Courses with Memorable Opening Holes


There are several golf courses around the U.S. with outstanding No. 1 holes. Like the first chapter of a book, the opener introduces the layout and offers a glimpse of what's ahead in the round.

Enthralling Opening Hole at Top of the Rock

There are some memorable opening holes that really get players amped up. Avid golfers know all about the first holes at St. Andrews, Machrihanish and Bethpage Black (which features a famous warning sign beside the tee), but there are others - especially in the U.S. - that offer similar cachet.

Top of the Rock - This Jack Nicklaus Signature Design and amenity of Big Cedar Lodge near Branson in Southwest Missouri may have the only first hole in the world bordered by a wedding chapel and a honeymoon cabin. And that's just for starters. Perched high above Table Rock Lake, the hole mere steps from the Buffalo Bar patio offers sweeping vistas across the water. The setting appeals to newlyweds and golfers alike.

Desert Highlands Golf Club - The first hole at this Arizona layout is a beauty and a beast. The beauty is off the tee, as a granite grotto shelters the box and frames a wonderful view of the surrounding valley. The beast: golfers need to carry their opening tee shot 200 yards over desert and rocks to a fairway 125 feet below. The hole is true desert golf, which means there's trouble along both sides of the fairway. The approach is no slouch either with a drop-off behind the putting surface.

1st Hole at Pound Ridge

The Sports Club, Cottonwood Valley Course - There's nothing resoundingly different about the tee shot at this Irving, Texas, course, which is part of The Sports Club that includes the TPC Four Seasons. What catches your eye is a green shaped like the Lone Star State. If that's not unique enough, a bunker resembling Oklahoma is above the green, with water (mimicking the Gulf of Mexico) lurking at the right-front. Toughest pin placements: Amarillo, El Paso, Brownsville and Houston.

Telluride Golf Club - Picture standing at a tee 9,400 feet above sea level, with glorious mountain views and towering firs lining the fairway. You're at the first tee at Telluride Golf Club in Colorado. Another attractive feature of this 377-yarder: The thin mountain air and downhill tee shot make going for the green with your first shot of the day very tempting.

Pound Ridge Golf Club - Theatrics always seems to be the name of the game at Pete Dye-designed courses, and the opener at this New York City-area gem doesn't disappoint. Stretching 453 yards, Pound Ridge's No. 1 has trees engirding the fairway, with a massive bunker guarding the green on three sides. Adding appeal is a water feature that defines the back part of a greenside bunker.