How Would You Play It? An Exercise in LSW Shot Zones and Shades of Grey (#15 at Pinecrest CC in Bluffton, SC)

[jsgolfer]

So I would probably hit a 4H about 190-200 and then hit a sand wedge to the green.  Now if the wind was helping I might try to start the driver at the right side of the bunker with a fade.

[JonMA1]

Assuming the trees at the tee force me to aim left, slightly open stance, slightly open face 5 wood at the left side of the bunkers. If it fades I should carry the water. If it stays straight I end up in the bunkers but still have a shot at the green. I just need to keep it between a draw and a weak slice and I'll have a decent 2nd shot.

[tmac20]

5 iron aimed at the middle tree behind the sand trap, then probably a full lob or sand wedge aimed at the left-center of the green.

[trickyputt]

I have a hybrid I play 215 so I would fade it into the fairway looking for a result of a 3/4 sw of 75 yards into the flag.

[iacas]

Going for the green.

There are trees in the way.

Is that area off to the left where all the carts and people seem to be the forward tees or a drop zone? If that's a tee box, I'm playing from there!

You have to tee off from where I drew the lines.

[saevel25]

99% of the times would take a hybrid and hit it about 70% for control. My hybrid goes about 235 yards max on carry. I don't want to hit a full 4 iron that goes 210 because it's a bit less accurate because that would be 90% full speed to go 210. I would aim middle of the bunker and try to hit a slight push. From ther I should have 65-70 yards left for a 3/4 wedge shot. I could hit a full hybrid at the right hand side of the bunker, but that tightens the landing area between the bunker and the water. Other times I would hit a big bubba cut 3-wood which would be perfect for this hole. I hit this shot twice before and had good success. I usually save this shot for scrambles where my personal score doesn't matter.

[No Mulligans]

With my distances going for the green is not an option.  I'm aiming for the middle of the fairway bunker.  The question is, do I hit driver and take the water out of play but risk ending in the bunker, or, do I hit 3w and take the bunker out of play but risk the water?  I'll play the driver and aim towards the right part of the bunker, play for a fade, and minimize the risk of the bunker and the water.

[DeadMan]

For me, going for the green isn't an option I'd consider. I can hit a fade/slice, but I can't control it very well. Too risky to do in a normal situation.

So this will be a lay up onto the fairway. Priority #1 is to keep it out of the water. Priority #2 is to avoid the fairway bunker. Water is worse because you'd probably basically have to re-tee. So, you have to carry the water, with avoiding the bunker slightly less important. I'd err on the side of caution in selecting too much club to avoid the water vs. too little to avoid the bunker.

To truly play the hole, I would want more information - specifically if I can hit a straight shot, aiming at the right side of the bunker, without the trees coming into play. And the carry distance over the water for that. I think that would be my ideal play. But, based on the information I have right now, I'm going to take a club that carries 215 (guess based on what we have), and aim it as far right as I can without flirting with the trees by the tee box. For me that'd be a 5 iron (location: Colorado). Since this is hole 15, if I'm not striking it all that well previously, I would take a 6 iron and be more conservative by aiming at the middle of the bunker.

From there it's likely a lob wedge into the green for me. If the flag is in the center or on the right, I'd just aim for the center of the green. No need to challenge that back bunker or the water in front with the flag on the left. If the flag is on the left, I'd aim aim at the left-center of the green.

[boogielicious]

I would play a 3W to the fairway (carry 195-200).  My draw would put me in the 100 + yard range.  I cannot predict the flight of an intentional fade, so I would avoid that to prevent slicing into the water.

[Nagah]

Ditto[quote name="InTheRough" url="/t/81086/how-would-you-play-it-an-exercise-in-lsw-shot-zones-and-shades-of-grey-15-at-pinecrest-cc-in-bluffton-sc#post_1121762"]Depending on conditions i'm going with my 3hy (~220 carry)  or 3W(~230-235 carry) and aiming at the right edge of that bunker.  This leaves a flip shot with my GW, SW, or LW again depending on conditions and pin placement. This strategy also gives me room for error off of the tee--slightly short is ok, left is ok though maybe in the bunker, unless i push it way right (which is one of my misses at the moment) i should be ok on the right and going long actually gives you a better angle to the green. Driver is a no-go for me on this hole.  Those trees to the right of the tee box block a direct shot at the green and i'm not going to try to fade a driver 250 yards. [/quote]

[RH31]

3H then wedge to green

[Golfingdad]

So, the question is… Given your own Shot Zones, distances, etc.: how would you play this hole to shoot the lowest score (on average) applying the principles you've learned in LSW?

Going to presume that beyond the cart path at the top of the screen is OB.  OB is the most penal, i.e. blackity-black-black on a decision map, so the first order of business is to eliminate that option.

That means that getting cute and trying to cut a driver around the trees is out of the question.  A 3 wood is also out of the question.  Mine goes 240-260 off the tee when struck well, so my "good" result is the bunker.  If I nuke one, I could get it past that bunker and also reach the OB.  Getting cute and trying to cut that one around the trees and there's no guarantee I could clear the water if I over-cut it.

So, that leaves me with something straight at the middle of the big bunker.  Pretty much this line right here:

The bunker is a lighter shade of gray than the water (and due to the fact that you'd have to drop so far back, it's a few shades lighter), so I'd rather be a hair long than a hair short.  So, given that it's 209 to the end of the yellow line, I'm estimating that it's 180 to clear the water on that line and about 230 to reach the bunker.  I'm putting the short end of my shot zone at about 190 and, therefore, thinking of hitting a 4 iron.  The problem is that the water creeps away quickly as you start to push the ball, and a 4-iron isn't clearing the water if I push it too much.  It's also reaching the other hazard if I pull it or hook it.  There's no bailout.

Therefore ... I'm hitting hybrid (210-230) and making certain that I A) am not going OB, and B) am clearing the water as long as I hit it somewhere close to my target line.  If I'm in the bunker, that's OK, as it's costing me a lot less shots (1/2 probably) than either of the other options (2 or 1 1/2, I'm guessing).

[Dave2512]

The line right at the bunker looks like it may lead to a ball traveling over or near the water again if it isn't well struck. Anything short looks like it would roll in the hazard. The area between the bunker and the green looks pretty wide. My map would be an oval that runs from the right of the bunker but closer to the green the lowest point being in the fairway and the highest point under the path .

[kpaulhus]

Based on my LSW knowledge, bunkers equal penalty shot. I would try to hit the ball as far as possible aimed just to the right of the bunkers. If I overshoot the fairway a bit Ill be OK since its still a 40-50yd pitch onto the green. Albeit I'm really going on the fact of how far right can I aim without hitting the trees to the right of the tee box. Ideally I would shoot for the longest shot that keeps the ball away from the bunker and the water.

[Harp stein]

4I at the right edge of the house, SW to the center of the green.

[Grinde6]

I would play a 3 wood cut off the right side of the bunker which should get me to the left side of the green just a few yards short or in the brown area to the left of the green.  If the shot is into the wind, it is a straight 3 wood to the bunker and a wedge in, but my favorite shot is a cut and I can get my 3 wood 250+ if struck well...it also depends on what hole it is in the round and if I need to make shots up or hold onto a lead.  If I need to make shots up its a 3 wood cut.  If I am trying to hold on to a lead, its 5 iron to the middle of the fairway and then a wedge in.

[oregongolfguy]

That just doesn't look super exciting :)..........Looking at it for myself there is really only two possible plays for me.  Either hit Hybrid on the line shown or slightly to the left of the line shown.  Plenty of horse power to clear the water, not enough to reach the bunker.  The other possibility that I might go with is to go with mid iron towards the start of the fairway on the left.  Take more of the water out of playoff the tee.  Either way the second shot is pretty short.  Even so I am aiming at the left side of the green taking as much water as possible out of play, error on the side of long over short if the yardage to middle left is in between clubs.  Basically I am looking to just stay dry and out of the sand.  Make it a bogey at worst hole and take double + out of play.

There is no room for me to hit a driver anywhere on this hole.  Looking at the pic with the trees on the right off the tee box it looks like the most right you could aim with playing a ball curving to the right is about at the right edge of the bunker.

[SCC4380]

I would start my 6 iron on the yellow line toward the bunker and let it draw a little. Wedge into the green from there. The other option would be to start my 7 wood a little to the right of the line and fade it, but that is a shot that is more likely to get away from me and it would also be headed to a narrower part of the fairway.

How do I get a LSW logo on my posts?