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Ireland's Best Risk vs Reward Holes - Your Thoughts

Kevinmarkham

I’m trying to produce a list of Ireland’s best risk-vs-reward holes and a wise man - @FixdePitchmark – suggested I post on here.

If you have any holes that immediately spring to mind, please let me know.

I divide this into two:

Driveable/short par-4s are obvious contenders, assuming there’s a lot of danger around the green – Jameson Links 17, Corballis 2, 7 and 11, The Heritage 11, Enniscrone 13, Strandhill 13, Dun Laoghaire (Middle) 4, Lough Erne 10, Dromoland Castle 15, Mount Wolseley 4, Castlewarden 10, St Helen’s Bay 18.
Tough Par-4s/5s – typically doglegs – where a big, if risky, drive negates much of the difficulty of the hole, making the approach shot considerably more manageable. Holes such as Druids Glen 13, Esker Hills 14, Old Head 12. Or par-5s where a high-risk second shot must be inch-perfect to avoid disaster, such as K Club 7 and 18, Cork 5.

Just a few examples. If you have some, I’d appreciate your suggestions.

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FixdePitchmark

Love the name - Water gate - mentioned above

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKlNP86PJls

VW 1

The first on the orchard course at corrstown I think is risk reward for us lefties but not necessarily right handers. Short par 4, hard dog leg right. Green driveable for a right hander with a decent fade, but probably an auto driver if you have that shot. As a lefty I fade it with driver so I can either play over trees with 200m-ish landing to clear a fairway bunker and leave a 60-70m pitch, or play a shorter iron to the dog leg and a longer approach probably a 120-130m to front of green.

Played it over the tree in a practice round and didn't quite catch it as I wanted but got it well enough, clipped a branch on the top of the tree and fell into the fairway bunker, led to a double bogey.

Played it more sensible in the match, hit a sweet 7i straight down the middle exactly as I wanted, flew a mile and straight through to go OB

Risk risk rather than risk reward

fullstop

7th hole in Killeen Castle springs to mind. Par 5 where you can play it safe up the left off the tee and leave yourself having to navigate the water with 2nd and 3rd shot, or you can take on the carry over the corner off the tee, bringing both trees and water into play. The reward for cutting the corner is a short iron in for the 2nd shot

Dexters Bow Tie

10th in Lough Erne. Short par 4 with an acute dog leg right into the green. Water short, long and right and you need to clear trees off the tee

allybhoy

Agree with a few that have been mentioned already, (Concra, Old Head) one that sticks in my mind is in Wicklow GC, i think its the 6th hole, you can bail out right for a safer drive but a longer second shot or if your feeling brave, cut the corner \ cliffs a bit and leave a short approach in.

Would also add the 10th and 17th at Tulfarris, On both holes the safe play is to bail out to the right.. leaving you a long second , or you can go aggresive and take driver with a draw and run the risk of going OOB (10) or finding water \bunker (17) but leaving you with a much easier 2nd shot.

Yeah Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124561656#Comment_124561656

It's not that high, more for keeping sliotars in than to keep golfballs out.

Kevinmarkham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124561624#Comment_124561624

Yea, I have 260 yards from White tees and 240 yards from forward tees.
But you make a good point - it's an unlikely opportunity for majority of amateurs.

Ally McIntosh

in course design terms, you can think of a hole as Penal, Strategic or Heroic.

Risk / Reward is usually seen as Strategic (hit closer to a hazard results in easier approach) or Heroic (take on a longer diagonal carry results in shorter approach).

Penal golf holes are about forced carries on a straight line or holes flanked by hazards on both sides.

A version of Strategic or Heroic can be a split fairway, like the 8th on Carne Dunes.

blue note

Is it just me, or are the strategic and heroic largely the same?

finglashoop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124571713#Comment_124571713

Depends on what decision you make on the tee

😀😀😀😀

a post punk

13 on Strandhill , blind tee shot pick a line and stick to it but a nice bounce and a bit of wind with a driver you are in the mouth of a very well guarded green …

14 on St Patrick’s links, again it’s blind if you can take on the big dune to the right but leaves an easy approach if it bounces down

1 on Lee valley great starting hole and you can lay up sure on the dogleg before it turns left but a high draw can leave an easy pitch to a very sloped green that is hard to hold.

a post punk

1 lucky day in Strandhill = a lifetime memory

blue note

A thinly veiled "look at my 300 yard drive" post!

Very thinly!

a post punk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124572089#Comment_124572089

Or I missed the birdie after that ….

Ally McIntosh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124571713#Comment_124571713

Strategic is usually about gaining a better angle for your approach by flirting with a flanking hazard.

Heroic is more about choosing a longer forced carry to gain a shorter approach regardless of angle.

bakerbhoy

18th St Pats.. Driveable for average players. Miss Left or right and bogey could be a good result.

DaveQuinn2020

17th in Howth.

OB all the way from tee to green down the left. It is a downhill dog-leg right to left, almost 90degrees. You can comfortably hit a long iron or hybrid down the right. 3 wood just over the corner works very well, but a driver cutting the corner completely and going for the green is the tiger-line! As shown by our Barton Shield team last week, when a Howth player went for the green and made it. Tap-in birdie!

https://vimeo.com/182573449?fl=pl&fe=cm

coillcam

Par 5 16th in Mullingar off the blues is a good shout. You have two risks.

The tee shot needs to carry 260 to get over the drain on the short side. As the hole dog legs right, the drain is at a 45 degree angle and becomes longer to carry. About 270 in the middle. If you go too far right you're risking out of bounds. A straight tee shot or slight pull (right handed) heads for bunkers and spinny.

Now you've hit the fairway by carrying the drain. It's an uphill shot 200yds into a back to front sloped green with a big drop off. It leaks down into the pond on the right side. This swallows a lot of approach shots. Even some wedges of mine hit the front and just dribble back down. They wouldn't be spinning massively either.

Making it even more fun is that the prevailing wind usually is into you on both shots.

Watched a visitor blow up a scratch cup win here recently. Just about carried the drain into wind but under clubbed a 200yd approach into wind uphill. His 4i limped into the pond. Needed to be a 220yd club and probably 3w to do the job.

In summer more people can take it on from whites. Generally I've been playing it as a 3 shotter recently.

coillcam

I will caveat that by saying the longest hitters are usually going over the drain. The majority of us don't have a guaranteed 275+ carry however.

benny79

The 17th hole at Kilkea Castle Golf Club is a formidable, strategic Par 4. It requires precision, as the meandering River Griese criss-crosses the fairway and sets up a blind second shot. Safely navigating this stretch sets up a great approach to the green.

Its the index 1 for a reason & a real love it or hate it hole. Destroyed many a good card and cost me the Captains a few years ago (still have scars). The nearer the bridge the less of a carry. Off whites depending on the wind can be 5W/3W or driver hit it to far your in the trees far side of fairway. Not only do you have to carry the water but you have to be on the far side of fairway else you will be blocked out. Play it short of river and its a hit and hope over the big trees blocking the green or turns into a par 5 with chip over the water and off the blues its a nighmare lol…

I have birded it and have had many an 8.. Your woods/driver really has to be on song!

The fact its a par 4, 9/10 people wont lay up either! when maybe they should 😂

slave1

1st in Callan, if you've played it then you know

spacecoyote

In honour of Greebo, can we mention the par 3 first at Grange Golf Club.

If my memory serves me correctly the safe option is the lay up 😂

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124582494#Comment_124582494

Wonder how the Greebo is - a legend of the forum.