With its elevated tees above the famous Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale pond, this most delicate of short-shot holes plays to a peninsula green that is rather simple in terms of breaks and rolls. The shortest of holes does not always translate to the easiest, as is proved here. At the back of the rolling green is a target location guarded by a strong ridge that serves as a barrier to the upper level. The danger at the left is the steep drop-off where a ball may bound toward the out-of-bounds. To the right, an angled bunker prompts a different angle of approach from the tee than if the hole is a bit to the left. Anticipating the precise hole location comes with its rewards. With a pronounced ridge extending into the green surface, hole locations here will confound the tee shot to a significant degree. 6, where the golfer might do well to engage their own sixth sense. In a nutshell, it’s a devious little hole. The green sits on a ridge with its surface a mystery until one arrives to begin the putting. Although it’s just a mere wedge to the green, the common question overheard is, “What green?” Elevated above a deep bunker and concealed by an equally strong mound, this small green is only evident by way of seeing the flagstick. 5 is a seemingly tiny hole that sends a signal the round is becoming even more interesting. Often described as “the par-three that acts more like a four,” this is the longest of the holes at Mountain Shadows. Occasionally - on a lucky day - you may see the hole cut into the dip itself, which by all accounts makes the hole play much more forgiving. The dip across the green is nearly 4-feet deep and creates two distinct platforms to set the flagstick, one to the front and one to the back. This valley will be a welcome reprieve to those who do not want to tangle with the bunker set short and to the right side of the green. The Biarritz at Mountain Shadows is a twist on the original sporting a low valley to the left of the green. Enamored with its design was Charles Blair Macdonald, who eventually brought the concept back to the United States and integrated it to his famous Chicago Golf Club. At the far side was a unique green with a deep and pronounced swale running from left to right across the line from the tee. The hole was extremely long across a deep canyon. The original Biarritz hole sat along the Atlantic coast of France above Bay of Biscay. Once at the green the player is greeted with an amazing peek at Camel Head, the red rock feature that completes Camelback Mountain at its western tip. Luck - both the good variety and the alternative - will come into play as shots careen off the mounds and rattle around within the confines of the green. Second, at the mid point the green becomes very narrow, bringing the mounds more into play. First, the slightly uphill hole requires a gauge of length, not only to the green, but specifically to the front lobe or the more hidden back. Although there are no bunkers, the thoughtful player will understand this by no means translates to an easy par. Like its counterparts in the opening stretch, the eternal backdrop is the rugged and reddish slopes of Camelback Mountain.įrom the Old French word flacon, used to describe a vase or bottle, The Flagon Hole is indeed a “bottle” with its pinched green tucked among dramatic mounds. This is the primary challenge: The long mid-iron shot to an uphill green allows for a 25-yard swing in hole length. 2 will not play the same from day to day with its 100-foot deep green. It’s all there for the taking.įlanked by two bunkers, the long green cascades down toward the tee with three levels. The right half will demand respect for the green contours, requiring a shot landing left of the hole that allows the ball to feed down to the right. A left placement will demand more accuracy as everything slopes right. The smart play from the tee will be greatly influenced by pin location. The green is defined by an upper bowl at the left and a low gathering area to the right. With a ridge running along the front, only a portion of the large green can be seen from the tees. Peering up to the famous Camelback Mountain, the opener plays to a slightly elevated green backed by steep slopes.
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