The BWD Tournament Hole of the Week: September 21 – 24, 2017. The 15th at East Lake, Home of TOUR Championship.

Tournament: TOUR Championship – East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, GA
Hole: 15th – Par 3, 221 Yards
Architect(s): Tom Bendelow – 1904
Donald Ross (Redesign) – 1914
George Cobb (Redesign) – 1959
Rees Jones (Redesign) – 1994 & 2008

Architectural Summary:

The final par three at East Lake is the challenging 221-yard 15th hole which plays to a peninsula green. From the tee, competitors must carry the large lake, over 200 yards, to the kidney-shaped green. The championship tee is located to the far right and will favor a right-to-left shot shape. Conditions will affect club selection and strategy as the par three is largely exposed to the predominate wind from the player’s left. Bailout opportunities are located at the collection area to the rear of the green as well as the single greenside bunker on the left. Should competitors find the bunker, a challenging recovery shot will be faced as the green slopes away from the bunker and the large lake lingers just beyond the green. The green measures 34 yards deep by 22 yards wide and slopes from left-to-right. A small ridge is located in the left-center portion of the otherwise subtly undulating green. The hole will provide particularly difficult pin positions front-right as well as back-left behind the greenside bunker. Precision from the tee will be key to scoring well as misses nearly ensure a score over par.

Statistical Analysis:

During the 2016 TOUR Championship, the 15th hole played as the second most difficult hole with a scoring average of 3.06 (19 Birdies, 77 Pars, 16 Bogeys, 5 Doubles).

Fun Facts:

  • Prior to 2016, the Tour Championship was one of the only Tour events that finished on a par three. East Lake decided to permanently reverse its nines, switching the front nine and the back nine, in the fall of 2016. The other notable course ending on a par three is TPC Old White, site of the Greenbrier Classic.
  • The 15th hole at East Lake is regarded as the United States’ oldest version of an “island” par three.
  • The TOUR Championship event has raised millions for the East Lake Foundation since becoming the permanent home of the year-ending championship. The East Lake Foundation serves as the community quarterback organization in the holistic revitalization of the inner city East Lake community.