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Oakmont #9

• Cleworthy 3,468 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 7:53 AM

  Can someone tell me how it is that Oakmont #9 is the #17 handicap hole??

• SgtDoodles 3,112 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 8:03 AM

  It's normally a par-5. I assume they did the handicap with #9 as a par-5. Still, that's a bit surprising.

• TesLa33 109 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 8:12 AM

  I hate that hole!!! had a - 4 going into it the other day. Hit the green in regulation and 4 putted for a double bogey!! Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

• LeonDelBosque 1,551 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 10:43 AM

  That's not the only weird one: St.A #17 is listed as hcp 5 and #14 (par 5 ) is hcp 1.

  BPB #7 (525 yd par 4) is hcp 2 and #4 (par 5) is hcp 6

  7 usually plays as par 5, but the Road Hole not being the hardest hole is bizarre

• MainzMan 9,591 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 11:47 AM

  The handicap rating for many holes is a bit surprising to say the least.  Oakmont #9 and St. Andrews #17 being 2 glaring examples.

  I assume these are the official course rankings though, not made up by WGT.

  Edit: According to the Oakmont web site,  #9 off the mens tees is handicap 15 and off the ladies handicap 3.

  The St. Andrews Old Course scorecard has #17 as S.I. (Stroke Index, same thing as handicap in the US) 5, the par 5 hole 14 is S.I. 1.  The par 5 hole 5 is supposedly the second hardest.

  And the third hardest hole on the course, harder than the 17th?     #12.  Very strange.

• alosso 21,070 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 12:07 PM

  Regarding STA:

  Mind you that the British S.I.s usually do not reflect the difficulty of the holes but a rather arbitrary numbering.

• Cleworthy 3,468 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 12:17 PM

  I suppose if you played it as a par 5 with a hole location in an easier place than the front right behind the bunker, yeah I could see it being #17 handicap.  Which brings up another question - I wonder if WGT uses hole locations actually used by these courses.

• todser 122 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 12:44 PM

  The thing with St A's #17 is it has to be played in accordance with your wind direction,Tale wind your approach should be punched to the right hand side of the front green & hope for a kind bounce & run,A head wind depending on the wind speed should given a good whack with back spin, a strong side wind,,,,,,,,,,well, just close your eyes & hit it...lol, as for #9 @ oakmont ,well that's the reason I hardly play the course,just can't master it.

  t.

• TarheelsRule 5,563 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 3:35 PM

  I had a friend who was with the USGA and I asked him why is it that the par 5's are generally some of the lower handicap holes while a difficult par 3 might still be listed as the 16th handicap.  His reply was that the theory is based on an 18 handicap player and the lightly hood of one good shot ( on a par 3 ) was much easier for that level player than 3 good shots on a par 5.

• lazerl 74 Posts

  Fri, Feb 17 2012 3:57 PM

  oh really? u have any evidence bout that?