going for it

[sean_miller]

It depends on which 3-wood I'm carrying and how flushed flushed is.

With a couple of my old persimmons, I could dial in 230 pretty easily. I'd be long as often as short. With my Cleveland launcher, I'd be > 30 yards past the pin. More likely I'd use my old Spalding 5-wood - that thing is money (as much as any particular 10 hdcp's club is ever money).

[wedge player]

  sean_miller said:

It depends on which 3-wood I'm carrying and how flushed flushed is.

i mean dead perfectly flushed with it taking all your 3 wood to carry

[wmiller]

Maybe it's age, maybe I'm playing smarter. Dunno. But if there's serious trouble around the green I'll usually play whatever leaves me 130-135 in and pop a wedge in there. A good shot will give me a chance at a bird, or more often a tap-in par.

[wedge player]

  wmiller said:

Maybe it's age, maybe I'm playing smarter. .

im young and dont like smart golf

its not as fun lol

[wedge player]

  wedge player said:

im young and dont like smart golf

but your score may seem to suffer

[aca247]

i did this last saturday with an uphill lie with wter on the left (i am a lefty) pulled my 3 wood out and jammed it right on the center of the green but it rolled off. so yes i woul go for it competition or not, leading or not

[wmiller]

  wedge player said:

im young and dont like smart golf

Yessir, I remember those days. A long time ago, when the average tour drive was about 260, I thought anything under 300 yards was a par three, and 130 and in was inside everything in my bag. My back is now paying for those day though...

Bill

[iammpspeer]

Check out my home course, #13 Its the nicest hole on the course in my opinion, over the water drive, then a solid 3 wood to get it to the green over a large creek, its a toughy to get to in two, but if my drive is good I always try for the hell of it.

[Blades4me]

Depends on the lie and if I've been hitting my woods well. If both those are good, then "yes" I'll go for it. If not, then of course I'm going to lay up.

[Nyper]

Completely depends on what's around the green if I miss left/right. I'm completely confident in my ability to flush a fairway wood (assuming I have a good lie). I'm likely to push/pull it a little though. If it's just some shallow bunkers or no sand at all, then I'd definitely go for it. If it's surrounded by other hazards and I'd actually need to land the ball on the green, I'd lay up.

[bogeyhitter25]

I'm laying up. No doubt. I'm not very consistent with my 3 wood, but I'm really consistent with my wedges. I'd probably have a better birdie chance if I laid up to 80 yards.

[plugged]

  None said:

Your 22* Burner Rescue 5w? Huh?

You know, I can't remember the loft on my 5W so I made that up, but the distance is right.

[DaSportsGuy]

I am terrible with my woods out of the fairway. I'd lay up to 50-110 yards out and knock it close with my pitching wedge. I'm automatic with my PW from inside 110.

[glk23]

Since I don't carry a 3w and my 5w is only good for around 200yrds, the answer is to lay up. It is interesting that in reading all of the answers, most of the "go for it" crowd are high handicapers. Maybe decisions such as this are only of the reasons why they have a high handicap.

[sean_miller]

  glk23 said:

Since I don't carry a 3w and my 5w is only good for around 200yrds, the answer is to lay up. It is interesting that in reading all of the answers, most of the "go for it" crowd are high handicapers. Maybe decisions such as this are only of the reasons why they have a high handicap.

One other reason might be that for some low hdcp players, a "flushed" 3-wood (OP's words) is > 280 yards. Who would really attempt to carry that distance if it required both a perfect swing and perfect contact?

[flopdarock]

meh ive always been a go for it kinda guy

[Morphy11]

Proper course management is the best approach. Now if that means you have confidence in your 3-wood to make the shot consistently each time you're faced with this type of shot, then go for it! But to "go for it" for the sake of going for it, then that's just bad golf and doesn't help you post low scores.

Time and again I run into golfers who think they're "Tin Cup" or make a movie reference while they're playing in a round and or try to pull off a shot that is outside their skill level.

There is a big difference between professional and amateur golf. Once an amateur golfer can recognize that they are playing at a certain level, then they can start to see improvement in their game. The ideal is to make the game as "boring" as possible, meaning to avoid hitting into trouble and aiming to post a low score. I know that this mind-set might not be popular with some golfers, but you have to realize that the golf course architect puts challenges such as a 230 yard approach shot to a green protected by water there for a reason.

[k-troop]

From the very specific challenge before us, hell no--you're talking about a shot with maybe a 5% success rate.  Just to carry the water, you've got to hit a perfectly flush 3-wood, perfectly on line, and carry it your absolute max distance.  Even if you pull off this 5% shot, you still won't be very close to the hole, unless the hole is cut within a few steps of the water and you stop your crushed 3-wood on a dime.  You're much more likely to plug this 5% shot into the bank, or have it hit the front of the green and bounce well past the hole.

I'd never take that chance.

However, my 3-wood is about a 250-yd club off the deck (maybe 265-270 carry on my best-ever swing and contact from a fairway lie).  If I have 250 to the flag, then I've probably got about 235 carry to safety.  I'll hit that shot more often than not, even over water--I've probably got an 85-90% chance of carrying my 3-wood 235.  Even if it's a little short, long, or off line, I'll probably just be in a bunker.  No problem.