What are your strategies for Par 4s?

What are your strategies for Par 4s?

Do you approach Par 4s differently if they are longer (>400 yards) versus shorter (<300 yards)?

All other things being equal, if it's over 400 yards, I have to decide whether it's a 3-shot hole or a 2-shot hole for me (meaning full shots, of course - if I could always get a 2 or 3 on a par-4...

). If I'm at, say, Woodley Lakes, which has 4 par-4s over 400 yards, I'm almost always hitting driver 3-Wood, since these holes at this course don't have much trouble (and I've gotten so much better with my 3-wood off the deck). On rare occasions, I get to the green in two. But I'm still making a 1/4 or 1/2 wedge to the green, and a par or bogey tends to happen on these holes. It's nice to not have these holes hurt the scorecard anymore! I used to play them by lay-up, before I was good with the 3-Wood off the deck. I would hit driver or 3-Wood off the tee, then figure out what I needed from there for a PW to pin high. But my handicap was north of 25 back then, so I was getting 2 strokes on each of these anyway, so a natural bogey, chance at par, worst case double bogey wasn't all that bad (at the time!) Now, the short ones. If it's playing under 270 or over 290, and I can safely hit driver, I do so. Why? I'd rather a half wedge or full shot, but I'm not that good with 3/4 swings with my wedges. (Maybe I should determine my 1/2 shots' distances with 9-iron and 8-iron?) If there's a hazard, then I hit the longest club I can get short of the hazard minus one (because how often have you hit your longest shot with a given club when attempting to lay-up short of a hazard?) There are some middle length par-4s where I'll hit something other than driver off the tee to get either a flat lie (Rancho Park's 9th), or where hitting driver will get me to use the downslope to my advantage (to get to the bottom of it usually, such as Rancho Park's 14th), or where there's no reason not to (Woodley Lakes' 11th).

Well, I use this approach if it is over 400 I think of it as a drive and a 7 iron to the green for a bird, if is closer to 500 I might try a 3 hybrid after a driver or lay up with a 6 or 7 iron, all depending on the layout! now if it is under 400 I will always hit 3 wood followed by a wedge, or a 9 iron if closer to 400. Hope this helps!

Cheers Rick!

I will use the club that puts me 140 to 120 out. Those clubs are my NVG2 12.5* 3w, 17* Nicket or my Bridgestone 21* Air Muscle. Whatever it takes to get me to the above lay up yardage.

For par 4's over 400 yards I usually hit driver, and depending on how well I hit it, usually a 6 iron into the green. There is one par 4 that is 420 meters or something which I frequently hit driver and a choked down 3 wood to get to the green. anything either par or a bogey is a good score on that hole.

Driver off the tee unless its super short (330 or under)

make as many birdies as possible...

Nah, I just hit driver all the time unless there's something I'm really trying to avoid.

If its in the low 400's (400-420) and very tight, I usually hit my 3 iron, which I hit about 240 off the tee. Otherwise I'll hit a 3 wood which I'm very straight with about 270. I stay away from my driver unless its a par 5 that I'm trying to reach in 2. Its a nice feeling ripping a drive 300, but its an even nicer feeling standing up on the tee and just knowing that you're going to stripe your 3 wood down the middle every time (almost). :)

A vast majority of the time I think about my approach to the green, i.e., from what yardage, placement on the fairway, etc. I basically want to put my tee shot in the best possible position for my approach. I don't over think things.

not taking any course management items into consideration and with no further details...

I assume the par 4 is dead straight with no dangers or OB's to consider

Am I hitting the driver well lately? if so...

Bomb the driver regardless of the length of the hole

If a hole is 340 or under, I will try to reach it in 1, until I miss it enough to have learned my lesson and at that point will change my strategy.

If I lack confidence in the driver, I will most likely still hit it, but might consider a 3w or 5w off the deck

Add a dogleg, unusually tight landing area, a hazard or 2 that force a lay up or carry... these all change the strategy.