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How Would You Play This Hole? - Oak Quarry #1


Golfingdad
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The first hole at Oak Quarry (where our Socal Outing was held yesterday) is a 274 yard Par 4.  It's about 140 yards to reach the fairway over the ravine, and about 210 to reach the first bunker.  That part of the fairway is roughly 80 yards wide.  The first half of this portion of the fairway is flat (140-180), and the second half starts heading uphill (180-210).  Any ball on this portion of the fairway could leave you with an awkward uphill/sidehill lie.  From 210 to about 240, the fairway pinches down to about 12 yards wide, and continues sloping uphill.  Beyond 240, the fairway and green combined is about 35-40 yards wide, and it flattens out.  Any miss to the right is dead.  It's all a ravine and the chances of finding a ball over there are slim, and if you do, the chances of it being playable are slimmer.  The hole plays probably about 20' or so uphill and, at least yesterday, the wind was pretty calm.

Here is the view from up above:

And here is the view from the tee box (I added the black line for the flag):

The view of the green from the beginning of the fairway (about 140 off the tee and 130 to the hole):

A view of the green from the fairway, the mound just forming on the right of the picture is the bunker in the middle of the fairway (about 240 from the tee):

A view of the green from just left of the fairway, pin-high, 270 yards from the tee:

The view looking back down the fairway towards the tee from the same spot:

And, finally, the green (and a pakoh and a k-troop), as viewed from the back, looking straight towards the tee (which is directly behind the flag):

To everybody:  How would you play this hole and why?  Also, how much does this being the first hole of the course play into your decision, if at all?

To those who played yesterday:  How did you decide to play this hole and why?  How did it turn out?  And, if you had a chance to do it again, would you play it differently?

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Because it's the first hole, I'd rather start off a little safe and not have a bad first hole predict the rest of my round (I'm really happy with just par). I would hit an easy 6 iron towards the left of the fairway. The approach from there looks like the easier shot to the green. I'll probably be left with 100 yards, possibly less, which is good for a full, smooth GW onto the green.

Best Regards,
Ryan

In the :ogio: bag:
:nike: VR-S Covert Tour Driver 10.5 :nike: VR-S Covert Tour 3W :titleist: 712U 21*
:nike: VR Pro Blades 4-PW :vokey: Vokeys 52*, 56* & 60* :scotty_cameron: Studio Select Newport 2
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I've played this hole twice now and played it the same way both times.

My driver, for the most part is either straight or a bit of a draw lately so I took driver and aimed just to the left of the small bunker. Both times I pulled it a bit and ended up with a partial wedge shot to the green. The first time I hit the green and ended up with a two putt par, yesterday I also hit it but 3-putted for bogey. Even though the fairway gets pinched off a bit there, it's still not too bad. I also like coming up the left side there because you get a better view of the green and have more of it to work with.

Tristan Hilton

My Equipment: 
PXG 0211 Driver (Diamana S+ 60; 10.5°) · PXG 0211 FWs (Diamana S+ 60; 15° and 21°) · PXG 0211 Hybrids (MMT 80; 22°, 25°, and 28°) · PXG 0311P Gen 2 Irons (SteelFiber i95; 7-PW) · Edel Wedges (KBS Hi-Rev; 50°, 55°, 60°) · Edel Classic Blade Putter (32") · Vice Pro or Maxfli Tour · Pinned Prism Rangefinder · Star Grips · Flightscope Mevo · TRUE Linkswear Shoes · Sun Mountain C130S Bag

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It depends on how I'm feeling about my woods that day. If I'm hitting it on the screws on the range, I'd go for it with a smooth three wood power fade up the left edge. If not, I'd play an 8 iron out to 170. Which would leave a full sand wedge in.

Lee

In My Bag... Driver:Titleist 913D3  3 Wood: Dunlop 16deg railer  Hybr:Titleist 910H 24deg  4-GW:Mizuno JPX825Pros

                        Sand Wedge: Titleist Vokey 256-14  60deg: Mizuno Zoid   Putter: Odyssey WH Rossie (Left handed)

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Little hybrid to the left of the trouble. Wedge it in for at worst an easy 2 putt par. That's never a bad way to start a round of golf!

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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Been a while since I played anywhere but CO so can only say what I would do up here. That's a layup 7i to the fat of the fairway and a knock down 52 here. As small as the green looks I don't think I'd go for it. Missing to the left isn't any easier than taking it over the bunkers. Looks like there's a risk of hitting it over the green to the right coming in from up there due the narrow shape.

Dave :-)

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3 iron just short and left of the bunkers. That is how I would play it, especially with it being the first hole of the day.  I am guessing that puts me with a partial wedge shot and I love those!

Nate

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Because it's the first hole, I'd rather start off a little safe and not have a bad first hole predict the rest of my round (I'm really happy with just par). I would hit an easy 6 iron towards the left of the fairway. The approach from there looks like the easier shot to the green. I'll probably be left with 100 yards, possibly less, which is good for a full, smooth GW onto the green.

Yeah, that was basically my thought as well.  We joked with each other all week about going for the green, but I knew all along that for me that was probably not the smart move.  My driving is too erratic, day to day, and on the first hole, I have no idea who's going to show up. @Pakoh suggested I hit a 7 iron because it would keep me off the steepest part of the fairway slope and I consented.  I took a bad swing (not uncommon on my first shot of the day), hit it out on the toe, and thanks to one big bounce, just barely made the fairway.  The third picture up above was taken from just behind my ball.  I had about 130 in, hit full gap wedge, pulled it quite a bit, but still caught the left edge of the green.  (You can see where I ended up in the 5th picture up above)  Unfortunately, I decided to blast my first putt about 15' past the hole, leading to my first 3 putt in over 3 rounds.  (Karma, I think, for bragging about that streak too much)

Had I connected solidly with the 7 iron, I should have been left with about 110 yards, which is OK, but the hill wasn't quite as severe as it may have looked from the tee. So, in retrospect, I think the best play for me would have been a 5-iron, which would leave me about 70-80 yards out for a nice pitch shot into the green.

And, if it was later in the round, specifically near the end, I would have definitely considered driver because I was hitting it well yesterday.  And my misses were mostly overdraws, not the usual big pushes or push slices.

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If there is a driving range and I am happy with the way I'm hitting the ball I would hit a driver at the left side of the green (and hope I didn't push it right).

If I wasn't happy with the way I was hitting the ball, or if I didn't hit any range balls, I would hit a 5 iron. I assume that club would go 190 to 195 out there like it does here. I would trade the flat part of the fairway for the shorter distance to the green.

The fact that it's the first hole would only figure into my decision if I didn't hit any range balls.

(But I'm only going by pictures and could change my mind if I saw it in person).

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And, if it was later in the round, specifically near the end, I would have definitely considered driver because I was hitting it well yesterday.  And my misses were mostly overdraws, not the usual big pushes or push slices.

This is pretty much why I'd avoid using driver for me is because my misses are pushes to severe push/cuts. If I aimed at the left, a push would put me in the bunkers and the severe miss will definitely be OB right.

Man, glad you guys had fun out there. Trying to set something up here, but I think I started the thread at the wrong time for me because I was just given a large project at work  just after I posted it.

Best Regards,
Ryan

In the :ogio: bag:
:nike: VR-S Covert Tour Driver 10.5 :nike: VR-S Covert Tour 3W :titleist: 712U 21*
:nike: VR Pro Blades 4-PW :vokey: Vokeys 52*, 56* & 60* :scotty_cameron: Studio Select Newport 2
:leupold:
:true_linkswear: 

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Take it right at were the left mountain horizon meets the fairway. See how it forms almost a V shape. Down that left side, at were the fairway peaks. I would hit a hard fade 3-wood, if I catch it, it will carry the bunkers and leave an easy punch, or on the green. I don't mind the long bunker shot.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
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When I played there in February, I think I hit my 3h and pushed it to the right of the big bunker, a few feet from the ravine. :facepalm:

Next time I play it , will probably go 6 iron.

~Justin

R11 9.5* w/Matrix Ozik Code 6.2
Taylormade 14* V-Steel w/ProLaunch Blue
Taylormade 16.5* V-Steel w/Aldila NV
Taylormade 21* V-Steel w/Dyanlite Gold S300
Mizuno MX 23 5-6 w/Rifel 5.5 SSx2
Mizuno MP 32 7-PW w/Rifel 5.5 SSx2
Callaway X-Forged 52*, 56*, 60*
Mizuno 0803 Custom Slighter

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Because it's the first hole, I'd rather start off a little safe and not have a bad first hole predict the rest of my round (I'm really happy with just par). I would hit an easy 6 iron towards the left of the fairway. The approach from there looks like the easier shot to the green. I'll probably be left with 100 yards, possibly less, which is good for a full, smooth GW onto the green.

This was my thought process exactly. The landing area is ridiculously wide for a mid-iron, so even moderate directional misses aren't punished as long as you make solid contact. I decided on a 6 iron yesterday and aimed for the left side of the left-most bunker. I missed my mark by about 10 yards to the right, but still landed in the fairway with room to spare. I had about 95 yards to the pin, hit a decent SW to the green and 2 putted for par.

For me anyway (given my struggles with driving consistency), the risk of hitting a driver so greatly outweighed the reward that it wasn't really a tough decision. Unless I shanked the tee shot, I was going to have a fairly easy approach to the green and hopefully a make-able birdie putt.

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I would knock a 4iron to avoid catching any of the bunkers and this also gives you margin for error to the right and somewhat to the left.

2nd shot knock a PW/GW into the green.

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At 274, I would hit driver up the left side with a cut and try to take advantage of that 40 yards that is available. It's just too tempting. Play the hole from 425 and I would lay up in the 80 yard area.

Cobra LTDx 10.5* | Big Tour 15.5*| Rad Tour 18.5*  | Titleist U500 4-23* | T100 5-P | Vokey SM7 50/8* F, 54/10* S, SM8 58/10* S | Scotty Cameron Squareback No. 1 | Vice Pro Plus  

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I've got to land it in that 140-180 flat spot, hopefully closer to 180 and a little left for a good angle.  I like the sound of a G or P wedge from a nice flat lie better than a long bunker shot or a partial wedge of some kind from an unfavorable lie.

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Note: This thread is 3713 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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