Surrounded by Water

Island greens to test your skill — and your nerves

They say no man is an island, though a fellow named Gilligan made a career out of living on one. Golfers, too, occasionally face the challenge of landing safely on an island without getting lost at sea (or lake, or stream). The following nine courses all feature a putting surface surrounded by water. Try to sink your putt, and not your tee shot, on these challenging island greens.

Don’t Lose a Fin to Your Golf Chum
An island designed by a shark doesn’t sound like an inviting place. But Greg Norman (aka the Great White Shark) created a tasty island green on the ninth hole at Blue Tip, at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. The hole plays 156 yards, but the wind may affect your club selection by four or five clubs. ritzcarlton.com

Truth in Advertising
Located in the Ozark Mountain foothills, about three and a half hours from St. Louis, Island Green Golf Club is true to its name. The 15th hole plays from 125200 yards from five elevated tee boxes offering different angles of approach to the water-bound green. Jerry Slack designed this 7,000-yard venue with Bermuda tees and fairways and bent-grass dance floors set amid rolling hills. islandgreengolfclub.com

Island Mother
The original island green, at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, outside Jacksonville, Fla., has been taunting golfers since 1928. The ninth tee on the Herbert Strong–designed Ocean Course measures 157 yards to a green that is edged by palms and peppered with bunkers. The Ocean Course would have hosted the 1939 Ryder Cup, if World War II hadn’t intervened. pvresorts.com

For the Love of Pete
Pete Dye’s Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass, also in Ponte Vedra Beach, is home to one of the most intimidating island greens. The 137-yard tee shot on the 17th hole is among the toughest in golf — as attested to by the 100,000 balls retrieved from the lake each year. But don’t feel too bad if some are yours: at the 2007 Players Championship, 50 balls ended up taking a dive in a single round. tpc.com/sawgrass

Escape from Alcatraz
Dye repeated his evil formula at the Stadium Course at PGA West, in La Quinta, Calif., outside Palm Springs. Lee Trevino earned a get-out-of-jail-free card during the 1987 Skins Game when he aced the 17th hole, fondly known as Alcatraz, to win $175,000. As sportswriter Jim Murray once said, “You need a camel, a canoe, a priest, and a tourniquet to get through it.” pgawest.com

Golfing a Lot of Rot
South of Frankfurt, Germany, the St. Leon-Rot Golf Course has been a host venue for the Deutsche Bank–SAP Open — appropriate since the course was created by SAP software mogul Dietmar Hopp. Don’t think about hopping a shot onto the seventh green of the Rot course, which is surrounded by water. Liquid assets come into play on half the holes, and environmental areas create additional lateral hazards. golfclub-stleon-rot.de

Feel the Brotherly Love
Island Green Country Club, which opened last year, was the first new golf layout built within Philadelphia city limits in 50 years. Jim Blaukovitch designed this 6,520-yard course located north of downtown. The 315-yard dogleg 11th hole features a sloping island green. islandgreencc.com

Tracks of Your Tears
In Bend, Ore., about three hours from Portland, Lost Tracks Golf Club features an island hole that’s as interesting for how you get to the putting surface as for the birdie putt you hope you’ll face when you arrive. Golfers travel from tee to green via a 1947 railway car decorated with period furnishings and festooned with hundreds of bag tags left by visitors from all over the world. losttracks.com

Golf Tails
Don’t expect to make the birdie putt on hole 3-B at Jack Nicklaus’ Golf Club at Punta Mita, located at the Four Seasons Resort north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The green of this extra hole (it doesn’t count in your round) is located on a natural island 175 yards offshore and is completely inaccessible at high tide. The green is shaped like the tail of the whales that are often seen offshore. fourseasons.com/puntamita

Getting There: All the destinations covered in “Front Nine” can be reached by flying Continental Airlines. To book your trip, contact Continental Airlines Vacations at covacations.com.