How would you play this shot?

[GolfLug]

Time for a new scenario.

You have this green complex. Lets say the pin is at elevation zero.

The bunker on the left sits about 7 feet below the pin elevation. The first grass bunker on the right sits the same. The 2nd grass bunker on the right sits about 15 feet below the pin elevation. The pin is marked with a cross. This is a two tiered green, with a tier running laterally from left to right. The top end of the tier is situated at near the top end of the bunker and has about a 5-6% slope that runs a good 7 feet wide.

The ball (red dot) sits in the 2nd grass bunker. The bunker itself is small, but has steep sides and is about 3 feet deep. The balls its about 1/2 the way up the side, so it would sit about 1-1.5 feet above the golfers typical ball position. The ball is also situation as such that the ground is slanting towards the pin and towards the golfer. Basically this bunker is a bowl shaped.

So how would you play this shot? Where the ball is severely above your feet and the ball is on a severe down slope and side slope.

Can you spell eff-you-see-.....

Hit a sideways type pitch with a little bit of air since you can swing up a tad into the uphill bank short of the green to break the speed and hopefully it will stay on the green. Could be short and be in the bigger green bunke or roll it past the pin hopefully nGIR still.

[Golfingdad]

Can you spell eff-you-see-.....

Hit a sideways type pitch with a little bit of air since you can swing up a tad into the uphill bank short of the green to break the speed and hopefully it will stay on the green. Could be short and be in the bigger green bunke or roll it past the pin hopefully nGIR still.

Well, you might be able to get nG but you're already out of the running for the IR part even before you make the swing.

[GolfLug]

Well, you might be able to get nG but you're already out of the running for the IR part even before you make the swing.

. Thank you officer.

[Golfingdad]

. Thank you officer.

I'll let you off with a warning this time ... just don't let it happen again.

[Mac62]

Time for a new scenario.

You have this green complex. Lets say the pin is at elevation zero.

The bunker on the left sits about 7 feet below the pin elevation. The first grass bunker on the right sits the same. The 2nd grass bunker on the right sits about 15 feet below the pin elevation. The pin is marked with a cross. This is a two tiered green, with a tier running laterally from left to right. The top end of the tier is situated at near the top end of the bunker and has about a 5-6% slope that runs a good 7 feet wide.

The ball (red dot) sits in the 2nd grass bunker. The bunker itself is small, but has steep sides and is about 3 feet deep. The balls its about 1/2 the way up the side, so it would sit about 1-1.5 feet above the golfers typical ball position. The ball is also situation as such that the ground is slanting towards the pin and towards the golfer. Basically this bunker is a bowl shaped.

So how would you play this shot? Where the ball is severely above your feet and the ball is on a severe down slope and side slope.

Aim for the fattest part of the green (above the left bunker, basically straight up from the pin) and play a flop/high pitch in an effort to get it anywhere on the putting surface.  Anything else would be  a low percentage shot for me, much higher chance of a big number coming into play.  Hopefully I'd be able to salvage bogey (or double at worst).

[boogielicious]

A course I used to play had a similar set up with a bunker in the lower right spot that had a grassy fringe the ball would get hung up in.  So I would be a similar shot as Matt set up.  Being in the spot a couple of times, I just tried to get it on the green. Pitch shot with an open face using my 58.  If I recall correctly, I probably got on the green 1 out of 3 times. The other two, just short in the rough at the edge of the green.

[Lihu]

A course I used to play had a similar set up with a bunker in the lower right spot that had a grassy fringe the ball would get hung up in.  So I would be a similar shot as Matt set up.  Being in the spot a couple of times, I just tried to get it on the green. Pitch shot with an open face using my 58.  If I recall correctly, I probably got on the green 1 out of 3 times. The other two, just short in the rough at the edge of the green.

While I agree with going long on this hole, a big difference is that this scenario the shot is 172 to the pin and probably 175+ to a good wide landing zone. It seems like any club that carries 175 is not going to have the same spin on it as a 58?

[vangator]

It's a pretty nasty golf hole. It's on the crappy course I play ;)  From the back tees it's 172 to the middle of the green. The green is like 20 yards uphill. you can't see the putting surface. The right side of the green is a severe bank. Google Earth has the green at 909 FT, and that spot at 986 FT. I was pretty close, 13 FT elevation change .

I'm not very good at this new math. :-D My home course has a practice setup that could simulate this and I've practiced tough shots like this a lot. I would take my 60* or 68* and play it back in my stance to make sure of a descending blow. No wrists. More of a pop shot so it won't have a lot of spin, but I can judge distance well. Land just over the greenside grass bunker and let it roll to the hole. Getting it close could be tough, but at least I'd have a putt at it. A flop from a grass bunker could very well leave you in the bunker. Then again, if it's not how I imagine the shot, I may just putt it. :-)

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

A course I used to play had a similar set up with a bunker in the lower right spot that had a grassy fringe the ball would get hung up in.  So I would be a similar shot as Matt set up.  Being in the spot a couple of times, I just tried to get it on the green. Pitch shot with an open face using my 58.  If I recall correctly, I probably got on the green 1 out of 3 times. The other two, just short in the rough at the edge of the green.

While I agree with going long on this hole, a big difference is that this scenario the shot is 172 to the pin and probably 175+ to a good wide landing zone. It seems like any club that carries 175 is not going to have the same spin on it as a 58?

I'm confused by your response.  The scenario that Matt just posted is a greenside shot from a grass bunker, not an approach shot.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

A course I used to play had a similar set up with a bunker in the lower right spot that had a grassy fringe the ball would get hung up in.  So I would be a similar shot as Matt set up.  Being in the spot a couple of times, I just tried to get it on the green. Pitch shot with an open face using my 58.  If I recall correctly, I probably got on the green 1 out of 3 times. The other two, just short in the rough at the edge of the green.

While I agree with going long on this hole, a big difference is that this scenario the shot is 172 to the pin and probably 175+ to a good wide landing zone. It seems like any club that carries 175 is not going to have the same spin on it as a 58?

I'm confused by your response.  The scenario that Matt just posted is a greenside shot from a grass bunker, not an approach shot.

I think I might have misinterpreted what you stated, and obviously made some assumptions.

You stated that you only made the green 1 out of 3 times and I assumed that at your handicap that it must be from at least 110-115 yards with a similar setup. Therefore, I was only noting that the 172 yard pin is exponentially harder to hit partly because of the lack of spin of a 175 yard club versus a 58 degree wedge.

Now that I read it correctly, I now realize that you only make the green 33% of the time from a chip/flop shot.

As far as the hole is concerned, it's protected from the front and seems to be okay on the back with a big wide open green. Seems like the type of hole you can go 5 yards long on even though blind (tee off 20 yards below it).

[iacas]

I think I might have misinterpreted what you stated, and obviously made some assumptions.

You stated that you only made the green 1 out of 3 times and I assumed that at your handicap that it must be from at least 110-115 yards with a similar setup. Therefore, I was only noting that the 172 yard pin is exponentially harder to hit partly because of the lack of spin of a 175 yard club versus a 58 degree wedge.

Now that I read it correctly, I now realize that you only make the green 33% of the time from a chip/flop shot.

As far as the hole is concerned, it's protected from the front and seems to be okay on the back with a big wide open green. Seems like the type of hole you can go 5 yards long on even though blind (tee off 20 yards below it).

@Lihu , you're missing the point.

The hole is 172 yards or so long, but the shot presented is a greenside shot . It has nothing to do with the length of the hole. It could be a par 3, 4, or 5… wouldn't matter. The shot being discussed is a short shot from a greenside grass bunker.

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="Lihu" url="/t/82433/how-would-you-play-this-shot/36#post_1156173"]   I think I might have misinterpreted what you stated, and obviously made some assumptions. You stated that you only made the green 1 out of 3 times and I assumed that at your handicap that it must be from at least 110-115 yards with a similar setup. Therefore, I was only noting that the 172 yard pin is exponentially harder to hit partly because of the lack of spin of a 175 yard club versus a 58 degree wedge. Now that I read it correctly, I now realize that you only make the green 33% of the time from a chip/flop shot.   As far as the hole is concerned, it's protected from the front and seems to be okay on the back with a big wide open green. Seems like the type of hole you can go 5 yards long on even though blind (tee off 20 yards below it). [/QUOTE] @Lihu , you're missing the point. The hole is 172 yards or so long, but the shot presented is a greenside shot . It has nothing to do with the length of the hole. It could be a par 3, 4, or 5… wouldn't matter. The shot being discussed is a short shot from a greenside grass bunker.

I didn't miss the point this time, but my response was to avoid this situation in the first place. I was a bit off topic.

[iacas]

I didn't miss the point this time, but my response was to avoid this situation in the first place. I was a bit off topic.

Missing the point and being off topic are one and the same in this case. Let's move on now, eh? Your ball is in the greenside grass bunker. That's the topic.