Just Another Hole on the Course, or is it?
Apparently there is a pattern here, how many golf courses boast the 11th hole as a nightmare of a challenge? Why do course designers hate golfers so much is the question I often ask while I’m trying to finish hole 11. There are 18 holes on a golf course but this one [and throughout history] is almost always a tough hole? I need to pay more attention to the courses I play when I travel for golf to see if my theory holds true. When traveling out of my local area to play I usually only play a course one time before moving on to another, so I’m more caught up in the whole experience than to notice much distinction. However, I give you this, when watching the recent Masters Tournament, [always held in Augusta], I noticed that leaders going into the final round, McIlroy and de Chambeau, had a especially difficult time finishing hole number 11 on that final round. McIlroy bogeyed the hole while de Chambeau double bogeyed Hole 11 which ended his hopes of ever catching the leader, McIlroy, in the tournament. So I looked up statistics on the most difficult hole to finish @ Augusta National and my suspicions were correct, it is Hole #11. [My advice is if you play golf, just skip hole number 11. No problem right? Wrong! That won’t work either as you have to write down a triple bogey on the scorecard – Ouch!]
Check this out from Master’s Tournament officials –
“The most difficult hole at Augusta National, according to historical scoring averages, is the 11th hole. This par-4, nicknamed “White Dogwood,” is known for its challenging downhill tee shot, tree-lined fairway, and a pond guarding the green. The 11th hole has consistently produced the highest average score above par in the Masters Tournament.”
And This –
The par-4 11th hole at Royal Troon, Scotland, is known as “The Railway”, and is widely considered one of the most difficult 11th holes in golf. [Cover Photo] In 2016, it ranked as the most difficult hole on the PGA Tour, with a high number of scores above par to triple bogeys. This hole is challenging due to its proximity to train tracks, very narrow fairway, thick gorse, and a reputation for high scores, including Jack Nicklaus’s infamous score of “10” at the 1962 Open Championship. You see now? Even the pros concur that golf course designers get bored after creating 10 holes, so they must go on a rampage fit beginning with the design of the 11th hole. How about that? Have no fear though because by the 13th hole I think course designers must largely calm down(?), or at least it appears that way. 🙂
Yet More Evidence –
It’s not that you need more evidence but I’m going to give you some more anyway. Here are a few details from local courses that I have played several times where the 11th hole stands out amongst a few. If there are others I remember or discover I will add them in the future to this short piece as I have probably played 40 to 50 different courses over the past 10 years… so stay tuned to this ongoing saga. 🙂
Ridgeview Ranch Golf Club, Plano, Texas
The 11th hole is a 481 par 4. The clubhouse has listed this 11th hole as not the number 1 but the number 2 handicap on the scorecard. Here’s an explanation of what you’ll face from the tee box. lining up with driver in hand. On the left of the fairway all the way down is thick forest to consume any hooks or left pulls. The right of the fairway is also treelined with thick brush that cuts in behind a large sand trap and comes around to encroach onto the upper fairway view. So the fairway narrows on the right side with tall trees blocking access to any shots toward the green. The large sand trap on the right side of the fairway will catch any strong fade or a slice off the tee box. However, let’s say your ball flies straight then there’s a deep ravine [though usually dry at the bottom] to catch any ball at around 215-225 yards. If you land in the ravine or if you’re lucky enough to get across that ravine your approach shot will be tricky. This is where I find the most difficulty as no rangefinder truly measures the required distance to land a ball safely on the green, you gotta kind of “wing it”. It’s a steep uphill line onto the green from the bottom of that ravine. If your rangefinder shoots 160 yards it’s probably going to play closer to 185-190 so be careful thinking “you got this” as an approach shot short of the green is expected here. The green was relatively long and mostly flat when I last played there. Thus, trying to get on the green in regulation requires two nicely played shots back-to-back. Good luck! I think I might have pared this hole only once, and the times I ended up with just a single bogey I can count on one hand.
Frisco Farms, formerly Plantation Golf Club, Frisco, Texas
This 11th hole is 300 yards from the Blue tees. Not a long hole but here’s the setup, the tee shot is a carry over water at least 130-135 yards to be safe. That same body of water runs along the right side of the fairway and in front of an elevated green that is fairly narrow. So there’s water all along the right side of the fairway to catch your slice and large oaks and houses line the left side of the fairway to stop your hooks and pulls. A tee shot of at least 200-210 places you within a nice pitching distance over the water and on to the green. This hole is not all that difficult as long as you stay awake and don’t hit a fat approach shot so one can assume. However, I’ve hit a good tee shot before and then bombed my approach shot over the second water and over the green [a few times] only to find my ball drowned in the water behind the peninsula green. It’s easy to go too hard on that second shot after getting your tee shot right and still end up in the water. True! The clubhouse lists their 11th hole as the 4th highest handicap on the course and I would say it’s not in the category of being particularly “ominous” but still worth a note here.
More to Follow –
