Great Golf Holes: No. 2 at Talking Stick

Bill Coore takes us through the wonderfully simple second hole at the O'odham Course (Originally the North Course) at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, AZ. Armed with a dead flat desert site, Coore and Crenshaw utilized a barbed wire fence to create a memorable par 5.
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[@robertanderson6149]

Having played it, it is memorable. It gets your full attention. Feels like a real challenge coming so early in the round.

[@1791clh]

might be my favorite hole in the Valley

[@duffdesigns]

beautifully designed hole, its so simple but it serves its purpose so well. Really love this one

[@danmyers9372]

Sorry but I totally disagree. Placing out of bounds all the way down one side of a hole and so close to the edge is just lazy/poor design. All you had to do was move the hole over about 50 yards to the right. OB should be used to penalize wildly inaccurate shots. Not shots that are 20-25 yards left of the center of a fairway. OB slows play way down and makes golf way less enjoyable.

[@duffdesigns]

Thats the point of the design however, It makes you play close to the OB for a better angle in and an easier shot, basic risk reward; although the risk is very high for a smallish reward. And to be honest i think some of the best designed how are some of the most controversial like this one. To each their own however, design is very subjective@@danmyers9372

[@GS-rj4dq]

Really appreciate Fried Egg Golf and all you guys do. Thank you!

[@smokeymcpot1799]

That is a KISS hole if I've ever seen one. Keeping it simple works.

[@jimlahey3919]

Keep it simple, by just aiming for the center of the green? Yea that works, if you can hit a green from that distance every time. You can’t miss the green, left, right, short, or long, but yea, easy hole if you just hold the green. Just like every par 3 in the history of golf.

[@rodneydowd4739]

I could listen to this guy all day. Grab a bottle of scotch and cigar, let’s go ❤

[@bornontilt748]

Had a closer putt for birdie than I did for bogey on that hole in September!

[@ALoNeLyPaPeRBag]

Hit my first ever eagle on this hole last year lol. Im a short hitter but the hole let my second shot run forever! Definitely made my day thanks for posting this

[@nolanoreilly]

What an awesome video, need more like it!

[@jimiverson3085]

A public course in Fort Collins, Colorado had a hole a bit like this when I was in college. Left side was completely open, just a wire fence with a cornfield behind it. But as you got to the green, there was an irrigation pond on the right and a cottonwood tree guarding the right side of the green. Hardest hole on the course, and it is a par 5. A housing development has since been built and the course had to plant pine trees to keep the houses from being bombed by golf balls. That not only messes with the character of the hole, it also shades the fairway and keeps snow on it in the winter and early spring, which is bad for the turf.

[@SHRIVER.MATT.A]

Great hole. Stayed right on the drive and approach... 40 yard pitch over bunkers with OB long was as nervy a shot as I hit all day.

[@wrb8972]

Mississippi state university golf course #6…almost identical. Great rounds could be destroyed, yet these holes are so straight forward. Great design!

[@flynnmabowitz1854]

#6 is both on of my favorites and least favorite holes on the course. Good tee shots are rewarded with just about everything else costing a stroke.

[@cheezehdglen9468]

I recall the fun I had at the Pima golf course on the other side of the 101. Always able to get on and only a starter shed. Something like $18 back then.

[@lkaneshi]

just played it yesterday, managed a par but my dumbass hugged the left side the entire way with all of Arizona to the right. Its a cool hole and great course and lots of fun to play. Def got the Coore Crenshaw look, wide fairways lots o room and all the fun/ drama starts about 50 yards from the hole.

[@jacksonvickers00]

First off, hole 2 is a great golf hole! Second, if you hate this hole, you would not enjoy quite a few holes at Carnoustie, St. Andrew’s, and many other classic and historic golf courses throughout the world.

[@heyblondie28]

the older I get the more I'm getting into golf course design lol

[@gmbtempe]

Love that hole, and the north course to me is just beautiful golf architecture. If you go left at all it runs off into that fence, its very intimidating even playing safe. If you are in those right bunkers its intimidating as you can easily run it off OB. That happens again on the back, think its like 13 or 14 if you hit into the natural wash that runs along the greenside.

[@graemeedwardsgolf]

I managed to make an Albotross on that hole a month ago! Driver 5i from 218y, yes I played the tips! Love that track!

[@spellingchampeon]

That is so sick

[@tonysmario817]

i love holes with OB...should be more of those exact type holes for the pros. it's hard on the high handicap golfer, but an excellent test of skill and nerve for the low handicap golfer. too many courses allow for long, errant tee shots that leave the big hitter with a wedge no matter how far off the fairway, and offer the straight hitter little advantage...this hole separates those in control of their games from those just swinging at the fence and hoping for a good lie.

[@lunamotocross]

Playing this in less than 3 weeks! First golf trip out West, I’m pumped

[@menkejo]

Wekopa and quintero. Put them on your list. They’re the best we have out here.

[@bornontilt748]

Also Kierland if you want a score able resort style spot.

[@geemac7267]

My home course has five holes bordered by fence (cow pastures mostly) as OB. I figured most courses did until I played for a few years.

[@hughmunkulus7598]

If this exact hole was at a local muni, everyone would say it sucks and needs to be bulldozed. But pay a shit ton to a known architect, slap it next to a casino, and charge 9 times more and it’s suddenly a great hole.

[@benspencer4100]

I could listen to that voice and what it has to say for hours on end.

[@gilbertamthor5098]

Thats soooo damn funny about this video. I played a senior tournament here. Hit it OB on this hole . Still won tournament.

[@oahujuniorgolfassociationc6656]

I draw courses all the time and use the edge of paper as oB all the time. Stroke and distance really makes golfers think twice.

[@ryanconlin2544]

My slice doesn’t care about the barbed wire

[@akinhwan]

proud to say I've played it, but to be honest didn't think much of it. Although I do remember it after all these years

[@ewaz6196]

This was a neat video...but I must agree....maybe I mis-understand this hole some. I never much cared for it - I've played it a handful of times. The O'odam Course is not my favorite....the Pi'ipash Course at Talking Stick - in my humble opinion - has a lot more imagination to its layout.

[@sonicpentatonic]

I like this course, I've shot my personal best score on it.

[@chrisjordan213]

Congrats on your 112

[@Zerpersande]

Japanese courses are, pretty much, ALL like this hole….at least in respect to the OB area. Almost every single hole is lined by a series of white OB stakes. Off the tee? You don’t hit another ball. There’s a drop area and you’re playing 4. Why? TO SPEED UP PLAY!!! And the drop zone is almost ALWAYS further than 80% of the golfers can hit a drive. Some are so far down the fairway that I have NEVER seen anybody hit their drive that far.

[@LegolasFan69]

Out of bounds shouldn’t be stroke and distance imo. It’s too much of a penalty gets people upset when holes have these features. On top of that it wastes time.

[@chevy4x466]

Out of bounds sux. No one likes ob. It has been dumped in modern architecture.

[@billmalec]

That is the beauty of it. It gets in your head. Time? You take a provisional and hit another ball. Doesn't take that long to hit another ball. See, it got in your head that you thought you had to go look for your ball and go back to the tee.

[@jjarm]

It does waste time. The penalty is supposed to be a deterrent 😣

[@johnwilliamson5501]

Don't hit it there

[@LegolasFan69]

@@billmalec that’s why we hardly ever see it on the pro level… most the out of bounds is a free drop these days. It’s telling.

[@LegolasFan69]

First time playing that hole I eagled it with driver, 2 iron to 3’😎

[@BakoSooner]

Played both courses and I didn't see anything special about them nor worth the price. A flat land featureless course. There are so many better courses at much better prices in Phoenix area.

[@buttdreads]

Both tracks at TS are horrible and ghetto

[@1981SPL]

all respect to the creative folks designing/building these and thank the heavens for em but this course is garbage :D. boring and unimaginative. I've played there 4x and cant remember a single hole.

[@matthewdibenedetto5880]

Agreed. The other course there is much better.

[@matthewdibenedetto5880]

It’s really a stupid design. That whole course sucks actually. They got stuck with a horrible flat piece of land and it shows.