''/ think there is room for On the third day of the 1980 U.S. power the hole. Open, came to the 17th Billy Casper put this knowledge to these extra long holes but with a two-shot lead over playing good use in the 1966 U.S. Open at there is also a place for partner Isao Aoki. Nicklaus had San Francisco's Olympic Club. Com­ bogeyed the previous two holes and ing to the 16th in the final round, Cas­ the five that can be was anxious to pick up a stroke on the per had cut 's once­ hit in two by a gambling shorter hitter. The Golden Bear commanding lead fromseven shots to crushed his tee shot down the left three, but he was running out of player.'' side, 50 yards past Aoki, but still holes. The 16th at Olympic is another -Arnold Palmer some 300 yards fromthe green. Aoki classic untouchable: a constant curve played a conservative second shot, to the left for 604 yards around the and Nicklaus elected to hit a fairway thick pine and eucalyptus jungle, wood. He caught the ball thin and which frames every hole on the barely cleared the fairway bunkers in course. Bobby Jones in his heyday hit front of him, the ball coming to rest this green in two, playing over the deep in the left rough. Nicklaus tops of the young trees, but now that scrambled to save par while Aoki one left side will yield to nothingless than putted for birdie and caught Nicklaus a perfect drive. with another bird at 18. Although Casper needed to make Ironically, the next day Nicklaus up strokes, it was Palmer who made came back and sealed his fourth U.S. the desperate play, driving down the Open title with a birdie on this same left side into the deep rough. He took 17th hole. But Aoki had proven on two shots to get out and he put his that third day what most amateurs fail fourth into a greenside bunker. Palm­ to realize-the "untouchable" can er later called it ''the finest six I ever be the equalizer for the shorter hitter. made,'' as Casper picked up two It is the one par five on which the long more shots with a flawless birdie. hitter cannot gain a stroke by pound­ ing out two good shots. On the con­ A 617-yard double dogleg to the right, the trary, his killer instinct may actually seventh hole at Butler National (below) is work against him if he tries to over- one of two untouchables on that course.

54 5/82 This was the pivotal hole, as Casper The 13th at Rochester's Oak Hill is 596 went on to defeat Palmer in a playoff. yards, uphill, with the fairway narrowing Still, Palmer does not reject the near the green. The firstman to reach the idea of an untouchable, nor does 17th at Baltusrol (right) must carry two Nicklaus. sets of bunkers with his second shot. Amie claims he likes the idea of a pure three-shot hole from time to time. "It tends to give the medium concerned. "He will go along with an hitter a more equal shot at making unreachable par five if that is the type birdie," he says, adding that he of hole which fits the land," says attempts to balance the par fives on Cupp, alluding to a hole of this type the courses he designs. Jack recently designed for the High­ "I think there is room in golf for lands Course in Scottsdale, Arizona. these ultra long holes, but there also is ''The 17th hole will be 630-650 yards a place for the par five, that can be hit from the back tees. But we don't in two by a gambling player. So when make that type of hole for the sake of we are forced to build a shortish par having an 'untouchable.' In fact the five we raise the element of risk way it is planned at present, the accordingly.'' ladies' tees will be 130 yards in front. ''With today's 280-yard goes so far as to You must take the average golfer and driving averages, a 500- claim that every with four women into account when building par fives should have at least one hole any course.'' yard par five has been that is unreachable in two shots by Perhaps no man is more of a threat made a mockery of by the anybody. to the untouchables than Evan "Big Nicklaus is not quite as adamant. Cat" Williams, twice a national long pros. The holes have As Bob Cupp, senior designer in the drive champion and a fine player. to measure better Nicklaus architectural firm, claims, Williams claims he has never seen a the existing land and terrain is the par five that under decent conditions than 600 yards.' ' determining factor as far as Jack is was absolutely unreachable in two. -Robert Trent Jones continued 5/82 GOLF MAGAZINE 55

Strong words, but Williams can back the seventh at Butler National, home qualities of fair yet untouchable par them up. Williams claims he has been of the Western Open. A 617-yard, fives. over the green in two on Baltusrol' s double-dogleg to the right, with a First of all, as Nicklaus states, the 17th, but readily admits the hole was creek all along the right, from tee to "untouchable" should be built only playing at "only" 580 yards that day. green, and dense woods to discourage on land suited to it. Furthermore, "The Cat" was in the front bunker in shortcuts, this hole has even the long­ there should be some type of severe two, on Olympie's 16th, the only time est hitters on the PGA Tour playing natural hazard in front of the green. to he played the hole. And holes such as defensively. One novel approach re­ force those players attempting to the 13th at Rochester's Oak Hill cently advanced was to hit two one­ reach the green in two to do so on pure course-596 yards, uphill-some­ irons, and then a 6-iron into the green, carry; there also should be a hazard how present less of a challenge if you indicating that there are as many behind the green, penalizing the long, can flyyour drive over the stream that methods of attack as there are players. errant shots equally. The green should crosses the fairway 290 yards from Many of these same Tour pros, how­ be fairly small and well contoured to the tee. ever, consider this type of hole as reward the player who gets closer to Williams thinks the "most un­ some sort of insult to their masculin­ the green on his second shot with a touchable" hole he has played is the ity, the standard criticism being that . bit easier pitch. And there should fourth on the Monster course at the "any idiot could build such a be no one lay-up area for the third Concord resort in Kiamesha Lake, hole." shot, because it would cheapen the New York-615 yards, with an uphill In fact, two fine,strong young PGA value of the first two shots. tee shot. A pond on the left and dense Tour pros, such as Curtis Strange and According to GOLF M');:GAZINE's woods on the right discourage the playing editor Ken Venturi, too many long hitter from letting it fly off the divot holes concentrated in a small tee. Yet without crunching the driver, "I don't care how area constitute a sure sign of weak­ there's very little chance of carrying ness. Since the approach shot will be the water hazard and greenside bun­ you build a hole, relatively short, it allows the architect ker, which come into play on the sec­ under certain some freedom in designing the green ond shot. for a running shot or a tricky short Pete Dye, who designed Harbour conditions it pitch. Town and the Tournament Players becomes The hole mentioned as the ultimate Club, agrees with Williams' brash most often by the architects was the statement. "It's impossible to build a reachable.'' 14th at Pebble Beach, a 565-yard dog­ completely unreachable par five. I -Pete Dye leg right, which should play an impor­ don't care how long you build a hole, tant role in next month's U.S. Open. under certain conditions it becomes The key to· this hole lies in the two­ reachable," he contends. , recognize these un­ tiered green, with the higher left-hand "For my part, I don't think I've touchables as a false mask of good side guarded by a deep bunker in ever built a 600-,yard hole; even the design. front, encouraging the player to favor 15th at Harbour Town was meant to "I think on many of the courses the the right side with his second shot, be reachable. But the trees along the Tour plays, we are moving away from where he must flirt with out-of­ left side have grown to the extent that the par-five hole which affords the bounds and a sentinel of Monterey now it's virtually impossible to hit in gambling player an opportunity to go pines. There were two trees at one two." for the green, something like the 13th point but during one .Crosby Clam­ Basically, though, Dye's theory is at Augusta," says Strange, who bake, Arnold Palmer, going for the similar to Palmer's. Dye wants the admittedly would like to see the lay­ green in two, caromed a couple of good player to have to think a few outs offer more opportunity for shot­ shots off one of the trees. The tree times before pulling out a 3-wood and making and course management with blew down in a storm that night. whaling away. "I don't want them less of a premium placed on length. It must be noted, however, that going for the green all the time, but I ''More thinking and club selection under ideal conditions the 14th at Peb­ don't want them laying up consistent­ than just having to go out there and ble Beach is reachable; Venturi hit the ly either," he notes. bust your tail to get home on a par green in two en route to his Crosby ''If I am building four par fiveson a four," he adds implying the latter is triumph in 1960. Certainly, he had a given course, I'll attempt to have two an evolutionary trend in golf course gale wind with him as evidenced by that are reachable given two excellent design. the fact that on the 110-yard seventh, shots and two where it may not be Levi claims he doesn't mind the which plays the opposite direction, worth the gamble. And I move my unreachable par fives, but that some Venturi needed a 3-iron. tees accordingly, so that players of of the courses the PGA Tour plays, An "untouchable" also must fitthe every level have the opportunity to go may have holes that are just down­ flow of the course. For example, a for a couple of par fives, if they can right unreasonable. layout should not have three 500-yard hit two precise shots.'' ''If you can get to the green with a par fives, then a 600-yard monster. It Another hole that requires. the type wedge for your third shot, I think it is would simply be out of place. The of thought, which Dye speaks of, is all right, at least fair. I don't like those accepted formula usually is to vary holes where you have to hit a full 7 or the lengths of the par fives so that 8-iron approach shot." every level of player has a chance to The monster 16th hole at the Firestone So GOLF MAGAZINE asked mem­ hit one of them with two good shots Country Club South course has been hit bers of the American Society of Golf and almost no one can reach the long­ only once in the last 18 World Series. Course Architects to describe the est one. continued 5/82 GOLF MAGAZINE 57 A classic example of this is the Harbour Town course, where Dye PINE VALLEY: built three par fives, each progres­ THE ULTIMATE UNTOUCHABLES sively more difficult. The second, 490 yards, is reachable in two; the The Pine Valley GolfClub in Clem­ green 20 yards beyond the last patch fifth, 520 yards, is less so; and the enton, , boasts not one of fairway. The only person known to 15th, at 560 yards, is virtually but two untouchables, the seventh have threatened the green in two is untouchable. The hole is straightaway and the 15th. The 585-yard seventh Jack Nicklaus, who hit his drive into for two long shots, with the green set epitomizes the entire course-mis­ Hell's HalfAcre, then pummeled his off to the left behind a large lake. takes are penalized severely. The second shot into the bank short of landing area for the drive ends the green (below, left). The 15th hole A pine tree at the lake's edge abruptly some 285 yards from the is 603 yards, the first 175 over water threatens the third-shot approach and tee, dropping off into a terrifying and the rest decidedly uphill. Near virtually stymies any attempt to reach expanse of sand and poverty grass the green the fairway narrows and the green in two. To top it off, the know affectionately as Hell's Half banks right, shrugging approaches green is one of the smallest anywhere, Acre. The second shot must carry toward sand and scrub. George having been designed using the preci­ this hazard and land on still another Fazio came closest to this one, sion iron game of Nicklaus, who island of fairway; the third shot, too, leaving his second shot a ball's helped Dye design Harbour Town, as must be well struck to hold the island width offthe green (below, right). □ a standard. While Dye includes in his reper­ toire a few nearly untouchable holes, such as the third at Oak Tree in Edmond, Oklahoma, where a seven­ footdeep pot bunker cut into the front of the green discourages most players from gambling, and the ninth at the new Tournament Players Club, Nick­ laus rarely builds a hole that is not reachable with two perfect shots. In fact, after Harbour Town was com­ pleted, Nicklaus went out in practice and hit the 15th in two, as if to prove a point. is the only player to accomplish the featduring the Her­ itage Classic. But from the middle tees (470 yards), however, the hole is more easily reach9ble-former base­ ball player Chuck Hinton made a dou­ ble eagle there last year with a drive and 8-iron! Another famous, almost untouch­ able, hole is the 16th on the South course at Firestone. At 625 yards, it has always been one of the longest holes on the Tour. Since it runs down­ hill, however, the pros maintain it can be hit in two, despite the pond that fronts the green. The fact is that no pro had hit the green in two between 1963 ( when Arnold Palmer and Bob­ by Nichols did it) and last year's World Series, when Tom Kite, one of the Tour's shorter hitters, smashed a 3-wood to the left of the pond and watched it run up the slight embank­ ment to the putting surface. The shot brought Kite almost as much recogni­ tion as heading the money list, and certainly, it was a victory for shorter ::: hitters everywhere. ::: Another long par five that has received extensive publicity is the � diabolical 13th at the Dunes in Myrtle � Beach, South Carolina, a Robert r...: Trent Jones creation. This hole, ...____ ....,c::i which half encircles alligator-filled

58 GOLF MAGAZINE 5/82 Singleton Lake, bends through a 110- made a mockery of by the pros. The off generations of Ivy League golfers. degree dogleg, tempting the long hit­ holes have to measure better than 600 Legend has it that Charles Blair Mac­ ter to play his tee shot along the edge yards. Still, I have no objection to donald, the architect, simply ran out of the lake and try to carry the lake doing this, and it can be accomplished of inspiration after 17 holes and head­ with his second. The prospect of suc­ without punishing the lesser golfer, ed straight back to the clubhouse with ceeding is unlikely, and Mike Sou­ through the use of tees 100 yards long the 18th; unfortunately for the golfer, chak gained immortality when he or more.'' in-between were 583 yards of Con­ became the only player to hit the The cruelest trick an architect could necticut woodland, an alpine pass and green in two. Ironically, he accom­ inflict on the golfing public would be a small mountain. Macdonald clever­ plished this feat using a 2-iron off the to place an untouchable at the start or ly located the landing area, approxi­ tee, coming dangerously close to the finish of a round, and two courses mately 20 yards wide, for the tee shot lake, and then crushing a driver across have gained immortality for just this. within the pass and then allowed for the water. The ball still had to run Probably the most difficult opening the option of playing the second shot quite a distance to reach the green. hole in golf is the first at Spyglass around, to the top of, or over the Trent Jones, who designed this Hill, another Trent Jones monster, mountain and toward the green. Since hole has five holes listed among our which measures 600 yards from the all these landing areas are blind, it is ''untouchables.'' And he is quick to back tee and no less than 570 from the easy to sympathize with the unfortu­ defend his position of preference for middle. A perfect drive can result in nate golfer who lost nine balls on the the basic theory of what a par five tremendous roll, giving the golfer hole. Still, it must be stated there are should be: "A hole that requires a fleeting thoughts of going for the no water hazards and only two bun­ driver, a brassie (2-wood) and a nib­ green in two. The putting surface, kers near the green. Fortunately, lick (short-iron) or slightly longer club. though, is almost surrounded by a according to Yale golf director Dave In other words a true three-shot hole." broad expanse of sand, and someone Patterson, the hole is not a total Trent Jones points out that the basis most likely would have assailed this loss-it has received unanimous for the phenomenal scores today can hole as being unfair long ago if it were praise from cross-country skiers. be traced directly to reachable par not also one of the most thrilling Maybe it is exactly this type of fives. "When Floyd tied the record at walks in all of golf. design that has influencedthe team of Augusta, he was 15 under par on the And there could be no more contro­ George and Tom Fazio to virtually 16 par fives he played," Jones states. versial or arduous finishing hole any­ exclude the "untouchable" from "With today's 280-yard driving where than the 18th on the Yale Golf their design philosophy. "Length averages, a 500-yard par fivehas been Course, which has ruthlessly finished doesn't make a great golf hole," states George, claiming that the 15th at Pine Valley is the only super-long hole he would place in the great cate­ gory. 21 CERTIFIED UNTOUCHABLES* "Even there, I once put my second shot half on the green. Of course, I had a 35 mph wind behind me and the COURSE LOCATION HOLE YARDS fairways weren't watered at the Baltusrol GC Springfield, 17 630 time," he states, before adding that (Lower) N.J. "Sonny Frazier, a top amateur of Butler National GC Oak Brook, m. 7 617 15 585 days gone by, knocked it over the Canterbuey GC Cleveland, Ohio 16 605 green with a driver and 4-wood. '' Concord Hotel GC Kiamesha Lake, 4 615 Fazio does admit to a pair of ''un­ (Monster) N.Y. touchables" on the Butler National Essex CC Manchester, Mass. 3 620 layout, but is quick to point out that lndustey Hills GC City of lndustl)', 18 650 this course was designed and built (Eisenhower) Cal. more as a championship test than a Medinah CC (No. 3) Medinah, m. 7 599 golf course for all levels of players. Oak Hill CC (East) Rochester, N.Y. 13 596 Oak Tree GC Edmond, Okla. 3 584 So, although it's true that we have Olympic Club San Francisco, 16 604 thoroughly researched the great un­ (Lakeside) Cal. touchables, it is just as factual that we Pine Tree GC Boynton Beach, Fla. 16 616 could not hope to have included them Riviera CC Los Angeles, Cal. 17 613 all. If you know a good "untouch­ Pine Valley GC Clementon, N.J. 7 585 able,'' we would like to hear about it. 15 603 If you are intent, however, on pre­ St. Louis CC St. Louis, Mo. 13 571 serving its reputation as an untouch­ The Golf Club New Albany, Ohio 14 618 able, a word of warning: Don't invite Tidewater CC Trenton, Maine 18 620 Tournament Players Ponte Vedra, 9 582 Evan Williams for a friendly round. Club Fla. Or Tom Kite. □ Wee Burn CC Darien, Conn. 6 588 Yale University GC New Haven, Conn. 18 583 Tom Doak is a student at Cornell Uni­ *As far as we ar GOLF Magazine know, no golfer has ever reached these holes at these distances in two shots. versity where his major is golf course ' architecture.

5/82 GOLF MAGAZINE 59 4!4!TheUntouchables" �iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii What's Inside/George Peper

" he Untouchables'': It makes a dogleg left, also from an elevated tee. list was assembled and the article snappy title for a book. Just The hole measures 520 yards as mor­ written by a young man named Tom T ask our Contributing Editor, tals play it, but when Evan stepped to Doak, a 20-year-old student who is Oscar Fraley, who happens to be the his tee shot on that hole, he turned to following in the footsteps of Robert author of the "The Untouchables." me and said, "Mr. Fazio told me just Trent Jones, majoring in golf course But "The Untouchables" isn't a to aim this one straight at the architecture at Cornell University. bad title for a golf article either when green." Doak, who has done research projects the subject is par-five holes that no Now the green on this hole was for us in the past, warmed to the man has ever reached in two shots. barely visible over the tops of the assignment we gave him over a year The idea grew out of a chance trees, about 420 yards as the crow ago and went in to the research full­ encounter several years ago with flies, though no sensible crow would bore, contacting dozens of golf course Evan "Big Cat" Williams, twice the dare cross the terrain in question. architects, local and regional golf national long drive champion. For Nonetheless, Big Cat stepped to the associations and state and regional some reason, Evan and I, both resi­ ball and lined up as directed. Now sections of the PGA of America. To dents of the New York metropolitan Fazio and a couple of his club mem­ each organization and individual he area, had wandered to Tequesta, Fla., bers had walked out to witness this asked the same question: "Do you on the same day and had simulta­ launch, stationing themselves at the know of any par fivesthat have never neously arrived at the then-new Jupi­ crook of the dogleg about 250 yards been reached in two shots?" ter Hills GC course, in search of a out. I still remember watching them Early this year he returned to our game. New York office with a list of 24 Host professional, George Fazio, "certified untouchables," plus an­ kindly introduced us and sent us off other list of holes, such as the famous together in a car. 13th at Myrtle Beach, the 16th at Fire­ Williams' name rang a bell, but I stone CC and the 15th at Harbour couldn't place him until I saw his first To the best of our Town, which have been reached but tee shot, or I should say, watched his only on rare occasions. firsttee shot flyuntil I could no longer knowledge, no one has Taking the list of 24, our editorial see it. That day, on one of the finest ever hit any of these 21 staffwent to the phones for some dou­ courses in America, Williams hit his ble and triple checking. Associate drives pin-high on four par-four monsters in two shots, Editor Nick Mastroni learnedthat the holes, reached all the par fives in two at least not from the 603-yard 12th at Oakmont had been shots and hit a 205-yard par-three hit by both Nicklaus and Weiskopf, with an 8-iron, all en route to a score championship yardages Senior Editor Lew Fishman discov­ of one or two over par. I have never ered that the 600-yard first hole at seen a golf ball hit as long and hard as Spyglass Hill had also been reached a he hit it that day, and I am sure I never couple of times and yours truly will. learned from Bob Benning, the head Two moments stand out in my professional at Congressional CC, memory. One came at the first hole, crane their necks as they followed the that their 599-yard ninth hole had which we played as our 10th. On the flightof the Cat's drive, the way ten­ been hit during practice rounds forthe elevated tee of that 505-yard par five, nis spectators follow a high lob to the 1976 PGA, although "never in actual I hit firstand nailed the ball as square­ baseline. competition." So the list dwindled to ly as I ever have. The ball finally returned to earth the final 21 on page 59. "Evan," I said, "I can't hit it any about 50 yards short of the green. To the best of our knowledge, no better than that. " Fazio still raves about the shot. "He one has ever hit any one of these mon­ The Big Cat smiled, said some­ hit that ball at least 320 yards on the sters in two shots, at least not from the thing kind and then blistered his ball fly. No one has ever cleared those championship yardages we've several subway stops past mine. Vis­ trees-not Nicklaus, not Weiskopf­ listed. ibly pleased, he said, "That's got to no one." Still, we may have missed a gorilla be one of my best, too. Why don't we In the Jupiter Hills tap room later or two, so if you know of someone step 'em off.'' that day, Williams made a strong who has hit one of our magic 21, Moments later we had the num­ claim. "You know," he said, "I please let us hear about him. Also bers. My drive measured 276 yards, don't think there's a par-five hole in despite our attempt to be comprehen­ Williams' was 364. For my "ap­ the world that, under the right sive, we've undoubtedly left out a proach'' I sliced a 2-iron into the trees conditions, I can't reach in two." certified untouchable here or there. If next to the green. Evan feathered a Well, Evan, we may have found a you think you have one, tell us where pitching wedge to four feet. few. On pages 52-59 GOLF MAGA­ it's located. We'll pass the word on to The other happening was also on a ZINE presents the first-ever list of the Big Cat and anyone else who may par five, the 17th, which is a slight America's untouchable par fives.The want to put it to the test. D

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