Advice For This Tee Box

[Royster1984]

Hello All,

After some advice on how to play the stroke index 1 at my local club. I am having a lot of difficulty on this tee and its starting to be a big mental thing. So I am looking at my club selection and target line to play the hole a bit safer and hopefully keep my score down with your help.

The problems I face with this hole are highlighted in the picture below. I tend to hit my driver 230-240 with a decent hit on to the fairway. My normal shot is a high flight and with a slight fade. All being well if I hit my driver on the green line which is my normal target line and its goes as planned it fades and leaves me about 200 yards to the green.

Sadly this doesn't happen too often on this hole. My common problems are as follows

(1) I hit the ball with a draw or hook and lose the ball to the out of bounds over the fence (most common problem)

(2) I try and hit the ball to hard and my fade turns into a slice and goes into the thick bushes on the right and is unplayable

(3) I down club to a 4hybrid, then hole plays like a par 5

here is my average distance for clubs, just incase you have any suggestions for me

Driver 230-240

3W 215

5W 200

4H 175

[David in FL]

Are you more accurate/consistent with your 3W or 5W? If so, play one of them. You're a 24 hcp. That's a 2 stroke hole for you. Play it as a par 5 and take net birdie all day long! Even a double wont kill you on a tough hole like that. The key for you is to keep the really big number (triple or worse) off the card. Just curious, how long is the course from the tees you're playing? That's a long par 4 for a relatively high handicap player.....

[RayG]

What's the carry over the bushes on the right? Is there trouble lurking over them? If it isn't too bad, pick a line further right that looks about where the path vanishes over the hill. If you hit your drive a bit straighter, you have more room to play with until the OB left. IF you hit your normal shot, your still good, but maybe a bit right of your "ideal" finishing position. If you fade it a bit more than usual, at least you carry the bushes/trees into whatever is beyond. This, of course, means hitting the driver to carry them. Sure looks like a nice hole, though.

[Royster1984]

I more consistent with the 5w I just purchased my 3w and still not that confident with it. Can still go out of bounds with 5w though and won't reach in 2 with it so would 4h be better cant reach out of bounds and can get there in 3?

[Golfingdad]

If it is the number 1 handicap, and it always gives you fits ... why not play it as a par 5?  Seems like 4H would take the OB out of play (which means that you'll won't be making 7 or 8 very often), and probably cut down on the big slices in the bushes because if you're already resigned to call it a par 5, then there is no reason to kill it.  Another hybrid, or fairway wood should put you at 50-70 yards out for your third.  You can probably get down in 3 from there most of the time, with some 2's and 4's sprinkled in.

[Royster1984]

Over the bushes is quite a carry 200 yard plus I would guess and another fairway is down there don't think it's out of bounds but more embarrassing to go retrieve ball. My ball normally lands or rolls in the thick bushes and means another of the tee sadly.

[rustyredcab]

I'm with RayG. Aim for your idea finishing position and try and hit it straight. A fade and your still in play. If OB is in play on that line because of possible hook, you've got to club down. Must avoid OB and the big number that comes from hitting three from the tee.

[Royster1984]

I don't normally hook but for some reason this tee gets to my head and I tend to hit floor with driver and close face abit when under pressure. A good drive on that line would leave me a 5w to green. So I guess is still hard work for me with out of bounds running all way down left. Maybes safest option is 4h to remove OB of tee then leaves 275 maybes hit 5i then 9i roughly as golfing dad suggested.

[Royster1984]

Are you more accurate/consistent with your 3W or 5W? If so, play one of them. You're a 24 hcp. That's a 2 stroke hole for you. Play it as a par 5 and take net birdie all day long! Even a double wont kill you on a tough hole like that. The key for you is to keep the really big number (triple or worse) off the card. Just curious, how long is the course from the tees you're playing? That's a long par 4 for a relatively high handicap player.....

Missed your question sorry. It's 6300 of whites which is tournament tees. And 6000 off yellows this hole plays as a par 5 off the yellows just changed recently, yellow are next to whites. There is a couple of 425-440 par 4 on this course but other hole is a lot easier for driving big wide fairway

[David in FL]

Missed your question sorry. It's 6300 of whites which is tournament tees. And 6000 off yellows this hole plays as a par 5 off the yellows just changed recently, yellow are next to whites. There is a couple of 425-440 par 4 on this course but other hole is a lot easier for driving big wide fairway.

Got it. That's not silly long overall. I'd stick with the hybrid and play it as a par 5.

[Royster1984]

Yeh think i will try that, I m just in process of getting my first official handicap got 2 cards in a 90 and a 92. Score on this hole on the cards was 11 & 10 5 of tee on both :( so handicap might be a little above 24 more like 20 not much better but a little bit.

[RayG]

Believe me, if it is another fairway down there and it isn't marked as OB, NOTHING in the rules says you can't play it from there if needed. As for being embarrassed about retrieving your ball, there are much worse things to be embarrassed about on a golf course. As you get better and maybe longer, that shot over the corner will be nothing to worry about and you can hit a shorter iron into the green.

[saevel25]

Why not aim over the right bushes and not swing hard and hit that draw to hook. If you end up hitting it straight its perfect still, and if you slight fade your probably in the rough on the right. So basically hit anything but the slice.

[Royster1984]

Why not aim over the right bushes and not swing hard and hit that draw to hook. If you end up hitting it straight its perfect still, and if you slight fade your probably in the rough on the right. So basically hit anything but the slice.

Sadly I don't really have the ability just yet to choose to hit a draw on purpose, I only fade it as its my natural shot flight.

I am off for a game this morning so I am going to try the 4hybrid out and gather some more photos and info from the gps to see if any of the other options are valid.

[Linthorpe]

I have just realised that I recognise that hole, and I have played it a few times.

At stroke index 1, even low single digit golfers get a shot, so I would dismiss any idea of a Par.

The biggest landing zone is going over the small bush and up towards the yellow bullet point on your diagram, from memory I would not think that your 5 wood is going to get to the fence. Yes you will be a long way from the green and its OOB all the way down the left but at least you are up on the top level. Two or even three sensible shots should get you on the green from there. The adjacent fairway is a great deal lower and the trees do not help so there is no point in trying to cut the corner and going down there.

[Wardy]

If that was me and I had your distances, I'd play it:

- 4 Hybrid

- Aim to the centre of the large green on the hill - it looks above the pin and flat, so will make for an easier shot into the green

- Tee the ball up on the very RHS of the tee box, so that going left is more difficult

Basically the trouble is right, so give yourself the best chance by playing it left of your ideal positon. Sure it's more distance, but the trees are going to cost you 1-2 shots at least by the looks of them.

If you're feeling more confident, hit a tiger line drive over where the blue arrow is

[dsc123]

Its seems like you know you can't hit the driver there.  Everyone here seems to agree on that.  So you should completely eliminate driver from consideration. Every time. Don't even think about it.

If you can hit your 3W with confidence that it won't go OB --even if its not always a great shot--then I'd go with that.  If not, just use your 4h, and try to get as close as you can with your next shot.  I'd guess that sitting say, 30 yards from the green hitting 3, where getting up and down gives you par but more likely you're looking at a boegy, would be a huge improvement.

[Hoganwoods]

I agree with the posters who said aim more right.  Just the camera shot you took shows me  you tend to favor aiming down the middle which is hard to do on a hole like this IMO.  I'd aim at the left edge of the right trees with your normal cut.  You miss it either way and you should be fine.  I don't agree with clubbing down on a hole like this unless 6 is an acceptable score for you.