Nichlaus On Nos. 16 And 17: The Hinge That Can Swing The Open

U.S. Open golf courses usually present at least one stretch of critical holes where the championship is decided. The 1970 Open at Hazltine will be no exception. It will be won—or lost—somewhere between the tee of the par-3, 214-yard 16th hole and the green of the par-4, 344-yard 17th. Players must make their pars at 16 in order to feel safe in going for birdies at the 17th, a dogleg right that is the shortest but trickiest par-4 on the course. Players who make a bogey—or worse—at the 16th will be pressing on the 17th tee. And the 17th is a miniature dragon that likes to swallow desperate golfers.

Stepping onto the 16th tee, the players probably will not be thinking too seriously about their impending problems. Instead, I suspect that most of them will be in a positive frame of mind after having played the 14th and 15th holes. Now, though, the abyss yawns.

The 16th will be played with a crosswind sweeping from left to right into Lake Hazeltine, which borders the hole but will not be a hazard factor in the Open. The tee is about level with the green, but there is a deep gully between them. A trap on the front right edge of the green will catch everything in that direction; trees and a few traps will penalize shots that stray left. The tee shot must carry the putting surface, which is one of the longest on the course. I will play a long iron—a two or a three—and try to work the ball from the left side toward the middle of the green. Many players will play a three-or a four-wood into this green. This is the type of hole that preys heavily on a golfer's mind as he stands over his ball on the tee. Indeed, many players will be thinking so intently about hitting a ball 214 yards to a target on top of a hill that they will outthink themselves and hit a poor shot.

The 17th poses completely different problems. It is not a driving hole. Instead, the great majority of players will hit a long iron into the wind off the tee. Where will they hit it? Anyplace in the fairway, thank you. Standing on the tee, you can see the trees that guard the right rough and spell trouble. You do not want to hit your ball to the right. The trick off the tee will be to hit your ball somewhere around the base of the mound out about 200 yards on the left. There are trees atop this mound, and balls hit into the hill—though they should roll down and land in the fairway—would be positioned so that the golfer would be standing below the level of his ball. A well-placed tee shot—and only a well-placed one—will leave about a nine-iron to the green. There are three traps around the green, including two that guard the front, and there is water below the green on the right and left. This water runs alongside the right of the landing area, too. The green at 17 offers unlimited pin-placement possibilities, and it has more hills than San Francisco. There will be more three putts here than at any other green. The trick will be to keep your ball below the hole with your approach for an uphill putt. Good luck.