Most people talk about the 17th and 18th holes at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina. They are two good golf holes, except for the fact the other 16 holes are a completely different style. For me, it's the short par-4 13th that epitomizes the course's overall personality.
Looking at the back of the tee, you can see the first shot plays two yards downhill, which doesn't seem like a big deal unless you miss club. Driver is not an option on this hole because of what you can't see in the yardage book -- the amount of trees on both sides of the tee box and fairway. The hole looks straight, but it actually plays like a slight dogleg left because of the trees that protect both the tee shot and approach shot to the green.
The key is to hit enough club to get past the bunker on the left, but have the ball finish on the middle to left side of the fairway. That will give a golfer the most open look at the green. The green numbers are important when the hole is located on the back left portion of the green because that's the carry distance to clear that part of the bunker. Smart players will play to the middle of the green when the hole locations are toward the back.
I love the design of this green and the huge deep bunker that protects it! When the hole is on the front of the green and a player comes up short with his approach, the chance to see a ricochet of the wooden planks lining the front of the sand trap is a real possibility. The flip side: if you play safe and hit the middle of the green when the hole is on the front, a 2-putt par can be stressful because of the speed. The green itself doesn't hold any tricky slopes or unseen breaks, but misses right and left in the rough will most likely result in a bogey.
Overall, the 13th is a short fun par-4 that rewards the smart, accurate golfer.
Yardage books provided by Mark Long -- TourSherpa@gmail.com. Copyright 2016 Tour Sherpa, Inc. All rights reserved.