Second Shot Par 5 Third at Seneca Hickory Stick - Strategy?

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, sirhacksalot said:

Hit two in the water, drop 3, blade 4 over the green, Duff the chip. Then 3 putt from the fringe. Cry,cuss and  then tell my playing partner that " If I could just get the mental game , I could be scratch."

Good one.

[onthehunt526]

20 hours ago, 9wood said:

OK all you better golfers, here is a par 5 hole at a course near me, picture below. I am curious as how you would play your 2nd shot if you got off the drive shown in the photo. Are you good enough to go for the green on your 2nd shot. Would you play a safe lay-up or would you go for the green and have a shot at an eagle?

 

It depends on certain, how dark of a shade is near the center of the green, and the wind, how confident I am in my 220-yard club, etc.

I probably would take a club using the left bunker as my target and have the center of my shot zone be say 20 yards short of the water on that line... With that play, I should still make 5, could make 4, and won't leave with 6 very often.

[vangator]

23 hours ago, iacas said:

From a 266-yard drive, it's only 200 to carry the water. I'm going for it nearly every time from that spot in the fairway, assuming there's not a gale-force wind into me.

The 200 yard carry in front wouldn't be my problem.  The finger of water on the left is my main concern.  But from this picture, it doesn't run the entire length.  There's more room on the left than I thought.  That looks like a generous green as well.  Going for it may be an option with another ball borrowed from 9wood.

[9wood]

14 minutes ago, vangator said:

The 200 yard carry in front wouldn't be my problem.  The finger of water on the left is my main concern.  But from this picture, it doesn't run the entire length.  There's more room on the left than I thought.  That looks like a generous green as well.  Going for it may be an option with another ball borrowed from 9wood.

Sure thing, I've got a new Volvik DS 77 just waiting for you

[vangator]

4 hours ago, 9wood said:

Sure thing, I've got a new Volvik DS 77 just waiting for you

You really like DS 77's?  I've got some I can give to you.

[BuckeyeNut]

On 3/17/2016 at 10:46 AM, Lihu said:

 

 

Whether playing the blacks or Blues, my decision to go for it depends on front yardage carry and the conditions.   If the hole is only 488-500yds,  I would no doubt go for this green in 2 with regularity after a good drive in the fairway.   The conditions play a huge role.......   After a good drive in summer conditions, I'd be looking at no more than a rescue club approach to this green.    

I'd lay-up after a poor drive or when conditions were not conducive to an aggressive play. 

Edited March 18, 2016 by BuckeyeNut

[onthehunt526]

@9wood 2 things.

Where is this course? And how deep is the green?

[iacas]

3 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

@9wood 2 things.

Where is this course? And how deep is the green?

I think I asked that question earlier on the first page.

Yeah, there.

[onthehunt526]

If the green is 24 yards deep, and it is 206 to the front and 200 to clear the hazard, it's probably a 3h for me to the center of the green, in a tournament I might lay up at the left bunker short of the finger in the water, depending on where I hit the drive. 

The drive I'm guessing would be aimed the left center of the fairway... because it would take the right fairway bunkers out of play on a normal drive. 

[9wood]

5 hours ago, vangator said:

You really like DS 77's?  I've got some I can give to you.

I thought you said you drove those into the woods or water

Edited March 19, 2016 by 9wood

[vangator]

3 hours ago, 9wood said:

I thought you said you drove those into the woods or water

I think I might have.  I played them in a scramble off the tee thinking they would go pretty far.  But they felt like crap.  Weird.  So I launched the couple I had with me at the time into the woods.

[onthehunt526]

It seems, just by looking at the overhead that for most better players, a good drive as you described would put most in the go for the green zone.

@9wood I have another pertinent question, what is the topography of this hole? Does it play uphill or downhill? Is the green or fairway severely sloped? Is the green designed so it will accept a longer club, or is it meant to be hit with a wedge? Those kind of factors could determine whether one goes for the green or not.

[9wood]

20 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

 

@9wood I have another pertinent question, what is the topography of this hole? Does it play uphill or downhill? Is the green or fairway severely sloped? Is the green designed so it will accept a longer club, or is it meant to be hit with a wedge? Those kind of factors could determine whether one goes for the green or not.

There is only a 3 foot difference in elevation throughout the entire hole and it varies throughout the length of it. 

Here is a close up view of the green

 

[onthehunt526]

Is that a chipping area over the green?

[9wood]

9 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

Is that a chipping area over the green?

The area behind the green is a chipping area

[onthehunt526]

1 hour ago, 9wood said:

The area behind the green is a chipping area

I'm not Seve when it comes to chipping, but now that I know that, I would change my stance, and go for the green. 

With 218 yards to the center, I would on a typical day with little wind take a 3h at the back center and if it holds the green great, if not, I can get up and down maybe 55/45 from behind the green.

[9wood]

3 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

I'm not Seve when it comes to chipping, but now that I know that, I would change my stance, and go for the green. 

With 218 yards to the center, I would on a typical day with little wind take a 3h at the back center and if it holds the green great, if not, I can get up and down maybe 55/45 from behind the green.

I hear a lot of golfers say they would go for the green . While watching the Bay Hill tournament yesterday I saw quite a few pro-golfers who were faced with water in front of the greens think they were likewise going to go for it only to end up with a big splash into the water which was costly for them.

[onthehunt526]

4 hours ago, 9wood said:

I hear a lot of golfers say they would go for the green . While watching the Bay Hill tournament yesterday I saw quite a few pro-golfers who were faced with water in front of the greens think they were likewise going to go for it only to end up with a big splash into the water which was costly for them.

Well, I agree with that, you put it in the water with your second, you probably make 6, maybe 7. If I go for a par-5 in two, I'm not flag hunting, even if I hit a 310-yard drive, which would be an outlier in my case... and had 6-iron in for example, I'm not flag hunting. If I hit it 25 feet away in the middle of the green, If I push or pull it, and knock it in the hole for a deuce, that's fine, too.