Desert (Target) Golf vs Others

[jgreen85]

How does the particular golf course being played impact some of the conventional wisdom I've read on this site. For example, hitting driver 250 but off target is better than hitting hybrid 200 in the fairway. I ask because in PHX, we play desert golf primarily. The desert, especially at the nicer courses, is often very penal. If you're off of the fairway, even if you find your ball, it is likely an unplayable lie. In addition, your drop from said unplayable lie is unlikely to put you in a position where a full swing is possible.

For this reason, many courses have a local "desert" rule. This allows one to play the desert as a lateral hazard. This rule is outside the rules of golf.

I've played the majority of my golf in Arizona, so feedback on how parkland style and other style course strategy differ if they do.

[oregongolfguy]

If the desert is unplayable the majority of the time then that would be something that you try to avoid whenever possible and maybe driver isn't the right play...

Off the tee we want to advance the ball as far as possible while still having a good/decent second shot.  Its the combo of both lie and distance, not one or the other.

[saevel25]

I've played the majority of my golf in Arizona, so feedback on how parkland style and other style course strategy differ if they do.

I would say the desert sounds like it plays like a water hazard. You are basically going to lose a stroke on average.

In that regard you want to make sure your shot zone doesn't come with in 10 yards of the desert.

If it is a long par 4, you and lets say the desert encroaches on 20% of your shot zone, you might take the risk knowing you will end up with a much shorter shot than hitting a 3-wood or hybrid. Depends on how much risk you want to take on.

[Golfingdad]

How does the particular golf course being played impact some of the conventional wisdom I've read on this site.

Well, it sort of doesn't affect the conventional wisdom at all, because that type of thing is factored into said wisdom.  For example, the main LSW "rule" is to, quite simply, shorten the distance between the ball and the hole as much as possible, safely , with every shot.

Don't think I have the quote right, but its something close to that.  Anyway, if you're playing a course that is very penal in the junk, versus an open course that doesn't really have junk, but rather other fairways, then that rule gets applied very differently.

Penalty strokes need to be avoided at all costs, so you would be right to consider hybrid off the tee often in your scenario, I imagine.

I play a similar course here pretty often where nearly the entire back 9 is all canyons and ravines off the fairway, so I am going to start cutting back off of driver and just start hitting all 3 woods and hybrids off of those tees because I've been too wild with the driver, leading to many penalty strokes.

[jgreen85]

I've already started to adjust my game to avoid the penalty shots as a priority. Primarily b/c a shot in to the desert is worse than a water hazard as the water is just a stroke rather than stroke and distance. I'm just curious if there were any statistics on desert vs parkland vs links etc.

[iacas]

How does the particular golf course being played impact some of the conventional wisdom I've read on this site. For example, hitting driver 250 but off target is better than hitting hybrid 200 in the fairway. I ask because in PHX, we play desert golf primarily. The desert, especially at the nicer courses, is often very penal. If you're off of the fairway, even if you find your ball, it is likely an unplayable lie. In addition, your drop from said unplayable lie is unlikely to put you in a position where a full swing is possible.

@jgreen85 , have you bought and read a copy of Lowest Score Wins yet?

Well, it sort of doesn't affect the conventional wisdom at all, because that type of thing is factored into said wisdom.  For example, the main LSW "rule" is to, quite simply, shorten the distance between the ball and the hole as much as possible, safely, with every shot.

Don't think I have the quote right, but its something close to that.  Anyway, if you're playing a course that is very penal in the junk, versus an open course that doesn't really have junk, but rather other fairways, then that rule gets applied very differently.

Penalty strokes need to be avoided at all costs, so you would be right to consider hybrid off the tee often in your scenario, I imagine.

I play a similar course here pretty often where nearly the entire back 9 is all canyons and ravines off the fairway, so I am going to start cutting back off of driver and just start hitting all 3 woods and hybrids off of those tees because I've been too wild with the driver, leading to many penalty strokes.

That's the very brief version of it, but… yeah, I'd recommend you check it out. The "conventional" wisdom from the book, the site, etc. that you'll learn is often directly against the actual "conventional" wisdom that you'll find out in the world.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

@jgreen85 , have you bought and read a copy of Lowest Score Wins yet? That's the very brief version of it, but… yeah, I'd recommend you check it out. The "conventional" wisdom from the book, the site, etc. that you'll learn is often directly against the actual "conventional" wisdom that you'll find out in the world.

@iacas I'd like to buy a copy of the book. Is there a link here somewhere to direct order?

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

@iacas I'd like to buy a copy of the book. Is there a link here somewhere to direct order?

Never mind, I found the link via the search function and ordered my copy.