Ideal Front Nine
This list is compiled from courses I have had the privilege of playing. All tees are from the men’s tee, except for Cavendish, Kilspindie, and Northwood, where the yardage is from the tips. All tee numbers are “standard” yardages for the tees I played the day(s) I played these courses.
#1 at Merion (East) – Philadelphia, PA – Par 4:
The first entry will be one of my least original decisions, but for good reason. I have not played another course in the United States with more golf history than this one. Just arriving on property is incredible. The site of Trevino’s snake prank on Nicklaus in the 1971 US Open playoff, the first tee is within earshot of clinking glasses on the lunch patio. It is not a particularly intimidating first tee shot, save for the spectators. This 335-yard dogleg par 4 requires the shot cover the low point in the fairway for the clearest view of the green. The first is your introduction to these lightning-fast greens, some of the fastest I have ever played. In an entry list where I am keeping to one hole per course, it was hard to not choose #11 at this historic Philadelphia club.
#2 at Alwoodley - Leeds, UK - Par 4
Considering I have already written my thoughts about the second hole at Sheep Ranch, I wanted to avoid being redundant. The first of several Dr. Alister MacKenzie designs on this list, the second at Alwoodley is a 305-yard par 4 with a semi-blind tee shot. Something less than driver off the tee is ideal given the nature of the green. In “The Spirit of St. Andrews”, MacKenzie wrote how dirt should never be hauled off property (in the building phase) and should be used to raise bunker lips or create small hummocks. It seems as if all the dirt that was dug out of the right greenside bunker was used to form a small mound atop the lip with a ridge extending onto the green. This bunker blinds part of the green from the fairway and requires an exacting shot if the pin is right behind this mound. A left pin is protected by a larger bunker in front.
#3 at Cavendish – Buxton, UK – Par 4
There were a few other third holes on my short list but I always knew this would be my selection. An hour train ride from Manchester, UK, this Alister MacKenzie course is a personal favorite. The tee box on the third is at one of the high points on the property, allowing for views of the sheep roaming the Derbyshire countryside. The slightly downhill 285-yard par 4 allows for a long-iron or hybrid off the tee before an approach to a green surrounded by classic MacKenzie bunkering. A wall behind the green keeps the sheep on their property.
#4 at Hollywood – Deal, NJ – Par 3
Deciding which par 3 at this quiet Walter Travis course in Deal, NJ is not easy, especially considering what 17 looks like since the Tom Doak-led renovation. I had the privilege of playing this course a few summers ago with a friend of a friend. I had heard of Walter Travis but was not familiar with his work, given his designs are mostly private and I grew up in a region where Tillinghast and Flynn are the names. The fourth is a short 135-yard uphill par 3. Two imposing bunkers guard the green, providing only a tiny entrance between them. Once on the green, the cant is severe from back to front. While not always an ideal design choice, this mostly blind par 3 provides a lot of excitement as the player walks up to the green.
#5 at Bandon Dunes – Bandon, OR – Par 4
The player arrives above the Pacific Ocean at the green of the previous hole, but the first hole played entirely along the water is the 5th. And with Bandon Dunes being the first course, there were years where this was the first hole any player would play along the water. The key feature off the tee on this 410-yard hole is a fescue mound in the middle of the fairway that is about 180 yards from the tee. There is fairway on either side of this mound, but the ideal tee shot carries. From here, the fairway significantly bottles starting 150-yards from the green. It is one of those holes where the punishment for not taking the risk to cover the mound is a tough layup. The long, inviting green is tucked below a dune, separating the putting area from the cliffs. This hole is a great first seaside hole, foreshadowing of things to come.
#6 at LACC, North – Los Angeles, CA – Par 4
If I can somehow score a ticket to the 2023 US Open, I will camp out on the 6th hole. While there were many other holes worthy from The North Course (8, 11, 14), I had to choose my favorite hole from my day at this George C. Thomas urban masterpiece. Playing 320-yards, and significantly downhill, some pros might attempt to drive the green next June. There could be fireworks on this hole at the US Open if the player (and caddie) can find the perfect line over the tree and mound that block the view of the green. The narrowness of this green is effective no matter what strategy is chosen off the tee. Running parallel to the best line to the green, a player attempting to hit the green has a 10-yard-wide landing strip to a long green. If the player lays up, the landing area is 10-yards deep and very wide, but over a demanding bunker and barranca waste area. I could see anything from eagle to triple happening in June of 2023.
#7 at Rustic Canyon – Moorpark, CA – Par 4
Like every choice on this list, it was hard to not go with Pine Valley’s entry here. My most frequently played hole on this list, the seventh is a fascinating short par 4 full of options. Playing 338-yards, the green is straight ahead and separated by a barranca running diagonal to the line of play. The key to this hole is not playing straight towards the hole, rather choosing to play either left or right of the direct line. If playing out to the left, the player can hit upwards of 260 yards before running out of fairway. From there, the second covers the barranca to a green guarded by a deep bunker in front. If going right of center, the player can carry it 230 over the barranca, leaving the best angle for the green and avoiding the deep bunker. With a trough bisecting the middle of the green, fits can be had if the trough is between your ball and the hole. This is one of the holes that brings me back to Rustic Canyon as often as possible.
#8 at Kilspindie – Longniddry, Scotland – Par 3
Several entries on this list are fully biased, and this is one of them. Kilspindie was my first round in Scotland, and it was under a heavenly sky in 70-degree weather. The farthest hole from the clubhouse, this 167-yard par 3 plays over a small bay to a peninsula green. From the tee, the Firth of Forth is on the right side, with a narrow strip of beach separating golf from the sea. The folly to miss short is apparent. Besides that, two pot bunkers reside left of the green, but are not in play if going directly at the green. The glory of this hole is the thrill of carrying the beach and landing safely on a fully visible green. Given the weather, my mood, and the view, I deemed this hole idyllic. So good, for that matter, that after 14 I walked back to the tee of 5 so I could play it again.
#9 at Northwood – Monte Rio, CA – Par 5
The lone par-5 on the front-nine of this “ideal” golf course, this is also the lone par-5 at Northwood. Tucked into a Redwood grove along the Russian River, it feels like one is playing within the boundaries of a national park on this 1928 Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter 9-hole course. The tee of this 532-yard hole is at a low point on the property, and the tee shot requires a straight drive to an elevated fairway. With the towering redwoods blocking out the sun, the hole appears narrower than it truly is. If positioned on the right side of the fairway, a go at the green is possible. The raised green, shelved above the fairway and at the base of the mound, welcomes the player back to the clubhouse after an unforgettable nine holes.
1 – Merion Golf Club (East) – Ardmore, PA – Par 4 – 335 yards
2 – Alwoodley Golf Club - Leeds, UK - Par 4 - 305 yards
3 – Cavendish Golf Club – Buxton, UK – Par 4 – 285 yards
4 – Hollywood Golf Club – Deal, NJ – Par 3 – 125 yards
5 – Bandon Dunes – Bandon, OR – Par 4 – 410 yards
6 – Los Angeles Country Club, North – Los Angeles, CA – Par 4 – 320 yards
7 – Rustic Canyon Golf Course – Moorpark, CA – Par 4 – 338 yards
8 – Kilspindie Golf Club – Longniddry, Scotland – Par 3 – 167 yards
9 – Northwood Golf Club – Monte Rio, CA – Par 5 – 532 yards
par: 35 yardage: 2817
