465 Yards Par 4

Imagine a par-four version of the finishing hole at Shinnecock Hills and you have a fair idea of the 18th hole architect Mike Strantz created at Bulls Bay Golf Club. Set amid towering dunes and buffeted by constant and at times strong winds off the nearby Atlantic, this dogleg left stretches 465 yards to a dramatically elevated green. Yawning bunkers just inside the dogleg require a big drive to carry anytime, but if the tee shot is into the wind, forget it. Play safely right of the sand to a more-than-generous fairway and be content with a long, uphill approach to a small green tucked into 75-foot-tall dunes. Careful consideration of both the wind and the sharp elevation change, not to mention precise execution, is required on the second shot. Come up short and your ball will roll for yards, back down the fairway, or worse – into one of a series of bunkers or sandy waste areas cut into the hill.

Photo Credit: Holger M. E. Obenaus