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Most difficult hole?

• JaLaBar 1,254 Posts

  Tue, May 10 2011 10:31 PM

  What do you think is the most difficult hole right now (discounting Congressional, which it sounds like will be online shortly)?  Try to discount the difficulty of the green specifically at Oakmont, and figure all green speeds are the same.

  After a 3 putt within 4.5' at BPB #15, I remain convinced it is the hardest hole in the game.   I hit a 280 yard drive with a tailwind, landed my 2nd 25' above the hole, and it rolled down the hill to 4.5' right of the hole, pin high, with a putt that appeared to the eye to break approximately 35', give or take. I played 37'.  Not enough, unfortunately.  I missed that putt, leaving myself a 3.5 footer back the other way and uphill, which I lipped low, and because of the grade the ball circled the cup and came to rest directly between me and the cup, 3" short.  Thus does a 4.5' birdie putt become a bogey.  And this is after a 2nd shot that is I think second to SA #17 in difficulty to get anywhere near scoring range on the green.  Usually, you just hope to be 12'-16' below the cup at the bottom of the green.  My second shot (dunno about the higher tiers) plays usually 130-160, 36' above my lie.  If I'm 150+, I'll usually play right into the trap in front, because it is easier to get my 3rd shot close to the pin from the sand than having to play a 5 iron or higher that even with backspin is going to run off the back of the green.  Being above the cup is not where you want to be on that green, ever.

  I have gone into that hole at -8 and bogeyed it, -7 and double bogeyed it, - 6 and double bogeyed it, and -5 and bogeyed it.  Four of those, I bogeyed 16 too.  A misadventure there can mess with me for another hole.  Usually if I par or birdie it (I have twice birdied it, both times out of the sand), I usually shoot well on #16.  So that is my vote, with SA #17 a healthy second.  The thing that puts BPB #15 ahead, to me, is that if I am close to the hole on SA #17, which is a hard place to get, I'll admit, I feel reasonably sure I can make the putt.  On BPB #15 I can look at a 4.5' putt and go "Dear golf gods, don't let my ball roll to the bottom of the green on this putt."

  If you miss a 2' putt there on Championship greens, does it roll off the bottom of the green?

  If anyone has ever eagled BPB #15, I'd love to hear about it.  Even better, if you have the video, post it.  It might calm the nightmares a bit.

• MrDonVito 472 Posts

  Tue, May 10 2011 11:11 PM

  oakmont 9 is harder than bethpage black 15. no question.

• JaLaBar 1,254 Posts

  Tue, May 10 2011 11:22 PM

  Hmm... I play a lot of practice rounds at Oakmont.  It's my favorite place to practice because I want to get good at putting, and if you can putt at Oakmont, you can putt anywhere.  Like a wind tunnel.  I haven't found #9 there to be the challenge that BPB #15 is.  I was thinking of playing a practice round before shutdown, if I have time. Maybe Oakmont, I'll check out #9, save it if I shoot good (or if I double bogey it LOL).

• JaLaBar 1,254 Posts

  Wed, May 11 2011 12:00 AM

  Well, I managed to par it.  It's difficult but it doesn't have the elevation that makes BPB #15 so hard.  I didn't save the replay because it was a 2' putt, though I hit my 2nd into the rough between the bunkers fronting the green, but hit a very good Satin64 to 2'.  I also was playing an SD practice ball rather than an i(z) tournament ball, so I was a little shorter tee to green.

• Shane028 566 Posts

  Wed, May 11 2011 12:34 AM

  For me with out a doubt its Bethpage # 15 . When it comes to my 2nd shot it normally makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Always a bogey or worse here for me. Just standing at the tee box reduces me to tears :)

• philspace 65 Posts

  Wed, May 11 2011 1:12 AM

  Both BPB #15 and Oak #9 are safe pars if you know how to play them. There have been eagles on both of them, particularly on BPB #15. The only eagle I remember seeing on #9 at Oak was by AvatarLee.

  On BPB #15, you want to aim left and below of the pin. Playing the approach with full backspin the ball will bounce up the green a little and then roll back towards the pin. From there you have a chance for birdie or par at the worst.

  On Oak #9, the safest way to play is by hitting the approach in the bunker in front of the green. From there you can easily punch very close to the hole and settle for par.

• BJORNAGAIN1 382 Posts

  Wed, May 11 2011 1:17 AM

  I agree with the above but for me a tricky hole is the 2nd at St.Andrew's.

  That 2nd shot into the green I find it difficult to get the ball to stop close to the pin

  due to the undulation of the green.

  A birdie here is a bonus if I get my par I am glad to move on.

  Having said that there are quite a lot of tricky holes out there some we just manage better than others.

  Bjorn.

• tiffer67 1,764 Posts

  Wed, May 11 2011 1:25 AM

  From the legend tees Bethpage No.15 is a very viable birdie hole,even when the pin is on the top tier. Oakmont No. 9 is only a birdie hole if I manage to pitch or punch my 3rd shot into the hole as I never go for the green in regulation. Never had a sniff of an eagle on Oakmont No.9, had 3 on Bethpage No.15.

• pluer 142 Posts

  Wed, May 11 2011 1:33 AM

  I agree with tiffer, I play 15 1 yard left (distance depends on the green speed) and get about 30 % birds out of lt. My nightmares are oak 9/15/18 - only 1 out of 20 goes in and Cabo 1/7 lol

• JaLaBar 1,254 Posts

  Wed, May 11 2011 4:58 AM

  Philspace:  Maybe it will change when I get longer off the tee, but On BPB #15, I am often playing a 5 iron or lower into that green.  When I land a 5 iron anywhere on that green from the fairway, it runs to the back of the green, full backspin or no.  Because normally a 7 would cover the distance, but I have to play a 5 to get up the hill, and it hits the green so hot it runs no matter what.