Would You Rather…?

[coachjimsc]

5 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather #47:

Would you rather have to make a 7 foot putt for million dollars?

Or

Would you rather have to hit the fairway with your driver for a million dollars? 

Just for fun lets say the 7 foot putt is pretty straight its not a crazy side hiller. And lets say to hit the fairway there is some amount of forced carry so you can't just bunt it past the forward tees. 

 

Driver and it's not even close. 

My putting from 7 feet is waaay less the 73%. Somewhere in the area of 37%. 

[billchao]

6 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather #47:

Would you rather have to make a 7 foot putt for million dollars?

Or

Would you rather have to hit the fairway with your driver for a million dollars? 

Just for fun lets say the 7 foot putt is pretty straight its not a crazy side hiller. And lets say to hit the fairway there is some amount of forced carry so you can't just bunt it past the forward tees. 

 

This one isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. At first my gut said “putt, duh,” but I thought about it more and realized the percentages are about the same. I’d guess I’m only about 30-40% from 7’ and I’m about that for fairways hit, as well. I’m leaning towards driver because some of my missed fairways are balls that ran through the end of a dogleg or something.

Yea, driver. Go big or go home.

[Double Mocha Man]

23 minutes ago, billchao said:

Would You Rather #47:

Would you rather have to make a 7 foot putt for million dollars?

Or

Would you rather have to hit the fairway with your driver for a million dollars? 

In my part of the world the rough is about a half-inch longer than the fairway so it hardly matters if you hit the fairway or the rough.  Nevertheless, the question referred to hitting the fairway.  Do I get to pick the fairway?  The widest, most-forgiving one?  In either case, I'll collect my million dollars for hitting the fairway on #11 at the North Bellingham Golf Course.  😄

[Darkfrog]

7 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather #47:

Would you rather have to make a 7 foot putt for million dollars?

Or

Would you rather have to hit the fairway with your driver for a million dollars? 

Just for fun lets say the 7 foot putt is pretty straight its not a crazy side hiller. And lets say to hit the fairway there is some amount of forced carry so you can't just bunt it past the forward tees. 

I think I would choose driver, but there are some caveats, like if the fairway is super narrow, or severely sloped, I might go putter. But I think I could hit a punchy 1/2 to 3/4 swing driver around 120-150 yards and online enough to get a fairway.

[Ty_Webb]

Probably driver, although if it was say the 11th at Winged Foot then the putt comes screaming back into the conversation. So much depends on conditions too. I'd think the putt was in the 40-50% range and unless conditions were horrifying they're not going to drop much below that. If it's the 1st at TOC then I'd expect to hit that fairway a lot more than 50%. If it was the aforementioned 11th at WFW then those odds drop to more like 20-30% at the high end.

[KMP]

Depends on fairway wide, carry length and weather conditions (i.e. how wet). It the fairway is narrow, carry long and course dry I go with putter; otherwise I will take driver.

[StuM]

11 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather #47:

Would you rather have to make a 7 foot putt for million dollars?

Or

Would you rather have to hit the fairway with your driver for a million dollars? 

Just for fun lets say the 7 foot putt is pretty straight its not a crazy side hiller. And lets say to hit the fairway there is some amount of forced carry so you can't just bunt it past the forward tees. 

 

I’ll go with the putt.  Neither is a lock but I can screw up a drive real well while the putt is usually more “reliable” and I am less likely to totally screw it up.

of course, if the fairway next to me counts that improves my odds a lot and would take driver.

[dennyjones]

Would You Rather #47:

Would you rather have to make a 7 foot putt for million dollars?

Or

Would you rather have to hit the fairway with your driver for a million dollars? 

Just for fun lets say the 7 foot putt is pretty straight its not a crazy side hiller. And lets say to hit the fairway there is some amount of forced carry so you can't just bunt it past the forward tees.  

I'll take the driver but this question would make me give pause to the question.    My last 3 rounds I've found the fairway 64%.    My putting has been erratic but there were times last year I couldn't trust my driver.  

 

 

 

[pganapathy]

On 3/22/2022 at 5:55 AM, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather #47:

Would you rather have to make a 7 foot putt for million dollars?

Or

Would you rather have to hit the fairway with your driver for a million dollars? 

Just for fun lets say the 7 foot putt is pretty straight its not a crazy side hiller. And lets say to hit the fairway there is some amount of forced carry so you can't just bunt it past the forward tees. 

 

Hands down the drive.  I have a better chance of hitting the fairway than making the putt.  Plus, all I need to do is go to the range and hit a few balls with the driver to get warmed up before hand and when I am hitting it well go for the million bucks

[ChetlovesMer]

On 3/22/2022 at 4:55 AM, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather #47:

Would you rather have to make a 7 foot putt for million dollars?

Or

Would you rather have to hit the fairway with your driver for a million dollars? 

Just for fun lets say the 7 foot putt is pretty straight its not a crazy side hiller. And lets say to hit the fairway there is some amount of forced carry so you can't just bunt it past the forward tees. 

 

This question came up at the driving range day-before-yesterday. One of the guys I was talking to tried to convince a couple of us that "If he really concentrates" he can make any putt up to about 7 feet. I called BS. He went on to say that if he really focuses he can hit every fairway. Obviously, he's one of those guys who believes if he only had a better mental game. 

However, we got into this discussion. Here's where we came out on it. Obviously, if you are particularly bad with either the driver or the putter you will want to take the other one. But otherwise most golfers should take the driver. I think golfers who don't track their stats are surprised how few 7 footers they make. So, at first glance the putter seems like the obvious choice. And, if somebody has never golfed before at all, they are much more likely to sink a 7 footer than stripe a driver. But that's beside the point. 

I will say this, I am far less likely to totally embarrass myself with the putt. But I'm more likely to hit the fairway with my driver than I am to hit a 7 foot putt. My misses with the putter will be at least close, but there will be more of them. My misses with the driver could be massive, but there will still be fewer of them. 

I'm taking the driver. ... And when I hit the fairway, I'll be buying drinks. Meet me in the bar. 

[WillieT]

9 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

This question came up at the driving range day-before-yesterday. One of the guys I was talking to tried to convince a couple of us that "If he really concentrates" he can make any putt up to about 7 feet. I called BS. He went on to say that if he really focuses he can hit every fairway. Obviously, he's one of those guys who believes if he only had a better mental game. 

However, we got into this discussion. Here's where we came out on it. Obviously, if you are particularly bad with either the driver or the putter you will want to take the other one. But otherwise most golfers should take the driver. I think golfers who don't track their stats are surprised how few 7 footers they make. So, at first glance the putter seems like the obvious choice. And, if somebody has never golfed before at all, they are much more likely to sink a 7 footer than stripe a driver. But that's beside the point. 

…. My misses with the putter will be at least close, but there will be more of them. My misses with the driver could be massive, but there will still be fewer of them. 

I'm taking the driver. ... And when I hit the fairway, I'll be buying drinks. Meet me in the bar. 

Deal on meeting for the celebratory drink. 

In our best ball round yesterday we had a number of putts that were in the 5-10 foot range.  It was amazing to see how many just skated by. 

[Double Mocha Man]

21 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I'll be buying drinks. Meet me in the bar. 

Will that be the bar at Pebble Beach?

[ChetlovesMer]

2 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Will that be the bar at Pebble Beach?

Hey it's a hypothetical question so it could be any hypothetical bar. 

[Double Mocha Man]

6 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Hey it's a hypothetical question so it could be any hypothetical bar. 

At least you didn't offer one of those little milk cartons at a cafeteria at a CPS campus.

[HankBlue]

#46: I've never stopped for food during a round of golf (other than a protein bar out of my bag).  I prefer to play any sport with a little hunger in my belly (and in my heart). 

 

#47: coin flip. 😁

Edited March 24, 2022 by HankBlue

[billchao]

On 3/23/2022 at 9:48 AM, ChetlovesMer said:

I think golfers who don't track their stats are surprised how few 7 footers they make.

I think a lot of golfers don’t understand make percentages as a whole.

[DoubleAce]

On 3/22/2022 at 4:55 AM, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather #47:

Would you rather have to make a 7 foot putt for million dollars?

Or

Would you rather have to hit the fairway with your driver for a million dollars? 

Just for fun lets say the 7 foot putt is pretty straight its not a crazy side hiller. And lets say to hit the fairway there is some amount of forced carry so you can't just bunt it past the forward tees. 

 

I started my reply a few times, but immediately reconsider my choice. It's a tough one. On one hand, I just happen to have been randomly practicing 7 footers in my quest to find a solid grip/putter combo. And with my the "winning" grip, I ended up with an 83% make percentage out of just under 700 attempts. 

Now, this was from the comfort of my own home, to the same two holes, and from the same two starting points. And the whole reason I was on this grip quest is because I can get a little "yippy" with the putter. So there's no telling what kind of gremlins would pop up with a million bucks on the line. 

So in spite of that data point, I think I'm going driver. It's more forgiving. And I'm pretty darn reliable with a baby draw off the tee. This is assuming we're talking a fairway of average width. Aim just right of center. Try to calm the nerves. And make a nice easy swing. 

Cool thread btw. 

[ChetlovesMer]

Would You Rather #48:

Neither of these are a lot of fun, but:

Would you rather play with a person who throws a tantrum every time he/she hits a bad shot?

Or 

Would you rather play with somebody who's not nearly as good as you, but insists on giving you advice?