Par 5's - why can I not score on them?

[TN94z]

I think there are too many variables involved in the decision on whether to lay up or go for it to be able to tell someone which is better.

[trumps4]

I think you have let this par 5 thing get into your head. By putting more pressure on yourself to "score" on these holes, you have made it much harder to do so. My advice is to turn every par 5 into a short par 4 with your tee ball. Then pick your spots and make good relaxed swings from there.
Say you have a 520 yard par 5. Pick whatever club you are sure you can hit the fairway with and hit it. Do not let your pride keep you from setting up a short par 4. I mean even if you only bunt the ball 200 yards, if it's in the fairway, you now have a 320 yard par 4. Now lick your chops and try to make a birdie. Contray to popular belief, par 5s aren't just for big hitters. Ask Zach Johnson. He won a little tournament in Georgia without going for a single par 5.

[iacas]

Here's a phrase that I may have invented that I like: "It only takes one good shot to make a par."

That's why lower handicappers really like par fives - they get two or three shots at hitting that one "good" shot.

Too many higher handicap amateurs think they've gotta bust a long drive, then reach the green in order to "score" on par fives. You don't. Hit your driver, heck, even hit a 3W nice and easy off the tee. If you can't hit an easy driver, a smooth long iron, and a wedge of some sort to a par five, you're probably playing from the wrong tees.

Here's another one: you're not gonna birdie the hole off the tee, so stop swinging like you're trying to get your 3 or 4 all in one swing.

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Now, on the topic of "lay up to a comfortable yardage" or not, I agree with the stats that say "get as close as you can - don't lay up to a "comfortable" yardage in general. But where that flips is when "get as close as you can" means you're hitting a 3W or a long iron or hybrid off a tight fairway lie. "Get as close as you can" implies that you're going to be reasonably safe hitting the longer club most of the time. If you're the type of golfer who tops, slices, chunks, or duck hooks your 3W or hybrid or something, you will be better off hitting an easy 6I and then a wedge of some sort rather than "get as close as you can."

In other words, that "get as close as you can" stat is missing some words: "get as close as you can so long as the odds are good you won't hit one into that lake/pond/bunker/house/highway/forest/OB to the right/left with that long club."

[Shindig]

Here's a phrase that I may have invented that I like: "It only takes one good shot to make a par."

I like that quote.

In other words, that "get as close as you can" stat is missing some words: "get as close as you can so long as the odds are good you won't hit one into that lake/pond/bunker/house/highway/forest/OB to the right/left with that long club."

I'd like to echo this. It was following this advice on long par-4s (which are like short par-5s for anyone with decent distance: something I lack) that saves me 2 strokes per round. Last year, around this time, Erik convinced me to practice the half wedges. Prior to that, I was a big fan of laying up to a full gap wedge whenever I laid up.

Now, on a 430 yard par-4, I can take an easy driver, an easy hybrid or 5-wood, and then pitch at the flag. I've made some great 4s, and pretty good 5s, on these long par-4s where I'll be getting a stroke until I'm a 3 handicapper. Depending on the course, this saves me a good 1-2, sometimes 3, strokes per round. So, to the OP, what's your half-shot distance on your wedges? And is there a nice flat spot about that far from the green, preferably without trouble in front of it, that you can hit to for your second shot? If you don't know the answer to both questions, go find out and see if it helps.