My nominee: No. 16 at Tobacco Road
It is like playing two par 3's in one. First, you hit your tee shot (long iron/hybrid) to the "fairway" which you cannot see. Because of the blind landing and the heavy rough, any ball slightly offline will get swiped by the windmill blade into neverland. (While I will found three balls, I managed to lose mine). The approach shot - pretty much the same thing except with short iron.
Honorable Mention: No. 18 at Yale.
If you have ever played it, you will agree there is no other golf hole in the world anything like it. Unlike the hole at Tobacco Road, I find the hole interesting and fun.
Full Version: Windmill Holes - Where are they?
I just got back from playing Paa-ko Ridge in Albuquerque with my son this weekend and I would have to nominate holes 22, 24, and 26. They added a third nine since the last time I played the course 3-4 years ago and the rotation on the day we played was 10-18 and 19-27. Since it was my son's first time to play there I really wanted to play 1-18 and show him the original layout, but that wasn't an option.
Anyway holes 22, 24 and 26 are all par 3s ranging in length from 190 to 238 yards (blue tees). Ok so far, here is the kicker, they all three play from elevated tee boxes that range from 100 to 200 vertical feet above the greens. I like a downhill par 3 as much as the next guy, and one or two out of 18 holes would have been ok, but three of them on one nine is a bit much! I realize the course designer has to work with the topography of the property, but there had to be another way to route the holes so that one or two could have played level or even slightly uphill and give the golfer some variety. Hole 22 has the biggest vertical drop and standing on the tee box does give you an awesome panoramic view of the mountains and holes 23 and 24, but by the time you come to hole 26, the novelty of hitting 2 clubs less than you normally would for the distance is gone.
On top of that we tee'd off and 9:00 am and putted out on 18 at 2:10 pm. That is not a typo it was a 5-plus hour round. We played as a twosome and were never out of position and in fact had to wait on the foursome in front of us several times. They weren't the problem, it was a group 3-4 holes in front of them according to the marshall who came around 3 or 4 times and said there wasn't anything he could do.
Paa-ko Ridge has always been one of my favorite courses, but if that is pace of play these days, I am not sure I will go back. Sorry for the long rant, but the more I thought about it those three par 3s the more it seemed like a poor design.
Anyway holes 22, 24 and 26 are all par 3s ranging in length from 190 to 238 yards (blue tees). Ok so far, here is the kicker, they all three play from elevated tee boxes that range from 100 to 200 vertical feet above the greens. I like a downhill par 3 as much as the next guy, and one or two out of 18 holes would have been ok, but three of them on one nine is a bit much! I realize the course designer has to work with the topography of the property, but there had to be another way to route the holes so that one or two could have played level or even slightly uphill and give the golfer some variety. Hole 22 has the biggest vertical drop and standing on the tee box does give you an awesome panoramic view of the mountains and holes 23 and 24, but by the time you come to hole 26, the novelty of hitting 2 clubs less than you normally would for the distance is gone.
On top of that we tee'd off and 9:00 am and putted out on 18 at 2:10 pm. That is not a typo it was a 5-plus hour round. We played as a twosome and were never out of position and in fact had to wait on the foursome in front of us several times. They weren't the problem, it was a group 3-4 holes in front of them according to the marshall who came around 3 or 4 times and said there wasn't anything he could do.
Paa-ko Ridge has always been one of my favorite courses, but if that is pace of play these days, I am not sure I will go back. Sorry for the long rant, but the more I thought about it those three par 3s the more it seemed like a poor design.
First one I can think of is number 8 on the Wekopa Cholla course. Its 550 or so par 5 where you have to lay up with a wedge or 9 iron to a fairway that doglegs hard right down to a wash then hard left into a tiny green with a desert wash short bunker back and its tough to get a wedge into. Instead you have 150 or 160 into the green and if you hit your layup bad it will be a blind shot. One of the worst designs I have ever scene especially on an otherwise great golf course. Google it there was quite the debate about it on their facebook page.
One that some people hate but I like is 11 at Lake Presidential in Maryland. It is a 380 yard par 4 from the tips but what makes it fun or frustrating is the green. The green is fairly small and elevated about 12-15 feet with a steep slope all the way around. If conditions are firm and you can't get enough spin on the ball it is almost impossible to hold and your ball will roll off. I actually enjoy having to play that soft high flop from off the green if you miss but it drives some guys nuts.
Just played a strange one for the first time last week – definitely would be an advantage to have played the course prior. Gull Lake View East in Kalamazoo, MI. Eighth hole, 314 yards, slight dogleg/curve. Blind, steep downhill tee shot but there's a little sign that say 234 to the water. At the bottom of the slope, there's maybe 5 yards of flat, then about a 15 yard wide swamp/wetland area. Then a beautiful little peninsula that's around 25 yards wide with the earthen side protected by overhanging trees, another 15 yards of water, a little strip of rough and then the green with water on one side.
Yardage book recommends hitting a 200 yard club. Okey dokey. So 200 yards (+20 or so extra roll due to slope) to the middle leaves you with a fairly steep downhill lie to an uphill green, over water, or you can chip onto the peninsula then chip onto the green. If you know the course you could probably shoot from the tee for the peninsula with a three wood and hope it holds. If you can bomb it and shape your shots, maybe take a shot at the green.
Just a strange little hole with bogey written all over it.
Yardage book recommends hitting a 200 yard club. Okey dokey. So 200 yards (+20 or so extra roll due to slope) to the middle leaves you with a fairly steep downhill lie to an uphill green, over water, or you can chip onto the peninsula then chip onto the green. If you know the course you could probably shoot from the tee for the peninsula with a three wood and hope it holds. If you can bomb it and shape your shots, maybe take a shot at the green.
Just a strange little hole with bogey written all over it.
17 at Martis Camp in Truckee California, a 225 par 3 to a green that is 3 tiered, with a hogback, with Tom Fazio undulation and on top of that the greens usually play about a 12 or a 13 
I'll nominate #4 of the North Course at Grand Cypress, Orlando. They just redesigned the hole last year, and whereas the previous layout's green was "easy," the new green is downright impossible to hold/putt on. It has slopes and ridges and mounds like I've never seen before. It's just absurd. EVERYONE I played it with over the course of a couple days said it was just ridiculous, and I couldn't agree more. It unaffectionately quickly became known as "the clown hole." LOL
Ok, I'll ask, what is a "windmill hole?"
QUOTE (Shanks For The Memories @ Aug 26 2009, 02:08 PM) 
Ok, I'll ask, what is a "windmill hole?"
Poor desgin/ unfair hole...should be easy to figure out from the responses.
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