Old Tom Morris introduced the concept at Prestwick’s original second hole, now the seventeenth, and his mentee C. B. MacDonald brought the template to the United States. The Alps hole is one of the most polarizing of C.B. Macdonald’s templates because it puts a feeling of uncertainty in players’ minds with its blind or semi-blind approach shot.
The template is called an Alps because a large hill or mountain blocks the player’s approach and view of the green on his or her second shot.
The first Alps Macdonald built, this one features a diagonal left-to-right fairway, adding interest from the tee. Of the hole, Tom Doak said, “Macdonald’s third hole at National Golf Links was not just an homage to the Alps at Prestwick, but an improvement on the hole.” It takes a true golf genius to improve on anything from Prestwick.
Many of the best Alps holes have punchbowl greens because of the blind nature of the shot, making it less penal. The green often sits in the hollow of the mountain (like the original) and has a bit of a bank behind to help with long shots.
the cupHole A circular hole in the ground which is also called “the cup”, 4.25 inches in diameter.
Who is the person above who designed the original Redan hole at North Berwick? The above hole is the 15th at Camargo Club in Cincinnati, Ohio which was designed by Seth Raynor.
In 1892, the in Downers Grove, Illinois was selected by Charles Blair MacDonald. What is this? MacDonald built a nine-hole course that expanded to 18 holes in 1893, making the Downers Grove Golf Club the site of the first 18-hole golf course in America.
Chicago Golf ClubChicago Golf Club is considered the oldest 18-hole course in North America (although the club's original site has public golf, nine-hole Downers Grove, which dates back to 1892). Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx considers itself to be the first public golf course in the U.S. (1895).
A hole with a severe dogleg (up to 90° from tee to green) around a large water hazard or similar obstacle; the golfer must decide how much of the hazard to carry with his tee shot – more carry means more risk, but results in a shorter approach to the green if executed properly.
Specifically, a Redan hole has a green which slopes downwards and away from the point of entrance, typically the front right portion of the green. Links golf is played on the ground as much as in the air and, consequently, the green slopes away from the golfer playing to the green from the tee or fairway.
The Chicago Golf ClubThe Chicago Golf Club opens the United States' first 18-hole golf course on the site of the present-day Downers Grove Golf Course. The Chicago Golf Club moved to its current location in 1895.
In 1764, the golfers at St Andrews decided to combine the first four short holes into two, to produce a round of 18 holes, though it was still 10 holes of which 8 were played twice. Thus was born the 18-hole round, though it would be hundred years before there were eighteen holes and other courses followed suit.
Foxburg Country Club, established in 1887, is the oldest golf course in continuous use in the United States. It is located in Foxburg, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States of America, approximately 55 miles (89 km) north of Pittsburgh on a hill rising about 300 feet above the Allegheny River.
Old Tom MorrisThe course evolved without the help of any one architect for many years, though notable contributions to its design were made by Daw Anderson in the 1850s and Old Tom Morris (1865–1908), who designed the 1st and 18th holes.
Kinghorn (1812) Over the centuries it would change many times with castles, towers and other structures built on the land. Even with all this, the links survived with the course starting in 1812. Initially made up of 9 holes, Kinghorn has a proud tradition of being open to the public.
The Old Course at St Andrews Links in Fife, Scotland, UK, is the oldest golf course in the world. Archbishop Hamilton's Charter in 1552 is the earliest documentary evidence that allowed the people of St Andrews to play golf on the Links.
S cotland’s Prestwick Golf Club, birthplace of the Open Championship, was also the site of the first Alps Hole. Old Tom Morris introduced the concept at Prestwick’s original second hole, now the seventeenth, and his mentee C. B. MacDonald brought the template to the United States.
The most famous of the Alps template in America is National Golf Links’s 3rd hole. From the start, a player is thrown off with the diagonal fairway that is heavily bunkered short and long, making a precise tee shot a must. A tee shot to the left will shorten the hole but makes the approach even more uphill. Tee shots down the right side will leave a less severe approach over the Alps hill and a peek at the green. The subtle punchbowl green is guarded by deep bunkering short of the putting surface.
The first demand the Alps hole requires the player is to find the fairway. The blind approach is a difficult one so it pays to play with full control of your shot. A good tee shot will leave a mid-iron approach where long is better than short. The punchbowl green will funnel a slightly long shots back to the green, while one that comes up short will find the treacherous front Sahara bunkering.
No. 4 at Fishers Island is arguably the greatest hole on Seth Raynor’s masterpiece. Favoring the right side of the fairway yields the best approach but also brings the risk of the shore into play. On the blind approach, players must judge the pin position off of the flagpole in the distance. The punchbowl green is one of the largest in the Raynor/Macdonald portfolio. It features a subtle spine on the back half, which makes almost every pin a bit more challenging.
The Raynor design in Cincinnati has a great uphill Alps hole in its 427 yard seventh hole. The blind second shot at Camargo to a punchbowl green still has the original hidden Sahara bunkers to snag any poorly struck mid-iron approach shots. A look at the sahara bunkers that guard the front of Camargo's 7th green.
A modern twist on the Alps template lies at Applebrook Golf Club, a Gil Hanse design in Malvern, PA. The 3rd hole at Applebrook is a drivable par-4 that features a blind shot from the tee. If a player lays up, they will be faced with another blind approach to the green. For those who attempt to drive the green, the goal is to carry the Sahara bunker that sits about 265 yards from the tee. If executed, a good shot will then funnel into the giant punchbowl complex. Chips from around the green are very challenging due to the severity of the depressed punchbowl.
Dubbed “Big Ben,” the seventh is the signature hole at Seth Raynor’s great layout at Morris County. The club recently restored the hole to its original glory by bringing back its great punchbowl green complex, and the bunkering behind the green makes players wary of going long.
The Andermatt Swiss Alps Golf Course was named Switzerland’s Best Golf Course by World Golf Awards in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020. In addition, at the Swiss Golf Awards 2018, golfers in Switzerland voted the Andermatt Swiss Alps Golf Course number one in the category “Best 18-hole course in Switzerland”.
The 18 holes are rich in variety and feature different challenges. Here you’ll find a description of each hole at the Andermatt Swiss Alps Golf Course.