Advise on long par 4's

[senorchipotle]

  Bug Bunny said:

Okay guys, I just really started playing last year. I'm actually starting to get a lil consistency with my swing, save 4-5 strokes per round. Here ismy question, I'm pretty short on my yardages right now which is fine fir the moment. PW is 100, 9 is 110 and so on. But here is my struggle. On the LONG par 4's where I have no chance of reaching in two, what is the best approach to the hole? For instance, there is one hole that has a water hazard from 220-240 so I tee off with a 3 wood (170-180) but that leaves me 220 or so to the hole which I have no club for. What would you do??

if you only hit a 3 wood 180, that should put your driver at 200-210, perfect distance.

[ks8829]

Play the hole as a boogie / par hole and leave the big number out. approach the third shot will an approach to a comfortable distance and stick the wedge to give yourself a memorable up and down or settle for a boogie.

The key is good course managment and a better short game.

[Bug Bunny]

Okay guys, went out yesterday and here is how it went......... Choked down on my driver a bit to try and get to the edge of the water. Shanked it just enough that it sliced but I stil had a decent lie but a horrible angle of attack. Had 180 to the hole but really the only way to lay up was out because of a tree so I went for it. Hit my 3 wood almost perfect and landed 10' from the front of the green. Jacked the chip up but two putted from there and left the hole with a bogey. All in all, very happy but unless those specific circumstances occer again, from this point, I'll take the right side out, lay up and feel VERY comfortable I can bogey most times! All in all, I'm definitely not dreading the hole as I was before! Thanks for the advise.

[ssrs8]

It sounds like a classic golf risk reward situation. Here are some possibilities:

1. Driver off tee, driver off deck, putt for birdie
2. Driver/3-wood off tee, 3-wood off fairway, up and down for par
3. Driver/3-wood off tee, 5-iron off fairway, short iron off fairway, 1 putt for par

Of course option 3 is playing for bogey but don't rule out if your ego can handle it. If you play for score and would like to get from say the 90's to the 80's it may help if it eliminates the big scores.

[Bug Bunny]

  ssrs8 said:

It sounds like a classic golf risk reward situation. Here are some possibilities:

Well said, I'll run through them!

Option 1 - I CANNOT hit my D off the deck! Option 2 - If I don't hit my 3w perfect, I'm in trouble with an awkward yardage Option 3 - I know I'm not going to birdie but the 7's and 8's are off the table as well. I'd rather lose the chance of 3's to eliminate the 7's, 8's and 6's also really. So for now, with trying to get to where I can shoot in the 80's (first 80's was yesterday, 89.... OH YEAH!) I'm more concerned with eliminating the triples and doubles than adding birdies! So, until things change, option 3 is my choice!

[ApocG10]

I'd try a driver off the tee, and see where that brings you. Theres a good chance that if your hitting you 3 wood off the tee 180 yards, then you should still be short of the Hazard with the driver. I would at least try it. If you come up just short of the hazard, that will leave you a 180 yard 3 wood to the green, or end up just short of it. If your on the green, you can 2 putt for the par, and if your short of the green, you can still try to chip it close to the hole, and putt in for par, or hopefully at worst a bogey.

Its worth at least trying, if you end up in the Hazard off the tee, then you know it wasnt the right shot. But laying up at 180 gives you two more shots to the green, and makes par very unlikely. So it doesnt hurt to try.

[WUTiger]

Bugs,

If you improve your 3W off the fairway, your options shape up like this: What does hole look like around the green?
* If it is open up the middle, or has an open side, you could go with Option 2: Lay up close, and chip for up and down.
* If green has lots of trouble around it - deep bunkers, steep banks - you might go with Option 3: Lay up to wedge range, and spin the ball going in.

And as you say, with O2 or O3, you take the 7s and 8s off the table.

And remember, most golfers have to contend with the forced layup. Sounds like the hole was originally a par 5, but they lost the back tee area.

[Crey23]

  Bug Bunny said:

Okay guys, I just really started playing last year. I'm actually starting to get a lil consistency with my swing, save 4-5 strokes per round. Here ismy question, I'm pretty short on my yardages right now which is fine fir the moment. PW is 100, 9 is 110 and so on. But here is my struggle. On the LONG par 4's where I have no chance of reaching in two, what is the best approach to the hole? For instance, there is one hole that has a water hazard from 220-240 so I tee off with a 3 wood (170-180) but that leaves me 220 or so to the hole which I have no club for. What would you do??

Based on your distance on the 3w, I would assume you Driver is somewhere in the 200-220 range...if so, tee off with your driver and shoke up a little on the shaft to be on the safe side. After that go for it with your 3w off the deck tha should leave you on the green or darn near it for a chip shot!

My $0.02 anyway