Course management - How would you react?

[cbe_golfer]

This is a crude sketch of what I had in mind.

[Spectrums]

I'd layup to about 110, my preferred wedge distance.

[blue_crush]

this is a par 5 from the way you set it up it seems.
I would play a 7/6 iron to the front of the creek and hit a wedge to the pin real close and one putt for a birdie.. and if the one putt didn't work, then I got par and go on to the next hole to do it again..

[Fourputt]

Not enough information. How tall are the trees? If I can get over the trees with it, I probably hit about a 7 or 8 iron short of the water, then pitch to the green from there. Sounds like anything else is just asking to hit the drink.

The 9th hole on my home course has a similar problem, although on a shorter shot. If you hit your tee shot too far left and short of the the dogleg, you can be left with a 180 yard shot requiring a 40 - 50 yard hook. No water in front, but your aim point is the middle of pond to the right of the fairway... fail to hook (or just don't hook it enough) and you are guaranteed wet. When I'm faced with that, it's an automatic pitchout, often with a lower lofted club to advance it as far as possible and still keep it under the tree limbs.

Anyway, I hit whatever club I can to advance the ball as far as possible without risking dumping it in the water. I don't try anything as dangerous as a a hard hook around the dogleg from that close. For me, that would be counterproductive.

[doublesuited77]

not enough info here. Specifically, where is the pin and what is the best angle to attack. How much green do you have to work with?

The tougher the pin position, the more likely I am to layup. My real question is where is the easiest place to get up and down from. Depending on this, I could see myself hitting a draw to lay-up just short of the creek, hitting a draw to layup just over the creek or going for the green.

[beisenhauer]

Definitely two shots to the green for me.

[Xbmchs12X]

Well if I could hit my three wood that far I would def go for it but I cant, so I would just lay up just short of the green

[Chairman7w]

Oh most definitely two shots. A nice 125-yard shot in would be perfect.

Even needing a birdie (assuming it's a par-5), it'd be the right decision for me. The odds are greater that I can birdie it like than, they they are of me hitting a 240-yard draw over a creek. :(

[lamebums]

This is a crude sketch of what I had in mind.

Based on this, I don't even think a low draw is necessary. Although I'd like to know where the pin is and the elevation before I'd make a final decision, as is, I would still draw it around the corner and go for the green. (I prefer to cut the corner but if they are impossibly high I'll go for the draw).

[gbk56]

I was in this situation this weekend except there was no creek and instead of trees, it was the side of a mountain about 120 meters high. I drew it around the mountain to about 100 yards out, missed the green on my approach, was on in 4 and two putted for bogey.

[bluenar9]

If I'm 240 yards out and you let me tee it up and hit driver, there's a very good chance that even a straight shot would leave me short. So unless I read this description wrong, I'm going to lay up to about 95 yards and hit a pitching wedge into the green. And if I'm long or short on my "to-lay-up" shot, then I hit a GW or 9I, both of which I'm fine with.

Exactly my approach, except I hit my PW 135 so I'd need to hit my 54* (95-105 yards) to get the right distance for my PW, which I am most comfortable hitting at a full swing.

[justinp]

Here's a situation. You are in the short grass perfect lie. You have 240 to the center of the green..very big landing area..no disasters around the green. There is a creek 60 yards from the front of the green. Your shot is a dog leg left turning at about 50 yards..tall clump of trees. You cant go over the trees and make it to the green. What would you play?

Hmmm...Let me get this straight (making some assumptions based on your description)...

If I'm 240 to center and the creek is 60 yards in front of the green then I'm guessing a shot of about 170 is required to clear the creek (240 minus ~10 yards to get front of green distance minus 60 yards to creek). I have a dogleg at about 50 yards (assuming you are saying the dogleg is 50 yards in front of the green not 50 yards in front of where my ball is which is totally different). Anyway, that puts the dogleg right around the distance of the creek so any layup should be in front of the creek not beyond since there wouldn't be much room to land it there unless you are going for the green with a draw (assuming you are right handed). Personally, (depending on the width of the creek) I would hit my 130 club to the right side of the dogleg leaving me a wedge into the green for my third shot. The risks of hitting a 240 yard draw and putting it on the green when you are dealing with a dogleg and cluster of trees that could knock the ball down into the nearby creek if you cut the corner too much aren't worth it. If you pull off the shot but miss the green you are still looking at chipping/pitching on in 3. After my layup, I should be on in 3 as well with an easy gap wedge.

[allin]

This would be a 7 or 8 iron lay up for me, leaving some type of wedge. I would decide based on the club I think I would give me a flat to slightly uphil lie. I would rather be 110 with a flat lie then 85 with a downhill lie.

[Fried Egg]

You say it's a perfect lie and the is no trouble and a big landing area around the green. Therefore, it sounds like unless I pull hook one into the clump of trees, its a green light all day long. Worst case I'll have a little chip or pitch. And I would prefer to call it a high draw with my 3 wood.