Is there a Great Short Par 4 hidden on your course?
The powers that be that televise the age old game every week have come to realize and even relish the inherent value of the well designed short par 4. Its ability to elevate the blood pressure and test the nerve of players at the highest level has been proven out time and again. Furyk at Oakmont #17, Tiger at Royal Montreal #14. There are great short par 4’s scattered across the globe that we have all come to know and love or hate (this is what makes them so great). Witness the sharp left to right bending 10th at the Belfry in England, probably the first to be introduced and marketed for its strategic prowess during the Ryder Cup matches in ‘85, ‘89 and ’93.
We can go as far back as the Old Course to find short 4 value in the flattish non-descript 9th hole aptly named “End”. At 352 yards the strategy here lies in the character of two key elements..how firm is the ground and in which direction is the wind blowing. The player must carry or run by End Hole bunker and Boase’s bunker with the ball spinning at just the right velocity to come to rest on the surface.
Over the years at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles the vaunted short 4, 10th has been on full display playing havoc with the best in the world and ultimately deciding the last two events.
Arguably Riviera’s finest hole, the 10th ranks among the
world’s great short par fours, its timeless strategic challenge having perplexed
golfers for more than eight decades. The key is the putting surface…everything
about it. Its awkward angle against the
line of play, the narrowness from front to back forcing most balls to run off
to the back hollow, its wicked tilt from right to left causing anguish as a
player must allow the ball to encounter all the idiosyncrasies of the contours
as it travels toward the hole…begging to hold on for dear life. Though
reachable from the tee, only a perfect drive will hold this green – and a tee
ball missed even slightly right will generally result in a bogey, or worse. The
smart play is down the left side pin high availing the longest length of the
green to work with, but the temptation to go for the green remains extremely
tantalizing.
Is there a great short 4 on your course? Let’s start by identifying some of the
various elements to look for.
1. Precarious Length
When faced with a hole that measures
between 250 and 350 yards all of a sudden many clubs in the bag become an
option. Am I hitting it well enough to
get there or at least get is somewhere around the green….should I simply pull
out a safe iron and find a position of strength based on my approach game. Do I need to make birdie to get back into or
to close out a match.
2. Angle of Play
Does the hole ask for a slight fade to find
a speed slot onto the green or will the ground be receptive to a running
draw. The angle of play determines what
type of player might be enticed based on the flight of their ball.
3. Strategic Options
Options, Alternative Routes, Wide Landing
Area, Narrow Landing Area, Risk/Reward.
The player needs to assess all of the options laid out in front of him
and pull the trigger on the line of play that best fits the moment. Is there a line at the green the will result
in a bound and sweep onto the surface? Is there a secondary fairway that might
result in a shorter pitch in…does that require a more delicate shot?....where’s
the pin?....on and on.
4. Elevation (uphill/downhill)
Whether the hole plays uphill or downhill
will directly affect club selection and decision making. Downhill holes might be a bit more enticing
in that a player may feel the downhill contour will help to reach the
surface. An uphill short 4 might only
challenge the better player, depending on the length based on the elevations
effect on the overall flight of the ball.
5. Prevailing Wind
This may mean everything depending on the
length of the hole and the alignment of the entrance to the green. If the hole is playing with the prevailing
wind and is uphill a greater level of temptation to go might creep in given the
assist from Mother Nature. Once the wind
starts to prevail across the line of play a new set of circumstances arises
forcing a player to assess his ability to move the ball sideways. With the prevailing wind in your face the
short par 4 becomes a bit less exciting for most with a lay up being the most
prudent play.
6. Green shape and contouring
The best short 4’s place a premium on a player’s
ability to land the tee shot along a line that represents a pitch and run on
the green. With a very narrow green
width perpendicular to the line of play this becomes a daunting task and may
dictate the play from the tee. If there
is an opening to the green that is viable and fits the shape of the ground and
flight of the ball this opens up many more possibilities. Depending on the danger around the green,
this might also result in many more crooked numbers.
7. Imminent Danger
What’s around the green? Bold bunkering,
nasty fall offs, deep rough areas, water.
Are the hazards of a playable sort, bunkers or expanded collar catchment
areas or is water simply too close to risk a lost ball and strokes. The key to a quality design is to sprinkle
just enough of each to allow the temptation to decision making engine to churn.
8. Where is it in the sequence of holes
Where the reachable par falls in the
sequence of holes can also be a game changer.
It most powerful spot in the rotation is the latter part of the
round14-17 (Oakmont, Torrey Pines, TPC River Highlands). At this point in the round the player might
be sweating out a tight match and feel there might be an opportunity to steal a
birdie or eagle. Of course, this
philosophy works both ways. Earlier in
the round players might be looking to “get things jump started” 8 at Pine
Valley, 4 at TPC Boston.
Over the last few years I have had the
opportunity to both create and reimagine short par 4’s.
At Roxiticus Golf Club in Mendham, New
Jersey, following the devastation of hurricane Sandy, the 8th hole
become exposed. Mass tree falling opened
up a line from tee to green of 280 yards, a line that was previously presented
as an awkward 120 degree bender running along a thick tree line on the inside
corner. Ironically several years prior I
had worked with the Club developing a long range master plan and identified the
8th hole as a possible opportunity for a great short 4. The challenge was selling the program and
removing the large stand of trees on the corner. No sale….until mother nature helped the
cause.
