Play safely left off the tee, accept a pitch that will run to the bottom of the green far from the pin and hope you can make a difficult two putt.
*****
That’s my fab four fours on three. No doubt I’ve missed some obvious ones like the 3rd at Augusta National. At 350 yards for the pros but it’s driver/7 iron for me and thus a non-starter. You tell me. What have I missed?
Sam Baker
Founder & Chairman
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