Forward Momentum (Day 84 of 365)
No matter what we do to Hole 18 at future events, the hole is going to be hard.
It’s still going to be a story.
An 8 still stings like a 13. As a TD it emotionally hurts just as bad as seeing someone take a 20.
Someone will always be angry because of that hole.
So let’s just play it how they will in 10 years.
Par 4 | FPO 780ft & MPO 900ft
Rules: If OB from tee go to Drop Zone. Fairway is surrounded by OB. Green is surrounded by OB.
How do you play the hole now?
At what point is the stress too high?
At what point are the stakes so high that you take every shot seriously?
The reality is we could spend 10 years tweaking the hole and making it the story.
The Par 4 version removes all but one safety net. It’s you and the disc. Playing golf.
None of the potential changes solve everyone’s problems.
Someone still takes a 10. Someone is still hurt. Someone still brings up how the layout in 2025 was the hardest hole on tour.
The hole has its place now.
Do some tweaks smooth out the average?
Likely, but all we are doing is mentally handicapping the hole.
I get that now.
This Hole has to be taken seriously to make it make sense.
We have to demand higher skills to see prettier scores.
We have to expect professional level play with everything we do.
Hole 18 is hard.
Thats the point.
Throw a putter and stay in the fairway?
Now they know. Next time, they can choose to spend the time practicing hole 10 or practicing hole 18. Which do they think will save them more strokes? Too many “good idea” changes open loopholes.
Before moving to SC, my home course in CT was tight and very wooded on most holes. A lot of people I played with were upset that all the holes were par 3. Some were fair, some didn’t feel like it. At the end of the day, when we competed against ourself or others, we are all playing the same layout. I went back to look and my best round there was +1 and my worst +28. I remember the worst round more than my best round, I almost walked off the course. On some holes, if you pushed for the birdie and miss you were severely punished, taking par completely out of the equation. I love the idea of hole 18. These are professional players and they should be challenged and pushed to step up. Some days you have it, some days you don’t.
Great Post! Very well said and to the point!
“All things are difficult before they are easy.”
It was awesome seeing top level athletes challenged and thinking about their next move over and over again and we still saw some seriously low scores! We cant all be playing checkers in the game of chess. We will never grow if we are not challenged and we will not be challenged if everything is made to easy for us. Its tough being part of a controversy but if we are to learn and grown we must push the boundaries of what is possible. The sport will only benefit from pushing each other to our limits and then try to figure out how to overcome and perform past our limitations. The course is something special that will continue to evolve and become legendary. I’m glad I have the opportunity play this course and push my own boundaries and be humbled regularly.