Hole #11 - Oakland Hills Country Club (South), Birmingham, MI - 455 yards Par 4

The eleventh hole at Oakland Hills is unique in the way it uses the landforms that the hole was placed upon.  The tee shot must carry, or go around, a small hill about 250 yards off of the tee, and then the green is nestled between four bunkers and offset by some specimen trees in the saddle of another hill, well above the fairway.  The first hill is what sets this hole apart, although the second hill is what makes this hole so beautiful, and difficult.

In order to take the shorter route to the green, thereby leaving yourself a shorter approach shot, you must carry a small hill that is to the left of the visible fairway.  Beyond this hill, about 270 yards from the back tee, the fairway snakes to the left and continues in a straight line toward the hole.  As a result, the shorter tee shot must be hit to a portion of the fairway that is offset to the right, leaving a more awkward angle to the green, and a much longer, semi-blind approach.  In order to have a clear view of the green, you must hit a blind tee shot over the hill on the left.  It is a very interesting hole in that neither the tee shot, nor the approach, are blind depending on which route you choose from the tee, but in order to hit this green in regulation one of your two shots MUST be blind.  Very cool.  The cherry on the sundae as far as the tee shot is concerned, is a group of three bunkers that lie at the end of the "right" fairway, 280 yards away from the back tee.  The great thing about these bunkers is that if you try to carry the hill on the left and hit it far enough but too far right, you will find one of the three bunkers, making a par nearly impossible, and if you play the safer play from the tee to the right part of the fairway, these bunkers require the big hitter to hit less than driver and leave himself with a longer, and semi-blind, approach.

As for the green complex, it is one of the best on a course that ,collectively, has some of the best green complexes in the world.  The green has a back to front tilt and sits in the saddle of a large hill.  This makes the approach uphill and difficult, and also makes recovering from the left or right of the green extremely difficult.  Hitting over the green is dead.  Once on the green, both the notoriously fast Oakland Hills green speeds, as well as the tilt of the green, make putting a real challenge from anywhere other than below the hole.  Although you can score a big number on this hole, it plays more like a par 4 1/2 in that a drive caught in the rough of the hill or in a fairway bunker, still leaves a chance at par, but more likely will lead to a bogey, whereas a well struck tee shot gives you a good chance at par, but not a great chance at birdie.  Also, any errant approach will likely lead to a bogey as well.  Truly a great golf hole, and among the most under-rated hole on this list, and in golf.

Next best:  Augusta National, Merion (East), Shinnecock Hills, The Club at Black Rock, Pacific Dunes, St. Andrews (Old), Royal Troon
Most likely to take its place, but have not yet played: Ballybunion