Lesson 1: The Straight Hole
The simplest hole shape, and often the most underestimated, is the straight hole — a fairway that runs directly from tee to green with no turn. Simple to understand, but not necessarily simple to play.
On a straight hole, the challenge comes from width, hazard placement, and green position. A narrow straight hole flanked by rough and bunkers can be more demanding than a generous dogleg. The architect controls difficulty through how wide the fairway is, where the bunkers sit, and how the green is oriented to the approach.
The famous 18th hole at Pebble Beach is essentially straight — but it is also one of the most dramatic holes in golf, because the ocean flanks the entire left side, the fairway narrows on approach, and the green is perched right at the cliff edge.
Straightness does not mean simplicity. What happens on the way to the green, and at the green itself, is everything.
A straight hole challenges through width, hazard placement, and green complexity — not through turns. The best straight holes give players a clear view of the risk.
Architects use drone photography to study how straight holes frame against their surroundings — how the fairway corridor will look to the player, and where sight lines will naturally draw the eye. What you see from the tee is as important as what the map shows.
Why do you think architects include straight holes on a course? What would a course be like if every hole had a turn?
Find a straight hole at your facility or research a famous straight hole (the 18th at Pebble Beach, the 18th at Augusta, or the 18th at St. Andrews). Draw it from above. Identify: what makes this hole challenging despite being straight? Where is the risk on this hole? Where would an average player aim, and where would an expert aim?