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As far as most architecture aficionados are concerned, talking about course design can be as enjoyable as playing the holes themselves. We love extolling the virtues of an Alps, especially the original at Prestwick, and the beauty of a Biarritz at, say, Mid Ocean. We relish debates about the quality of various Redans, and the ones that compare most favorably to the prototype, which is No. 15 on the West Links at North Berwick. And we appreciate back-and-forths on how a modern links like Bandon Dunes or Tara Iti stacks up against a classic like Royal Dornoch.
Short par-4s are another frequent topic of conversation. And while the overall merits of that design concept are largely recognized, there is plenty of discourse as to what makes them so good – and which are the preeminent ones in the game.
Loosely defined, a short par-4 runs 300 yards or so. The greens are generally small, well-contoured and well-bunkered. A long hitter is able to reach them with a tee shot, and the most engaging ones give golfers a way to run drives onto the putting surfaces. Yet, short-4s also allow players to hit an iron off the tee, and give those who decide to go that way plenty of room to land those shots, the only drawback being longer approaches into the green.
Ask course architects about the best attributes of a short-4, and the first words out of their mouths are invariably “risk” and “reward.” And more than anything else, that is what hole design is all about. It forces golfers to make choices. The first decision comes on the tee. Is it a driver or a hybrid? Maybe it’s a mid-iron. And it is not just the tee shot but also the approach and what club a player wants to then hit into a green. Perhaps it’s a full pitching wedge. Or maybe a knockdown 8 or 9. Position is key, too, and the most interesting short-4s present a couple of different ways to play. Take the safe route on the drive, and then deal with a more difficult approach that may feature mounding that obscures views of the putting surface, and bunkers that protect it. Or select the tougher line for the drive, where fescue and fairway bunkers might come more easily in play, in return for a more open and less daunting second shot. The possibilities are indeed endless. And one way to gauge the value of a short-4 is by considering how many clubs a golfer takes to the tee. If it is more than a couple, then the hole is doing just what the designer no doubt hoped it would – messing with a player’s mind.
I also like how a short-4 tests the ability to hit both driver and wedge, and to be able to execute different types of short shots, from flopping a 60-degree or bumping a 7-iron. In addition, that style of hole has a way leveling the playing field between the bombers and those who possess far more modest distance, because there is so much more at play than pure distance. And as a golfer of diminishing length, I have come to see a short-4 as a much-welcome respite during a round, for it allows me to hit a short iron into a green for a change as opposed to having to reach yet again for a fairway wood or hybrid. Finally, I appreciate how well short-4s have stood the test of time. They have been a part of golf from the very beginning, and they continue to challenge players of all abilities by compelling them to manage their golf swings through the bag, and also their emotions. Few aspects of the game have been as unaffected by advances in equipment technology, club fitting, course conditioning and physical fitness.
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