How Would You Play This? Hole #6 at Airport Golf Course

[klineka]

I started this in the LSW club but moving out here per @billchao

This hole is at a course I am playing on Friday, which I have played multiple times before. Par 5, 515-535 yds depending on which tees I play from, it is 235 yards to the end of the first fairway, then a pretty significant hill that goes down at least 15-20 feet to the second fairway, which starts at 285 yards from the tee box. The rough at this course is not terribly thick. I have been down the side of the hill where the small red circle is before, its not a terrible spot to be, but still have a slight sidehill lie over there. The first part of the hill above the cart path is pretty steep, but the area below the cart path isnt too steep and more manageable. Still will have a downhill lie but not nearly as severe as above the car path.

A well struck 3 wood for me can easily reach out past 235 and put me on the hill (the red dot was a 3 wood), and my new driver has been around 250 carry based on my driver fitting/range sessions so far, rolling to 270ish with the furthest after 1 full round being 295 according to gamegolf. I have not played this course with my new driver yet.

With the thought of advancing the ball as far as I can, do I really hit a hybrid off the tee here to make sure I stay on that upper fairway to avoid the rough/hill, leaving myself 280-290 left for my 2nd shot, or is the better play for me to hit driver over the hill and take the good ones that reach the fairway (leaving myself like 220 yds left at the most) and deal with the ones that dont quite make it to the fairway? (most likely a hybrid or 5/6 iron out of the rough depending on the lie)

Here is the pic for reference. (Not sure why someone tagged Jackson Hewitt there either)

[David in FL]

Since I can't possibly reach in 2, there's no benefit at all for me to take any risk of getting a bad lie on that downslope.  I'll likely be able to actually advance the ball further on my second shot from the fairway up top, than from the rough on the downslope.  Since my goal is to be as close to the green as possible for my 3d, I'll hit 3-wood/3-wood which should leave me something like 60-85 yards in.  Perfect for an easily controlled little sand-wedge, a shot with which I'm really comfortable, the result of a short hitter not hitting many par-5's.  

Hell, if there's any hurt in the wind, I'll probably go ahead and hit driver off the tee anyway, knowing that I'll still stay short of the downslope.  

[DaveP043]

If you can consistently carry your driver onto the downslope, and straight enough to be in play, I think that's the way to go.  The presence of that slope should exaggerate the distance advantage your driver already offers, especially if you land on the slope and get a big forward bounce.  I'm not sure I'd want my tee shot to just trickle over the edge of the flat fairway, trying to hit a significant distance from a downslope isn't all that easy.

[Lihu]

Play a hybrid or 4i off the tee. then 2 iron shots to the green.

However, given how I answered the last "How'd you play it?" thread and how I actually played it.

I'd likely just pull out a driver and who knows what next?

[Slice of Life]

Looks fairly wide open. 

I'm taking driver and trying to bomb my pull drive to the 2nd fairway. Leaving 230ish for a 3-wood to the green. 

Sounds good in theory...but I would likely screw it up and end with a 7 lol

[jamo]

I'd hit driver. It sounds like the worst case scenario is a sidehill lie, which is hardly much of a price to pay. Worst case you hit a mid-iron layup short of the green, which you'd be doing if you took less club anyway.

[mcanadiens]

With my total lack of distance, I'm hitting driver setting up on the far right of the tee box and aiming at the left corner of the fairway. A solid drive for me would go 230 and give me the best angle on that slight dogleg. A decent 5W ought to get me into no worse than a PW for the approach.  If I have any doubt about the approach I'll take the shorter club, because it looks dangerous behind that green.

[billchao]

I'd hit driver. Looks like lots of places I can miss are playable and the driver is the only club that will bring going for the green into play.

[dzclarkcpa]

Can you get there in two with a "normal" good drive? If the answer is yes, then I am betting you have the game to play from the downhill/sidehill lie and still have short club into the green if you hit a bad tee shot.

No, I can't reach in 2 with a normal drive, then lay back with less than driver and try to make sure you are at optimal distance for 3rd shot.

 

How would I play it - Day 1 (Shot 1) Driver behind the trees, (2)pitch out, hitting a limb while trying to bite off just a little too much, (3) hybrid right of the green leaving myself a shortsided pitch, (4) high lob pitch to make it land softly comes up 10 ft short of green (5) stub the easy chip shot leaving 25 ft down hill left to right (6) roll it right into the heart of the cup. 

Another Day - (1) Bomb drive, (2) 3 hybrid to 10 yards short of green, (3) Chip to back pin leaves me 30 ft,(4 and 5) two putts that don't even scare the hole (6) 5 footer right in the heart!

Wonder why I am an 8 HI......

[Lihu]

Quote

How would I play it - Day 1 (Shot 1) Driver behind the trees, (2)pitch out, hitting a limb while trying to bite off just a little too much, (3) hybrid right of the green leaving myself a shortsided pitch, (4) high lob pitch to make it land softly comes up 10 ft short of green (5) stub the easy chip shot leaving 25 ft down hill left to right (6) roll it right into the heart of the cup. 

Another Day - (1) Bomb drive, (2) 3 hybrid to 10 yards short of green, (3) Chip to back pin leaves me 30 ft,(4 and 5) two putts that don't even scare the hole (6) 5 footer right in the heart!

Wonder why I am an 8 HI......

Sounds about right. . .

Edited September 14, 2017 by Lihu

[klineka]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, looks like most people recommend driver. As long as its not severely into the wind and I have hit my driver decent so far tomorrow, I will give driver a shot. 

I'll post back in here tomorrow evening after the round.

[CarlSpackler]

For me, 3w, 3w, some kind of wedge. They broke the fairway right where my ball would likely land. I hate this hole.

[inthecup]

I hit the ball the same distances as you.  Hard to say from the overhead but I would hit the club that would not block out my second shot it I hit it poorly.  That would likely be a 180 to 220 shot.  Then I would hit a 180-200 shot.  Wedge to the green.  The result over time would be much better than going for the green once in a while and hitting the green once in a while.  

Interested to hear the result.  

[chilepepper]

Driver, 3w, wedge. Hopefully 

[onthehunt526]

I cannot hit my driver far enough to reach the second fairway (ok maybe with my Sunday best). So it would probably be 200 yard club, 4-wood, some sort of wedge normally. But the way I struggle with partial wedge shots... I'd probably hit my 3h twice and then a 48° wedge.

[klineka]

2 hours ago, inthecup said:

I hit the ball the same distances as you.  Hard to say from the overhead but I would hit the club that would not block out my second shot it I hit it poorly.  That would likely be a 180 to 220 shot.  Then I would hit a 180-200 shot.  Wedge to the green.  The result over time would be much better than going for the green once in a while and hitting the green once in a while.  

Interested to hear the result.  

I dont necessarily try to reach the green in 2, but having 50 yards left after driver/hybrid or driver 3 wood would allow me to shoot better than 180-200 and 180-200 leaving me a full PW. 

My miss so far with the new driver has been a straight pull or a draw which should give me space to hit the 2nd shot if I did mishit the drive

[inthecup]

8 hours ago, klineka said:

I dont necessarily try to reach the green in 2, but having 50 yards left after driver/hybrid or driver 3 wood would allow me to shoot better than 180-200 and 180-200 leaving me a full PW. 

My miss so far with the new driver has been a straight pull or a draw which should give me space to hit the 2nd shot if I did mishit the drive

Is there a penalty from hitting it in the rough?  It's not deep and there usually is not a bad lie?  If so I'd bomb away.  I assumed some downside to missing the fairway. 

[klineka]

26 minutes ago, inthecup said:

Is there a penalty from hitting it in the rough?  It's not deep and there usually is not a bad lie?  If so I'd bomb away.  I assumed some downside to missing the fairway. 

The rough isnt particularly bad, but there is possibility of having a side hill/downhill lie for your 2nd shot, which is where the indecision comes into play