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Closing: Golf courses like a challenge on 18
18 Greatest Holes | Jonah on The Final Three
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By JON MOFFETT
Youngstown
Its purpose is to do one of two things: either empower or embarrass you.
It’s the home stretch. But it doesn’t offer a comforting feeling for many.
It’s the 18th hole.
And as The Vindicator hits the final dogleg of its “18 Greatest Golf Holes of the Valley” project, what bigger star is there than the final hole? But the 18th isn’t just the final hole, it’s usually the most challenging as well.
Several local golf experts weighed in on the history and importance of the final hole.
Andy Santor, the golf professional at Mill Creek Golf Course, and Dennis Miller, the course’s director, break down the North course’s final hole for the latest ‘Greatest’ hole. Miller explains how the length (465 yards) and hazards (a pair of sand traps bordering the green) make the 18th a “very demanding” hole and “challenging from tee to green.”
Miller said the course’s designer, Donald Ross, like many others, designed it to be a fitting finale to a round.
The hole usually has good length, and can incorporate anything from water hazards, sand traps, undulations or other natural obstacles.
Scott MacDonald, the golf director at Reserve Run Golf Course in Poland, said the features of the 18th hole are what make or break an entire course.
“You want to have a little bit of length, some type of outstanding feature, whether it be a lake, mounding, sand trap or whatnot so it stands out,” he said. “That way if someone does well on it they feel accomplished.
McDonald, an unofficial golf historian of sorts, said the phenomenon of making the 18th the marquee hole is a fairly new idea.
“Over the years architecturally, all the former golfers who have gotten into the business always wanted to have that feeling of when you leave the golf course you feel something,” he said. “So they try to make those holes memorable. It’s like the hook you use in business.”
MacDonald added that when the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, just to name a few, retired to the business side of golf, they brought with them the idea of the 18th hole.
“Going back 30 or 40 years when a lot of these courses were built, there was nothing like that,” he said. But people want to see that. For those that were built, you can’t redo them. But the new architectural way is to make those the lasting holes.”
As the last hole a golfer plays, it’s the last memory they’ll have of the course. Which is why there has been such an explosion in making the 18th “the” hole, said Nick Dinsmore of Avalon Lakes.
“Golf courses, just like anything else, are always looking to keep people coming back,” he said. “If you’re beat, you’re probably going to want to come back and try it again. And if you’re successful, you want to come back and try to get that feeling again.”
But there is also a necessity for a difficult finish, Dinsmore added.
“You don’t want a walk in the park to be the deciding factor in a bet, championship or tournament,” he said. “You want something that’s a little bit of a challenge.
“The last hole should get your attention and either leave you beat up or with a sense of accomplishment. It should be a little on the tougher side.”
And that’s one thing the Valley is rich in, MacDonald said. He said the area has some of the most challenging and rewarding holes in the country.
“There are so many good holes in the Valley, and they’re affordable,” he said. “We’re so blessed in this area.”
Dinsmore said that even in a tough economy, golf is still big business.
So Nick was asked to play designer and build his own course. He thought for a second and elaborated.
“I would start with length, obviously something on the longer side,” he said. “You generally finish with a par 4, but you want it to be pretty lengthy. I don’t think it’s specifically bunker or water, but there has to be the ultimate risk or reward.
“You have to take a chance so that you either make the hole easier, or you’re dead.”