Just the Right Challenge

[NiftyNiblick]

At this stage of your career as a recreational linkster, what course length seems to be just the right challenge for you?

[Kenny B]

Too many par 3's for me.  Nifty, how is it that holes #10 and #16 at 213y and 220y respectively are only ranked as the 12th and 8th hardest holes?  Even downhill those have to be tough holes. 

 

I like a variety of courses, and at 68 I look for the 6000-6200 yard tee box mostly because anything shorter isn't fair to my wife because most forward tees are 5200-5500 yards.  On certain courses I can play longer but it definitely becomes less fun the longer the yardage.

[fozcycle]

Currenlty, I play 6,000 yards, BUT after Christmas Day, I move up to 5,500 yards on the Senior Tees.  I turn 65 on Christmas Day.

[Kenny B]

Currenlty, I play 6,000 yards, BUT after Christmas Day, I move up to 5,500 yards on the Senior Tees.  I turn 65 on Christmas Day.

Congratulations Foz!  What are the forward tees?  Just wondering if you and my wife will be playing from the same tees in February.

[MmmmmmBuddy]

I prefer to play somewhere between 6500 and 6800 at sea level.  In the desert, or at altitude, those yardages seem too short.  During rounds, I don't want to hit Driver-Wedge or Driver-9 iron on every par 4. Boring.  7200-7400 is too much.  

[NiftyNiblick]

My scorecard pic isn't a real golf course, Kenny. On a slow day after my dog bite accident, I sketched several favorite holes from a number of area courses and then pieced them together like a jig saw puzzle.

 

The hole handicap ratings would never actually be as shown. They're my personal ratings because the course doesn't exist.

 

Fairway wood play is the strength of my game. I'm not saying that I'm good, but I am the best fairway wood player in my sorry baby boomer gang.

 

Ever wonder why I have so much trouble replacing that set of ancient PTs? I've hit shots with them that don't match the rest of my iffy game. It's also why I avoid big drivers with which I'd have to tee my ball high and play it far left in my stance. My fairway wood results supersede what I can do consistently with the driver.

[Kenny B]

Interesting.  You really like par 3's.  

[NiftyNiblick]

The par threes that I've chosen are extremely picturesque and very challenging. The nine holes separating them are all holes that have abused me very little relative to their brethren on their respective courses. In other words, the pars threes are pretty, and the longer holes are all holes one whose tee boxes I don't break into a cold sweat.

 

The two hundred twenty yarder is on flat terrain so that you see the whole flagstick without seeing hardly any of the green. Said green is the size of Kansas and pool table flat. Despite the length, a decent fairway wood will hold and a low, driving-iron stinger will run on if it misses a very small, shallow bunker on the left front.

 

The two hundred thirteen yarder is downhill with a forced carry over a moat with the walking bridge directly in the middle and in the line of play. there's a flat bail out area short of it that no self-respecting player targets. The green is outlined by three very old and tall pine trees behind it so from the elevated tee, you're looking right into the middle of them. The right and back right have bunkers in play, but they are shallow and decorative more than punitive. The left part of the green is deep so the odd shape on that side almost reaches the pines. It's a fun hole that looks harder than it usually is but soul-sucking fives do happen.

 

The 97 yarder has a very deep, gaping, steep-faced bunker directly in front of it and two smaller ones back left and back right. Its slightly bowl shaped green is the diameter of a Holy Communion wafer. Everything that holds rolls to the dead center of it but the pin is rarely cut there. You get slightly uphill putts back to the perimeter that are reasonably doable if you hit the tiny green.

 

The 135 yarder is almost unplayable in any conventional way. If you hit your normal 135 shot, you're going to hit tree branches that umbrella the hole. There a space in front to bump the ball on, but be straight. The area from tee to green is groomed like a fairway after the first ninety yards.

 

The 115 yarder, the 155 yarder, and the 175 yarder are plain vanilla wedge, seven-iron, and five iron shots respectively. (Remember, I use traditional weak lofts so this could change in the very imminent future.) They're basically a thermometer for your iron play that day. The greens are a little on the big side for the hole yardages, so if you're hitting the ball decently, you're putting for birdies.

 

The 165 yarder is all carry over a pond unless you bail right. The green tilts toward the hitter, so if the pin is in front, the water could come into play. The somewhat triangular green is very shallow on the right, so if you don't lay up when avoiding the water, you're probably bunkered behind the green and that's a fairly deep one. There's no severe penalty for going over the heart of the pond and missing a little long but too long and you're among trees.

 

The 145 yarder is a visually gorgeous hole. The shot is over a little hollow and the green is contoured onto a mound. This hole is on my own club's course and for whatever reason, I've always loved it.

 

The other, non par three holes are not extraordinary but I do ok on them so they get themselves onto my cut and paste golf course.

[PlaidJacket]

As of late I've moved up a tee at my home course. From the men's regular tee (wht.) my course is 6030 yds. From the back tee it's measured at 6560 yds. At home and away I try to play from a tee that's anywhere between 6000-6500 yards. 6500 is about max for me. Anything more than 6500 starts forcing me to hit too many long approaches. (6i+) Since I've moved up I rarely hit an approach with more than a 7i.

Even though i'm playing from 6030 yds at home it's still plenty challenging. The course is pretty compact, tree lined, with smaller greens than more modern courses. It's old style being built in the late 40's early 50's. OB comes into play on 8 holes and water on 10 holes. The OB and water can come into play from any tee.

[sp0rtsfan86]

I like a course over 6000 but under 7000. Just depends on the course itself rather than distance sometimes. I'd rather have 2 long long holes than a course where every single hole is driver mid iron.

[jbil8802]

I played Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach at 7100 and thought that was a fair test. Anything longer than that at sea level I would probably be hitting a lot of woods/long irons into greens.

[Kenny B]

I played Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach at 7100 and thought that was a fair test. Anything longer than that at sea level I would probably be hitting a lot of woods/long irons into greens.

Loved Grande Dunes, but not at 7100.  You might as well start practicing those woods/long irons into the greens now because in 30 years, you will be needing them... spoken from experience.  

[Jmikecpa]

My home course that I just joined plays around 6,500 yards from the back tees and about 4,500 from the junior tees.  Gives me a nice test and my son a nice test as well.  Scorecard distance still does not bother me all that much and can still play courses well over 7,000 yards at sea level without much issue.  As I round the turn to turning 40 I know those days are numbered and going to enjoy them while I can.

[Kenny B]

I was 44 when I started playing golf.  I wasn't a big hitter but I could move it out there OK, but if I'd had the ball striking and short game I have now, I might have been a 2-3 HCP instead of a 20.  Of course, I can say also that if I had the length now that I had 24 years ago, I would be a 2-3 HCP now!    Hey!  It's golf... you make do with what you've got.

[NiftyNiblick]

I was thirteen when I began to play. What's my excuse for not being a big hitter?

[Jmikecpa]

I was thirteen when I began to play. What's my excuse for not being a big hitter?

I started playing when I was 2 and did not hit a driver until I was about 12 years old.  I used to play with my Grandparents and try and bust 3 wood past my Grandpa's driver, so I learned how to be a long hitter naturally.  The interesting part is that I am 20 yards longer off the tee now than I was in college thanks to modern technology.  My handicap is a few strokes worse though.

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

We play whites at the TPC Valley, about 6090 yds.  The blues are 6520.  I've not noticed a whole lot of difference between the two in actual play.  That's because we have two par 5s that are pretty short (sometimes reachable) and three really short par 4s that are still pretty short even with an extra 30 yds, and two short par 3s that are still manageable with the extra yds.   I prefer about 6200 yds, although the way I've been hitting my driver lately, I might be comfortable with a 100 or 200 extra yds!.