How Would You Play it? — Heron Lakes Great Blue #16

[mdl]

The Great Blue course is one of the munis in Portland, OR. Don't let that fool you though. This is an awesome layout that's usually in good to great shape, and the back nine in particular is interesting and quite hard. From the tips it plays 7000 yards at 74.2/146! It's not in the competition for best public course in the area, but it's not that far off and costs about a third of the best public course in the area, Pumpkin Ridge!

The last three holes make for a super challenging finish. Holes 17 and 18 are a par 5 and par 4, respectively, that have water all the way down the right side and pretty thin fairways. Hole 16, shown below, is a short par 4 with a huge lake in the middle of the split fairway and a big risk/reward aspect. The distances are from one of the tee boxes that's often where the 6000 yard tees are. If you're playing the 6400 yard tees those are usually in the other circled tee box and add ~35 yards to all the distances. The tee boxes are all significantly uphill from the fairways, and the green is another ~5 feet below the two landing spots shown. Ends up adding a club +/- off the tee.

I tried to indicate with the arrows that the green can play tricky too. The left bunkers are solidly above the green, and shots from there or the hillside around can be hard to hold on the green, and if you run off too hot it can tumble down into the brush on the hillside leading down to the water, inside the hazard. The middle and front of the green are relatively flat but the back right also runs significantly off to the right.

I'll answer how I play it later.

[Carl3]

210 yd 3h to left landing area and 100 yd UW to green. From the back tees, I would play 230 yd 3W to left landing area and 100 yd UW to green.

If I was actually standing on the tee I might change my mind and go 6i to right landing area and 7i to green🤣

But from the aerial it looks like there is a lot of room to the left to stick with the original plan.

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, mdl said:

The Great Blue course is one of the munis in Portland, OR. Don't let that fool you though. This is an awesome layout that's usually in good to great shape, and the back nine in particular is interesting and quite hard. From the tips it plays 7000 yards at 74.2/146! It's not in the competition for best public course in the area, but it's not that far off and costs about a third of the best public course in the area, Pumpkin Ridge!

The last three holes make for a super challenging finish. Holes 17 and 18 are a par 5 and par 4, respectively, that have water all the way down the right side and pretty thin fairways. Hole 16, shown below, is a short par 4 with a huge lake in the middle of the split fairway and a big risk/reward aspect. The distances are from one of the tee boxes that's often where the 6000 yard tees are. If you're playing the 6400 yard tees those are usually in the other circled tee box and add ~35 yards to all the distances. The tee boxes are all significantly uphill from the fairways, and the green is another ~5 feet below the two landing spots shown. Ends up adding a club +/- off the tee.

I tried to indicate with the arrows that the green can play tricky too. The left bunkers are solidly above the green, and shots from there or the hillside around can be hard to hold on the green, and if you run off too hot it can tumble down into the brush on the hillside leading down to the water, inside the hazard. The middle and front of the green are relatively flat but the back right also runs significantly off to the right.

I'll answer how I play it later.

6i from the front tees circled. Then I’d shank a 7i into the water. Drop 3, blade a 7i over the water to the back of the green, hit a beautiful chip to 4’, miss the putt and claim if I was a better putter I’d be scratch.

[Shindig]

Dang, why didn't I play this when I lived in Oregon? 

How far to clear the water?  

Since my driving average has yet to pass 210, I'm probably hitting a 5-iron to the bottom-right of the image and then a 6-iron aimed probably at the middle of the three bunkers past the green.  I won't likely reach that with a 6-iron but I think I'll clear the bunker closer to me.  That gives me a good chance to get near-GIR, maybe even on, and a 5 on this hole is probably a good score for me. 

[Shorty]

50 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

6i from the front tees circled. Then I’d shank a 7i into the water. Drop 3, blade a 7i over the water to the back of the green, hit a beautiful chip to 4’, miss the putt and claim if I was a better putter I’d be scratch.

LOL

Reminds me of the "How you'd play Augusta" (or similar) thread where all these people talked about how they'd essentially just keep it on the fairway and make sure they were below the hole and be happy with bogeys on some holes. Simple.

There was even one years ago where a guy posted a Goggle earth image of a course he'd never played and asked if he should try to carry the trees on this dogleg he'd only seen on this image.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Shorty

[nevets88]

I played Augusta on 2K21 on a console and I was like, holy crap, I cannot hold these greens and putting these greens is hard and this is just the stupid videogame.

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, mdl said:

The Great Blue course is one of the munis in Portland, OR. Don't let that fool you though. This is an awesome layout that's usually in good to great shape, and the back nine in particular is interesting and quite hard. From the tips it plays 7000 yards at 74.2/146! It's not in the competition for best public course in the area, but it's not that far off and costs about a third of the best public course in the area, Pumpkin Ridge!

The last three holes make for a super challenging finish. Holes 17 and 18 are a par 5 and par 4, respectively, that have water all the way down the right side and pretty thin fairways. Hole 16, shown below, is a short par 4 with a huge lake in the middle of the split fairway and a big risk/reward aspect. The distances are from one of the tee boxes that's often where the 6000 yard tees are. If you're playing the 6400 yard tees those are usually in the other circled tee box and add ~35 yards to all the distances. The tee boxes are all significantly uphill from the fairways, and the green is another ~5 feet below the two landing spots shown. Ends up adding a club +/- off the tee.

I tried to indicate with the arrows that the green can play tricky too. The left bunkers are solidly above the green, and shots from there or the hillside around can be hard to hold on the green, and if you run off too hot it can tumble down into the brush on the hillside leading down to the water, inside the hazard. The middle and front of the green are relatively flat but the back right also runs significantly off to the right.

I'll answer how I play it later.

My shot zone would be for a driver with this tee, so the left landing area is sketchy. I would do a 4H or 5 iron off the tee to the right landing zone and 6 iron to the left side of the green. 

[Shorty]

43 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

I played Augusta on 2K21 on a console and I was like, holy crap, I cannot hold these greens and putting these greens is hard and this is just the stupid videogame.

You're doing it all wrong. You have to explain what you do the way a pro does - and that pretty much means you have to lay up with a 3 wood to a particular side of the fairway, and than hit a 5 iron to the "safe" side of the green and walk off with an easy 2 putt birdie if it's a par 5.

No such thing as hitting a driver as far as you can and then seeing where that gets you and from there trying to hit it near the green (because there's no way you're getting there in regulation) and being happy with bogey because you get a shot there anyway. You have to talk as if you hit every club where you want it to go.

Remember, there are quite a few golfers who only play golf on a screen and think they "average 300" and suck their short irons "on average" 10 feet every hole and see no reason why this wouldn't transfer to real golf. Be more assertive.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by Shorty

[Golfingdad]

This is a cool one ... if you guys go to this course on google earth it actually as "Street view" on the cart paths.  I'm tempted to say I'd hit driver towards the tees (17th I presume?) that are left of the fairway.  But more than likely just try to find the fairway to the right with an iron and then avoid the lake with another iron on my second shot 🙂

[mdl]

5 hours ago, Carl3 said:

210 yd 3h to left landing area and 100 yd UW to green. From the back tees, I would play 230 yd 3W to left landing area and 100 yd UW to green.

If I was actually standing on the tee I might change my mind and go 6i to right landing area and 7i to green🤣

But from the aerial it looks like there is a lot of room to the left to stick with the original plan.

There is room left for sure though the cart path is above the fairway, so if you favor a left miss to avoid the water and end up up the hill around the path you've got a tough approach downhill to a green that slopes away from you in some spots.

 

1 hour ago, Golfingdad said:

This is a cool one ... if you guys go to this course on google earth it actually as "Street view" on the cart paths.  I'm tempted to say I'd hit driver towards the tees (17th I presume?) that are left of the fairway.  But more than likely just try to find the fairway to the right with an iron and then avoid the lake with another iron on my second shot 🙂

Cool there's street view! Though here it doesn't really give justice. From the tee boxes it feels like you're way above the fairways and green and the lake looks enormous!

[StuM]

I would be do tempted to hit driver to left of the water, BUT I miss right all too often which puts me in the drink.  I would play 5h off the tee to fairway right of water hopefully @ 185. Ideally a little longer & left  left towards the water than lime drawn on the map.  Would like yo try to get the 2nd shot closer to 140 and use my 9i to the green.  I know that is only 10 yards difference but I just feel more confident with the 9iz

[pganapathy]

17 hours ago, mdl said:

The Great Blue course is one of the munis in Portland, OR. Don't let that fool you though. This is an awesome layout that's usually in good to great shape, and the back nine in particular is interesting and quite hard. From the tips it plays 7000 yards at 74.2/146! It's not in the competition for best public course in the area, but it's not that far off and costs about a third of the best public course in the area, Pumpkin Ridge!

The last three holes make for a super challenging finish. Holes 17 and 18 are a par 5 and par 4, respectively, that have water all the way down the right side and pretty thin fairways. Hole 16, shown below, is a short par 4 with a huge lake in the middle of the split fairway and a big risk/reward aspect. The distances are from one of the tee boxes that's often where the 6000 yard tees are. If you're playing the 6400 yard tees those are usually in the other circled tee box and add ~35 yards to all the distances. The tee boxes are all significantly uphill from the fairways, and the green is another ~5 feet below the two landing spots shown. Ends up adding a club +/- off the tee.

I tried to indicate with the arrows that the green can play tricky too. The left bunkers are solidly above the green, and shots from there or the hillside around can be hard to hold on the green, and if you run off too hot it can tumble down into the brush on the hillside leading down to the water, inside the hazard. The middle and front of the green are relatively flat but the back right also runs significantly off to the right.

I'll answer how I play it later.

Depends on which clubs you comfortable and confident with.  Also what length are your shots.  If you can carry the water easily and straight with either a hybrid/wood or driver, that is the better alternative.  You have less risk on your second shot and it is closer.  However, if getting to a safe position there is risky, hit a mid to long iron down to 180 or so yards and hit across the water.  Personally I would probably go the second option since the risk of a slice means I might put my driver into the water.  If my 4h at 200 yards is enough club to get across the water safely on the left, then I would look at that option

[klineka]

From the 6000yd tees I'd hit my 3 Hybrid, which is my 225 club, and aim just to the right of the left bunker and play my fade.

From the 6400yd tees I'd hit 3 wood, which is my 250 club, on the same line

The landing area over the bunker is like 45 yds wide which covers my shot zone for both of those clubs. The water wont come into play for me with hybrid and shouldn't really come into play for me 3 wood unless I hit a really really bad 3 wood.

[ChetlovesMer]

No doubt in my mind. I'd hit driver to the left landing area. 

I'm not saying that's the "proper" decision. But the question wasn't asking what the proper decision would be. The question asked what would I do. 

[phillyk]

I'd go for the green with driver, definitely favoring an aim point at the left bunkers. Probably walk away with par anyway.

[mcanadiens]

I can hit water with any club in the bag on that hole, so I'll take driver and aim right where the cart path bends down on the left side. That probably gives me my best odds of keeping it dry for the second poke. If that goes well, it ought to be somewhere between a wedge and a 8I into the green. Fighting the hook will be hard with that stupid H2O on the right. 

Also think I'd put myself on a two ball limit. After a pair of drowning victims, I'd be moving on.

 

[ncates00]

A little push to push draw is my pattern, so I would aim at the cart path or bunker on the left and hit driver for 250 carry.

However, if it’s really windy from left to right (blowing toward the water), I may hit my driving iron—peak height about 50’ off the ground, carrying about 200-210 and rolling out like mad. I’d aim at the same place. 

Note: I realize that into wind, driver is still the play because driver has more ball speed and will cut through even if the ball launches higher. I’m talking about a side wind that exaggerates my miss. My driver’s egg is larger and the wind would make me uneasy—that’s when I would pull the driving iron out. 

[klineka]

46 minutes ago, phillyk said:

I'd go for the green with driver, definitely favoring an aim point at the left bunkers. Probably walk away with par anyway.

How far you do hit driver and how wide is your lateral dispersion?

On the line of the front left greenside bunker, that's 317 from the 6400yd tee and its only 47yds wide between the water and the right edge of the cart path, and just a few yards short of that it gets as narrow as like  37 yds between water and the cart path.

If you hit something that went like 280 off the tee, youd have like a 55 yd wide landing area between the water and the cart path and only have a ~60 yd shot to the middle of the green for your second.

Seems like a lot of risk for a minimal reward especially when those bunkers are above the green level and the green slopes severely away from you if you are left of the green.

Especially seeing it from this angle those look like some nasty bunker shots or downhill lies to be chipping from

Edited July 23, 2021 by klineka