A blind hole is “only blind once” – so the great Tommy Armour, a three-time major champion, is said to have told legendary architect Pete Dye.
But when the mystery fades as the layout is revealed, what are you left with? A hole that’s probably politely described as “controversial”.
That was a word that came up often when characterising the par-3 14th at Hunstanton. “A fully blind one-shot hole that seems to draw ire from many who are not as understanding as others,” said the experts at Evalu18.
It required a solid strike and stretched out to 219 yards at its full length, but the distance was deceptive. Once you’d played over a ridge, the ball ran downhill towards the green.
Great if you got it right. The wilder efforts of club golfers, though, meant it could be a lottery as to where the ball might eventually end up.
“Individually, I never had a particular problem with the hole. A good shot would always go on the green,” said Hunstanton General Manager Chris White.
“But, equally, a variety of bad shots that seemed to be a long way offline would end up on the green as well. Is it just something about a blind par-3 that doesn’t sit very well?”
In that spirit, the Norfolk club have completely transformed the hole over the winter, turning the once blind shot into a shorter, slightly uphill but still challenging iron into a new green.
The work forms the latest step in architect Martin Hawtree’s masterplan to strengthen the renowned Top 100 venue.
What changes have been made to Hunstanton Golf Club’s 14th hole?
In a phased project, Hawtree has redesigned the course from the 12th to the 15th with the new par-3 as the crowning glory.
But the work wasn’t simply about aesthetics.
“One of the main problems of the 14th, forgetting the architecture of it, was that it was quite a long hole and very close to another par-3,” added White.
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“So if the pin was back left on both those holes at the same time there would only be 20 feet between them.
“For someone hitting a 3-wood in blind over a sand dune, even if you shouted ‘fore’ at the top of your lungs, no one is ever going to hear it or assume it’s for them.
“That was the obvious starting point [to make changes], but if you’re going to do it you might as well make a fantastic golf hole.”
Where the tee shot once played over the top of two grass bunkers, a new green has been laid using turf from the old putting surface.
Tees have been constructed around 30 yards back and to the right, changing the angle and revealing that new green complex in all its glory.
The green also features Hawtree’s signature run-offs on all sides and the hole will play 190 yards from the Championship tee, and 160 to 170 yards when introduced into daily play later this year.
White added: “It’s in a slightly different direction to the rest of our holes. We’re quite a traditional out-and-back course and you either play downwind or into the wind.
“The 14th sits at a 45-degree angle. There are no bunkers and the topography of the land is the challenge.
“You won’t end up putting your ball in your pocket because you got stuck in a huge revetted bunker. The challenge is using the natural contours of the land as much as possible, which is the point of links golf.”
It will certainly add some more bite from the tips to Hunstanton’s famous finish, with the closing stretch now playing as a 190-yard par-3 14th, 470-yard par-4 15th, 190-yard par-3 16th, 475-yard par-4 17th, and 465-yard par-4 18th.
Said White: “The Hunstanton mile is going to be tough.”
Main image: A view of the new 14th hole at Hunstanton Golf Club | Source: Supplied
Now have your say
What did you think of the 14th at Hunstanton Golf Club? Will you visit and play the new hole when it opens? Let us know in the comments or drop us a line on X.
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