Course Management Discussion

[Meltdwhiskey]

Originally Posted by Lash

Well, I am usually pretty consistent with my 3 wood. This slice was a really rare shot for me. I am much more consistent with it than my 5 iron. It was really the best thing to get where I was trying to go until this rare mishit. But I don't ever really mishit my driver other than a high slice that would have been ok in this case.

But I do need to focus on the last thing you said, trying to go for a bogey rather than trying to get a GIR. I usually get GIR 3 or 4 times in a round, and at least one of those is on a par-3. So I shouldn't even be shooting for that, and I try to remind myself of that.

I guess some folks have better luck with woods than irons. I keep forgetting that. For me, they go pretty linearly from least consistent (driver) to most consistent (wedges) right down the line.  I've got a 17* hybrid that might be the exception. I hit it as consistent off the tee as I would a 4 or 5 iron probably - and a lot more distance.

[KyleAnthony]

The way i approach every hole is close to the same. my goal is to leave myself 140-175yds out on approach. if a hole is 435 par 4, i know that if i hit driver, 285 yds, that i will have a 150 yd easy 8 iron to the pin. i am pretty good with my 6 iron - pitching wedge. i only use my driver if its a longer par 4 or a reachable par 5. otherwise i am using my 3 wood and even a long iron on short par 4's. i personally am terrible at shots 20-100 yards so i stay away from those shots. i think every golfer should play to their strengths and work on the trouble areas at the range. then slowly adapt your learnings to the course. as far as bunker shots. I tend to go for the green unless its buried or there is a lip preventing me from making the green. now i just need to get out of the 30's in putting hahaha

[flopster]

I usually try to leave approach shots at 85, 105, 115, 135  The clubs I use on these shots are my 58*/54* for the 85 and 54*/GW for the 105 GW/W for the 115 and 9 iron for 135. It just depends if the shot plays shorter than the yardage, #12 at my course seems to play 10-15 yards short on approaches and I laser the distances but I can only figure the prevailing is doing it but your down in a bit of a valley so you don't feel the push. I do agree about the revision scores being primarily from home however I'm familiar with a lot of courses in the area home just fits the eye better right now.

[GolfGuy123]

Was hoping to get some advice here..

At my home course I pretty much always end up with a +4 or +5 on a particular hole. This is usually the difference between me shooting mid 90s and high 80s. (the 4 or 5 strokes over par plus the few bad shots that unfortunately usually follow on the next tee because I dont mentally have it together.

It is a long par 4, very tight fairway, if you miss left your def. not going to have a shot at the green BUT you might have a shot at chipping back in play (if your ball is not lost amidst all the trees. If you miss right even the slightest bit, your toast, the out of bounds on right hand side is so close to the fairway. My miss with a driver is a big slice so I NEVER dare take driver on this hole. I usually hit 4 iron off the tee and then 7 iron to 100 yards. You would think by playing it safe this way, with 100 yards in for my third shot, that I would most likely make bogey or at the very very worst double bogey NOPE. The hole always goes something like this.

- 4 iron to center of fairway

- 7 iron, still in center of fairway, 100 yards to center of green

- pitching wedge chunked or thinned into bunker in front or on side of the green

- bunker shot short of green in fringe or over green

- chip across the green

- putt on the green from friinge

- 2 putt

I can go all day hitting my 30-100 yard shots very well and then when ever im staring down that 100 yard shot to this green I dont know what happens. I know the simple answer is it must be something mental, but what? Even after all the failure at this hole I honestly am not nervous standing over that shot. I just happen to botch it up EVERY time. It's actually contrary, every round im very excited to face that shot again, I look forward to it.

My question is, do you think this is the best strategy for this hole? another suggestion? If this is the best strategy, what are some good 100 yard shot drills so I can conquer this!?

[David in FL]

Was hoping to get some advice here.. At my home course I pretty much always end up with a +4 or +5 on a particular hole. This is usually the difference between me shooting mid 90s and high 80s. (the 4 or 5 strokes over par plus the few bad shots that unfortunately usually follow on the next tee because I dont mentally have it together. It is a long par 4, very tight fairway, if you miss left your def. not going to have a shot at the green BUT you might have a shot at chipping back in play (if your ball is not lost amidst all the trees. If you miss right even the slightest bit, your toast, the out of bounds on right hand side is so close to the fairway. My miss with a driver is a big slice so I NEVER dare take driver on this hole. I usually hit 4 iron off the tee and then 7 iron to 100 yards. You would think by playing it safe this way, with 100 yards in for my third shot, that I would most likely make bogey or at the very very worst double bogey NOPE. The hole always goes something like this. - 4 iron to center of fairway - 7 iron, still in center of fairway, 100 yards to center of green - pitching wedge chunked or thinned into bunker in front or on side of the green - bunker shot short of green in fringe or over green - chip across the green - putt on the green from friinge - 2 putt I can go all day hitting my 30-100 yard shots very well and then when ever im staring down that 100 yard shot to this green I dont know what happens. I know the simple answer is it must be something mental, but what? Even after all the failure at this hole I honestly am not nervous standing over that shot. I just happen to botch it up EVERY time. It's actually contrary, every round im very excited to face that shot again, I look forward to it.  My question is, do you think this is the best strategy for this hole? another suggestion? If this is the best strategy, what are some good 100 yard shot drills so I can conquer this!?

Why are you hitting a 7-iron for your 2d shot? The adage that you should lay back to some "full shot" distance is fallacy in my opinion. My advice is to hit a hybrid (or the longest club youre comfortable with) and get as close to the green as possible in 2.

[GolfGuy123]

Why are you hitting a 7-iron for your 2d shot? The adage that you should lay back to some "full shot" distance is fallacy in my opinion. My advice is to hit a hybrid (or the longest club youre comfortable with) and get as close to the green as possible in 2.

I also tend to slice my hybrid now and again, which is not nearly as extreme as with driver but as I noted this hole is EXTREMELY tight on the right side...the slightest mis hit to the right is OB.

I hit my seven iron because it gets me to 100 yards which normally is comfortable wedge for me.

There is also a huge bunkers guarding the green on both the left and right side that both stretch from right off front of green about 20 yards out into fairway. So if I took hybrid or longer club and managed to keep it in bounds, if the shot is not dead straight in the middle it will be in one of these deep, long bunkers. Also if i do go for the green and mis left somehow (instead of right which would be my normal miss) you will be in the woods on left side of green, which maybe in bounds but you will be lucky if you have a clean chip to even get the ball back into the fair way. If you miss left and are extremely lucky you might have a visible chip through the trees to get on green...but highly unlikely

[David in FL]

My point is, hit you second shot closer than 100 yards. Clearly that isn't a "comfortable" wedge for you, or you wouldn't be asking this question in the first place. ;-) From a course management perspective, closer is almost always better....

[GolfGuy123]

My point is, hit you second shot closer than 100 yards. Clearly that isn't a "comfortable" wedge for you, or you wouldn't be asking this question in the first place.

Closer is almost always better....

Normally im decent with wedges. I always botch up that shot on this hole.

What I was trying to say above is any closer than 100 yards and you are flirting with rolling into one of the bunkers, unless you hit a miracle shot and put int between the bunkers - see image below and will make a bit more sense..in theory, sure maybe I could take a six or five iron and leave myself with less than 100 yards but I dont think I have much more consistency with a 50-75 yard shot than a 100 yard shot. Image below might help my explanation a bit.

[GolfGuy123]

My point is, hit you second shot closer than 100 yards. Clearly that isn't a "comfortable" wedge for you, or you wouldn't be asking this question in the first place.

Closer is almost always better....

And here is a view of the approach shot...im guessing this picture is from 150 yards out or so? they may have made changes since this pic was taken because now the green sits up on a plateau, and the shot plays more uphill than how it looks in this pic..also, pic does not do justice to how far those bunkers come out back towards fairway

[David in FL]

I'm sorry, but you have 60 yards from the 100 yard marker to the front trap. Plenty of room to get closer.....and I promise, you'll do better from 50 yards than from 100 the vast majority of the time. Beyond that though, if you're consistently unable to get down in fewer than 6 strokes from wedge range in the middle of the fairway, your problem is not one of course management, but rather swing fundamentals.

[MS256]

And here is a view of the approach shot...im guessing this picture is from 150 yards out or so? they may have made changes since this pic was taken because now the green sits up on a plateau, and the shot plays more uphill than how it looks in this pic..also, pic does not do justice to how far those bunkers come out back towards fairway

I agree with everything David said. Are there closer tee boxes than you are playing? If so you might consider moving up until your long game gets better. Looks like a lot of hole if you don't hit at least a fairway wood off of the tee.

If nothing else moving up a few times and making a better score might give you more confidence on the hole.

[GolfGuy123]

I'm sorry, but you have 60 yards from the 100 yard marker to the front trap. Plenty of room to get closer.....and I promise, you'll do better from 50 yards than from 100 the vast majority of the time.

Beyond that though, if you're consistently unable to get down in fewer than 6 strokes from wedge range in the middle of the fairway, your problem is not one of course management, but rather swing fundamentals.

Will give it a go ;)

LMAO!! Not at all. Normally from 100 yards and in im on the green and one putting or two putting. But for some reason I always choke on this hole. Figured it would not hurt to try a different approach to playing it, since all I have is bad memories.

Next time ill try getting it as close to those bunkers  as possible and leave myself w/ 50-60 yard shot.

[GolfGuy123]

I agree with everything David said. Are there closer tee boxes than you are playing? If so you might consider moving up until your long game gets better. Looks like a lot of hole if you don't hit at least a fairway wood off of the tee.

If nothing else moving up a few times and making a better score might give you more confidence on the hole.

I could play the Senior tees LOL ;)

Yes it is a lot of hole if your trying to get on in two. My approach has been to try and get on in 3 and leave myself with a par putt OR 2 putt for bogey.

Last week I played with two scratch players who both put their drives on this hole OB. I think its pretty intimidating no matter how good you are.

My driver and my woods are not completely reliable yet - yes I need to fix this but in the meantime of working on that I would like to try and play this hole at a respectable score haha. (for my standards)

[MS256]

I could play the Senior tees LOL ;)

Yes it is a lot of hole if your trying to get on in two. My approach has been to try and get on in 3 and leave myself with a par putt OR 2 putt for bogey.

Last week I played with two scratch players who both put their drives on this hole OB. I think its pretty intimidating no matter how good you are.

My driver and my woods are not completely reliable yet - yes I need to fix this but in the meantime of working on that I would like to try and play this hole at a respectable score haha. (for my standards)

Hey, I play from the girls tees sometimes with my wife just for fun and only hit irons. It shows me how easy it would be to score if I always hit perfect tee shots from the men's tees and also gives me more much needed iron practice.

[David in FL]

I could play the Senior tees LOL ;)  Yes it is a lot of hole if your trying to get on in two. My approach has been to try and get on in 3 and leave myself with a par putt OR 2 putt for bogey. Last week I played with two scratch players who both put their drives on this hole OB. I think its pretty intimidating no matter how good you are. My driver and my woods are not completely reliable yet - yes I need to fix this but in the meantime of working on that I would like to try and play this hole at a respectable score haha. (for my standards)

Just curious. What tees are you playing from? How long is the course from those tees and what is the rating and slope?

[GolfGuy123]

White tees (next up is senior) 68.4 123 Total Distance from white tees is 6050

[David in FL]

White tees (next up is senior)

68.4

123

Total Distance from white tees is 6050

Seems like a decent set of tees.  The reason I asked is that you mentioned that the hole is a "long" par-4.  It looks like it plays about 380 from the white tees......if that distance is stretching you a bit, it might be time to move up a set of tees.  Nothing wrong with that......and the game is a lot more fun when you're hitting mid-irons into the green on par-4's, not using them to lay up.

[GolfGuy123]

Appreciate the input. It actually plays over 400 from the white tees and is very uphill the entire way. The better players I have played with there told me they go two clubs up on their approach shot. I do respect your opinion and see where you are coming from but I don't think I will move up to senior tees just because of this one hole. (Or are you saying move to senior only when playing this hole?) The frustrating thing is, the 50-60 percent of drives that I hit straight are always over 270 and often in then 280-300 range. During the summer I get about 195 from my 5 iron. Now in the winter months about 185.