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Par 5s, First and Last

I don't recall that setup off the top of my head, but, unless it was a severely penal par 5, I think I'd love that setup.

One of my favorite course layouts featured 6 par 3s, 6 par 4s, and 6 par 5s. Loved it.
 
My current home course starts and finishes with a par 5 and has five total. I actually like it as it gives me a really good chance of starting and finishing with a birdie.
 
My home course starts with a par 5 but finishes with a relatively short par 4 (although it is uphill and the fairway slopes from left to right towards the OOB so any slice is in trouble)
 
The course we played yesterday has this. If you can birdie it gets you started strong, it not it feels like you are already behind.
 
I can't say I've played a course that starts and ends with a par 5. I think I'd rather a course end with a par 3...
 
I would love it!

I totally understand that lower handicap players view par-5's as a birdie opportunity while higher handicappers look at them like "I need to hit 3 good shots in a row", but starting and finishing with par-5's offer a great opportunity to begin and end a round with a good score.

The only knock, and I used to play on a course that had an opening par-5, is when you don't get off that first tee so well and now the scoring opportunity may be lost.
 
My old course ended with one but did not start with one. I liked ending on it though as you can get home in 2 with a mid iron if you hit a solid drive. You have to carry it to the green though as there is a small pond right against the front of the green.
 
A local course here called Indian Canyon used to have par 5's on 1 and 18.
A couple of years ago, they changed the par on #1 to a 4.
 
HarlettoScara said:
Ooft, I would be delighted to get to the 5th only 4 over!
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It's pretty brutal... The 1st hole isn't bad but you have to drive pretty well and a draw helps. If you slice or hit it short or thru the fairway its a legit par 5. The 2nd is uphill and the green has a lot of slope. Its a 3 putt waiting to happen. The 3rd is pretty flat & wide open but at 600 yards it takes 3 solid shots to get there. The 4th hole is borderline unfair. Decent sized stream running diagonally down the fairway so you have to pick a side. Then about 180 yards from the tee a large oak tree. Its a 420 yard hole so your gonna have a long approach if you were fortunate enough to avoid the stream. Of course its a 2 tiered green so good luck with that.

I would say +4 is pretty good start...
 
I play a course with a par 5 opener. I like it. I feel like it give me a chance that even if my opening shot is not ideal. I have a chance at recovery. I play another course with a par 3 opener. It is 175 yards, that hole is terrible..
 
DaBuckBoys said:
It's pretty brutal... The 1st hole isn't bad but you have to drive pretty well and a draw helps. If you slice or hit it short or thru the fairway its a legit par 5. The 2nd is uphill and the green has a lot of slope. Its a 3 putt waiting to happen. The 3rd is pretty flat & wide open but at 600 yards it takes 3 solid shots to get there. The 4th hole is borderline unfair. Decent sized stream running diagonally down the fairway so you have to pick a side. Then about 180 yards from the tee a large oak tree. Its a 420 yard hole so your gonna have a long approach if you were fortunate enough to avoid the stream. Of course its a 2 tiered green so good luck with that.

I would say +4 is pretty good start...
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From what you say yeah, +4 is pretty good. Walk onto the 5th with a sigh of relief and try and make up the score. Easy to have a very bad day after that haha
 
I dont think that Ive ever played a course that started off with a par 5. I think Id actually quite like that because it would give me more shots to recover with and it always seems like the first hole is kind of shaky for me.
 
The course I played in college started and ended with a par 5. It also had 5 par 3's and 5 par 5's.
 
OGputtnfool said:
....
One of my favorite course layouts featured 6 par 3s, 6 par 4s, and 6 par 5s. Loved it.
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The course hosting our regional league next Mon supposedly has six of each. I've not played it before but am excited for that many par 3s and 5s.
 
My home course #1 and #18 are both part 5s. Neither one is very easy.
 
I've played a few that started with a Par 5 but never both start/end. Better than starting with a Par 3 I suppose.
Also a course near me ends with a Par 6. It's around 670 on the scorecard.
 
The course I play starts and finishes both nines with par 5's, with a fifth one on 16 for good measure. The last 3 holes are tough, par 5,4,5 with water left, right and long on the par4 and ball swallowing rough to boot.
 
jin_xianjun said:
I've played a few that started with a Par 5 but never both start/end. Better than starting with a Par 3 I suppose.
Also a course near me ends with a Par 6. It's around 670 on the scorecard.
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Birdie hole!
 
My home course originally opened and closed with par 5s. They switched nines, so now they start and end with tough 4s. The originals are now 9 and 10. But every once in a while they start off of 10 (original 1) and we get to play "the old way". (That old first hole featured two forced carries, 2nd and 3rd shots over a creek that meandered across the fairway and ended on a semi island green with water behind. Tough way to start)
 
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