NTO - In playing No. 10, which strategy do you think is the best?

[Club Rat]

Discuss Pro's and Con's of going for the green on this short par 4....

Is there anything in the book, "Lowest Score Wins" which covers this aspect of the game?

Club Rat

[iacas]

Is there anything in the book, "Lowest Score Wins" which covers this aspect of the game?

Yes. You should buy it.

As for this hole in particular, it's so well designed there is no blanket answer. If you're a good wedge player, lay up and hit your wedges. The green is so severely tilted that even being closer to the green, if you have a bad angle, can be a bad play.

More often than not, though, I think the play is to go for it. Just plan for the ball to go to the right spot so you can have the best short game angle to the hole.

[Club Rat]

[Thrash13]

Wow, I didn't think going for the green would provide that much better scoring than laying up. Those are remarkable statistics. I figured going for it off the tee is the better choice but not by that margin. What a fantastic short hole!

[David in FL]

I'm firmly in the "closer is better" camp. Great hole though....one of THE great short par-4's in all of golf.

[chrstianrockboy]

Id lay up simply because its too far for me to hit. That said even if i could hit the distance. I would still layup. As a 24 handicap, I feel that i risk a huge number 6-8 strokes by going for it. Yes i may get lucky and get on, or i may get bunkered. At least by laying up i narrow the chances of a big number.

[Golfingdad]

Id lay up simply because its too far for me to hit. That said even if i could hit the distance. I would still layup. As a 24 handicap, I feel that i risk a huge number 6-8 strokes by going for it. Yes i may get lucky and get on, or i may get bunkered. At least by laying up i narrow the chances of a big number.

I can't quite reach it either so my play would be to aim left, hopefully leaving a 30-40 yard pitch up the opening of the green. Remember that the green is tiny and not easy to hit so one thought towards hitting driver is "hey, I'm probably gonna be in one of those bunkers eventually, might as well be there in one shot instead of two."

[HanNL]

Remember that the green is tiny and not easy to hit so one thought towards hitting driver is "hey, I'm probably gonna be in one of those bunkers eventually, might as well be there in one shot instead of two."

Agreed :). However, if you're in the bunker, don't do as Scott Piercy did.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/video-piercy-plays-ping-pong-no-10-riviera/

[Wally Fairway]

IMO - unless there is water, or an OB that comes into play then I would think that going for it is the play (as said before just don't Piercy/Leonard it if you beach it)

[3putter]

I would say it depends on where the pin is placed. As for yesterday's pin (Tucked in the back), I'm laying up, hit to the middle of the green, and hope to make a putt. That green is just ridiculous.

[9iron]

I would say it depends on where the pin is placed. As for yesterday's pin (Tucked in the back), I'm laying up, hit to the middle of the green, and hope to make a putt. That green is just ridiculous.

Agree. For me it would depend on the pin placement.

[Golfingdad]

I can't quite reach it either so my play would be to aim left, hopefully leaving a 30-40 yard pitch up the opening of the green.

Remember that the green is tiny and not easy to hit so one thought towards hitting driver is "hey, I'm probably gonna be in one of those bunkers eventually, might as well be there in one shot instead of two."

I looked at the hole on google maps and now have a slight amendment to my answer.  Here it is:

On that blue line, it's 202 to carry the fairway bunker, and as you can see, 253 to reach the next bunker.  It's 277 to reach the front greenside bunker, but that is on a perfect line.  I hit driver and its a lot more likely I'm in one of those two shorter bunkers with a 40-50 yard shot.  Oh goody.  Not the end of the world from the left bunker, but the one thats short and right?  No thank you.

So, for me, I think the best play is hybrid while aiming down that blue line.  Enough to clear all of the fairway bunkers, and not enough to flirt with the mid range bunkers.  A good one on the blue line would leave me an open shot straight up the green of about 60 yards if the pin is in the front, and 90 if its in the back.

That would be my play.

[WUTiger]

Here's advice, courtesy of the Riviera GC website:

I also took a look at the RGC site's photo and schematic of the hole. The tee is slightly elevated. So, I would take a driver, aim for the left edge of the right greenside bunker, and hit a draw.

I don't have the length to get there from 315 yards out - except if it's August and the fairway is hard. So, with a good drive I'm to the right of the fairway bunker. This cuts down the approach angle, and I'm able to work - somewhat - the long axis of the green.

If the pin is on the front half, I use a 1/2 SW, drop it onto the fringe, and let it trickle on. (As per Golfingdad's lines, about 40 yards out).

If the pin is on the back half, I take an 7i and hit a cut-punch chip shot: the slight cutspin will rotate back against the R-to-L green slope, and hopefully keep the shot puttable. (About 70 yards out).