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

[cedrictheo]

If it was a tournament... I'd hit hybrid towards the left of the trap (my miss with that club is a push). If I was playing a casual round with @iacas id have some fun and attempt to hit a cut driver around the trees. The result would be a straight bomb that clears the bunker hits the street and then bounces off the roof of the house...

[DrvFrShow]

I looked at this hole again. What I thought were trees are shadows. I will take the bunker out of play from that freak shot and play my 22.5*H off the tee to the beginning part of the fairway. I can hit it more consistently and there's less chance of the ball going in the drink. I'll be on the fairway for my second shot = PW or 9i 110 - 115 yds to the left side of the green. I'll either be on for a two putt or chipping U&D.;

[iacas]

If it was a tournament... I'd hit hybrid towards the left of the trap (my miss with that club is a push).

That's probably my play too, though not as far left - more toward the right edge of the bunker.

If I was playing a casual round with @iacas id have some fun and attempt to hit a cut driver around the trees. The result would be a straight bomb that clears the bunker hits the street and then bounces off the roof of the house...

I'd be tempted to play it just as I did: hitting a cut to the front left fringe of the green, basically. I can hit a pretty big predictable cut with the driver. The ball would clear the water and be moving "sideways" at the time so my risk of going long (or coming up short) is not huge .

[cipher]

Driver puts every hazard and OB in play for me. I would go with a 7w, and then really only the water right would be in play with an unlikely push. With a left to right helping wind I would sure be tempted to pull driver if I was fading the ball that day though. :-)

[jsgolfer]

Finally got my copy of LSW last night!

Now to find time to read it.

[colin007]

push cut hybrid.  should go about 230ish.  dont overcut it, stupid.

[fr0sty]

With "My swing" as it stands today I would have to say "it depends". If I'm hitting my 3w well I would aim to put that between the bunker and the fringe of the green. I don't have my shot zones mapped yet but I think it should fit almost completely in that space.  If I'm not in control of my woods the play would be a 5i towards the bunker still leaving a wedge into the green. If I'm not really in control of either I probably pick the 3w because closer is better than farther if I have an about equal chance of ending up in the bunker/water.

Driver to the green is out unless I'm down 3.

[Fairway_CY]

I'd play it similarly to what others have said.  I'd aim at the center of the bunker with a hybrid.  Chances are that I'd never reach that bunker with the hybrid.  Then I'd have a gap wedge in to the green.

Realistically, it would depend on how I was striking my hybrid on the range.  Often times, I find myself topping the ball with that club, so if that was the case... I'd resort to a 4 iron to the left side of the bunker (not as much carry), and that would likely leave me with an 8 or 9 iron into the green.  Regardless of pin placement... I'd be aiming at the left edge of the green.

CY

[Dave2512]

5 wood or  2 hybrid, which ever I have that day.

[iacas]

5 wood or  2 hybrid, which ever I have that day.

How's it getting there? Do you play a fairly good sized fade/mini-slice?

[Dave2512]

Yes but it's had to say without seeing the trees at ground level. I can't tell if that's a 3 yard cut that rolls a bit or a banana slice around taller trees. I am fairly certain the trees are there to discourage a line a couple degrees right of the yellow line played from the most left edge of the box but who knows. I just tossed that pic into paint, not a paint pro by any means, wanted to rotate it down. In reality the oval is tilted down at the left edge , the lowest point in the fairway right and below the bunker.

[AmazingWhacker]

A 200 yard shot is not easy for me - partly because of my clubs.  I have a 3iron that I can hit *almost* 200 yards but is pretty hard to hit.  I have a 4 wood that I can hit about 220-230.  I don't have anything in between . .no hybrids, no other woods except driver.  I'd probably go with the 4 wood and try to hit it on the line in the photo.  If I hit a really good shot it will be in that bunker . .but chances are I won't hit that good of a shot and . .hey, if it's in the bunker at least I know I can find it.

[Lihu]

A 200 yard shot is not easy for me - partly because of my clubs.  I have a 3iron that I can hit *almost* 200 yards but is pretty hard to hit.  I have a 4 wood that I can hit about 220-230.  I don't have anything in between . .no hybrids, no other woods except driver.  I'd probably go with the 4 wood and try to hit it on the line in the photo.  If I hit a really good shot it will be in that bunker . .but chances are I won't hit that good of a shot and . .hey, if it's in the bunker at least I know I can find it.

Off topic, but 3H is pretty useful to fill in the gap between 3i and 3/4W. . .

I would follow the same trail as posted earlier. The worst case is getting in the bunker, and a 3H would be a good solution as it has a higher flight.

[newtogolf]

Off topic, but 3H is pretty useful to fill in the gap between 3i and 3/4W. . .

I would follow the same trail as posted earlier. The worst case is getting in the bunker, and a 3H would be a good solution as it has a higher flight.

You can't really tell the depth of the bunkers in the picture, flag placement or slope of the green but given it's distance from the green I'd think want to avoid that fairway bunker at all costs.  My guess is the green slopes down towards the bunker behind it to catch all those sand and tee shots that go long or don't have enough spin to stop.

[Dave2512]

The trees on the right are the trick here. Loaded question.

[Lihu]

You can't really tell the depth of the bunkers in the picture, flag placement or slope of the green but given it's distance from the green I'd think want to avoid that fairway bunker at all costs.  My guess is the green slopes down towards the bunker behind it to catch all those sand and tee shots that go long or don't have enough spin to stop.

Agree, and I would prefer to get into a fairway bunker than water or OB. The area behind the cart path is an unknown, and just by looking at the map is possibly marked OB.

The trees on the right are the trick here. Loaded question.

Also true. It's not an easy hole. The tree line looks really narrow from those tees.

[RFKFREAK]

Since my current swing is a draw and my miss is a hook, I think aiming for the middle of the bunker with my 5W which at the end of last season went 210 yards so it seems like the best play.

If I hit it solid, I'll carry the water and not go near the bunker.  With my second shot, I'll use a full swing SW.

If I get all of it, there's a chance I'll go into the bunker which...would...suck.

If I don't get all of it, I think I should still be able to clear the water and leave myself a GW to the green.

If I hook the ball, I'll definitely clear the water, and it'll leave me a long approach shot but not too bad, maybe 150 which is a 7i.

[Jackal66]

I would have to go for the black circle area that someone added. Probably a 5 hybrid at 220-230 yards. I could reach the green with driver, if trees weren't a problem off of tee box. My driver would roll through the green at that distance, into trouble. Jack