Examining over 700 courses across five continents, including many of the world’s best (and lesser well-knows), provides plenty of inspiration and precedent...
Hole 17 "Road" - St Andrews; Scotland
Hole 11 "High (In)" - St Andrews; Scotland
Hole 14 "Long" - St Andrews; Scotland
Hole 14 "Cape" - New York; USA - C.B. MacDonald
Hole 3 - Victoria; Australia - Alister MacKenzie / Alex Russell / Vern Morcom
Hole 10 - Victoria; Australia - Alister MacKenzie / Alex Russell / Vern Morcom
Hole 9 - California; USA - Alister MacKenzie
Hole 10 - New Jersey; USA - George Crump et. al.
Hole 14 "Foxy" - Sutherland; Scotland - Old Tom Morris
Hole 5 - Pennyslvania; USA - Hugh Wilson
Hole 9 - East Lothian; Scotland - Old Tom Morris / H.S. Colt / Tom Simpson
Hole 16 - New York; USA - William Flynn
Hole 15 "Redan" - East Lothian; Scotland
Hole 13 "Pit" - East Lothian; Scotland
Hole 2 "Sea" - East Lothian; Scotland
Hole 1 - Nebraska; USA - Bill Coore / Ben Crenshaw
Hole 3 "Cardinal" - Ayrshire; Scotland - Old Tom Morris / James Braid / John R. Strutt
Hole 13 "Sea Headrig" - Ayrshire; Scotland - Old Tom Morris / James Braid / John R. Strutt
Hole 2 - New York; USA - Devereux Emmet / Walter Travis
Hole 3 - Victoria; Australia - Des Soutar / Alister MacKenzie / Vern Morcom / Graeme Grant
Hole 15 - Victoria; Australia - Des Soutar / Alister MacKenzie / Vern Morcom / Graeme Grant
Hole 12 - Surrey; England - Willie Park Jr. / H.S. Colt
Hole 9 - North Carolina; USA - Donald Ross
Hole 13 "Sea Hole" - East Sussex; England - H.S. Colt / Douglas Rolland / Tom Simpson / Sir Guy Campbell / Major H.C. Tippet
Hole 17 - Berkshire; England - H.S. Colt
Hole 17 "Nose" - Connnecticuit; USA - C.B. MacDonald / Seth Raynor
Hole 7 - Nebraska; USA - Tom Doak
Hole 5 - Suffolk; England - Tom Dunn / Captain A.M. Ross / H.S. Colt
Hole 6 - Co. Kerry; Ireland - Patrick Murphy / M. Smyth / Tom Simpson / Molly Gourlay
Hole 8 - Kansas; USA - Perry Maxwell / Press Maxwell
Hole 5 "Table" - Devon; England - Old Tom Morris / Herbert Fowler
Hole 5 - Surrey, England - Herbert Fowler
Hole 7 - Tasmania; Australia - Tom Doak
Hole 1 - New York; USA - A.W. Tillinghast
Hole 4 - Surrey; England - Tom Dunn / Stuart Paton / John Low
Hole 14 - Aberdeenshire; Scotland - Tom Simpson
Hole 6 - New York; USA - C.B. MacDonald / Seth Raynor
Hole 13 - West Sussex; England - C.K. Hutchinson / Sir Guy Campbell / S.V. Hotchkin
Hole 2 - New Jersey; USA - A.W. Tillinghast
Hole 3 - Lincolnshire; England - S.V. Hotchkin / C.K. Hutchison
Hole 10 - Surrey; England - H.S. Colt
Hole 14 - Callifornia; USA - Alister MacKenzie
Hole 9 - Kent; England - W. Laidlaw Purves / Alister MacKenzie / Frank Pennink
Hole 15 - Illinois; USA - Seth Raynor
Hole 1 - Argyllshire; Scotland - Charles Hunter / Old Tom Morris / Sir Guy Campbell
Hole 3 - South Australia; Australia - Des Soutar / Alister MacKenzie
Hole 6 - Cornwall; England - James Braid
Hole 5 - Ontario; Canada - Stanley Thompson / Robbie Robinson
Hole 9 - Hawke's Bay; New Zealand - Tom Doak
Hole 10 - Victoria; Australia - Alex Russell / Vern Morcom
Hole 6 - East Sussex; England - A.T. Scott
Hole 3 - Massachusetts; USA - Willie Campbell / William Flynn
Hole 3 - Oxfordshire; England - Willie Park Jr.
Hole 14 "Spectacles" - Angus; Scotland - Allan Robertson / Old Tom Morris / James Braid / James Wright
Hole 8 - Victoria; Australia - S. Bennett / Charles Lane / Sloan Morpeth / Vern Morcom
Hole 3 - Isle of Islay; Scotland - Willie Campbell
Hole 13 - New York; USA - A.W. Tillinghast
Hole 8 - Maine; USA - Alexander H. Findley / Walter Travis
Hole 1 - Wirral; England - George Morris / Robert Chambers / James Braid / H.S. Colt / Frank Pennink
Hole 13 - Berkshire; England - Herbert Fowler / H.S. Colt / Tom Simpson
Hole 9 - Norfolk; England - Horace Hutchinson / Holcombe Ingelby / C.K. Hutchinson
Hole 4 - New York; USA - Devereux Emmet
Hole 7 - Mid-Glamorganshire; Wales
Hole 13 - Wellington; New Zealand - Alex Russell
Hole 12 - New Jersey; USA - Walter Travis
Hole 2 - Cumbria; England - Willie Park Sr. / Willie Park Jr.
Hole 6 - Wisconsin; USA - William Langford
Hole 1 - Fife; Scotland - H.S. Colt
Hole 3 - Kent; England - J.F. Abercomby
Hole 12 - Powys; Wales - James Braid
Hole 9 - Massachusetts; USA - Herbert C. Leeds
Hole 15 "Punchbowl" - New York; USA - C.B. MacDonald / A.W. Tillinghast
Hole 12 - Herefordshire; England - C.K. Hutchison
Hole 11 - Iowa; USA - William Langford
Hole 13 - Lincolnshire; England - Willie Fernie
Hole 16 - Florida; USA - Bill Coore / Ben Crenshaw
Hole 18 - Surrey; England - Mure Fergusson / Tom Simpson
Hole 4 - County Louth; Ireland - Cecil Barcroft / Tom Simpson
Hole 17 - Florida; USA - Pete Dye
Hole 10 - Hampshire; England - J.H. Taylor / Tom Simpson
Hole 6 - Fife; Scotland - Old Tom Morris / James Braid
Hole 3 "Redan" - New York; USA - C.B. MacDonald
Hole 12 - Cornwall; England - James Braid
Hole 8 - Pennsylvania; USA - Howard Toomey / William Flynn
Hole 16 - Kent; England - Tom Dunn / Sir Guy Campbell
Hole 17 - Perthshire; Scotland - James Braid / C.K. Hutchison
Hole 3 - Indiana; USA - William Langford
Hole 17 - Morayshire; Scotland - Old Tom Morris
Hole 15 "Bell Hole" - Cumbria; England - Willie Fernie
Hole 16 - Cumbria; England - Willie Campbell / George Lowe
Hole 7 - Michigan; USA - Alister MacKenzie / Perry Maxwell
Hole 12 - South Taranaki; New Zealand
Hole 2 - County Down; Northern Ireland - Old Tom Morris / Seymour Dunn / Harry Vardon
Hole 6 - South Island; New Zealand - Reg Romans / B.V. Wright
No education in golf course architecture is complete without surveying the significant holes and courses, experiencing the spirit, dignity and culture of the game known by its British forebears. But, great holes can be found (and built) almost anywhere...