Eagles

[ejgaudette 1,352]

Have holed out from the fairway once, and might be lucky to get on in two once a year. Just the nature of the course I play the most which only has 2 par 5s and one has water short so tough to go for. Another course around here has the traditional 4 par 5s with the two on the back being much more reachable, but don't get to play enough. But gained some speed this off-season so hoping there will be more opportunities this year.

[TR1PTIK 2,879]

23 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

What are your experiences and numbers putting for the Big Bird?

I honestly don't know. Never thought to keep track of that specifically. I have unfortunately, only had two eagles EVER. The first was on a very short par 4 and I holed out from ~35 yards. The second was on a Par 5 playing ~525 yards. Hit a good drive up the right side and then a hybrid to about 10', putt went right in the jar! I know I've had several attempts at eagle before, but was always too far away or having to putt with a severe break in one direction or another. My approach game is perhaps the weakest part of my game and so it is rare for me to be putting for eagle.

[SlowNLow 380]

14 hours ago, Middler said:

I had 2 eagles in 2020, both on par 5’s. Not sure about denominator, I’d guess I was on in two on par 5’s at least 10 times last year (in 70 rounds or about 280 par 5’s), but just a guess. That would make my eagle attempts 3.6% and eagles 0.7% of par 5’s played - or 20% of opportunities.

I did drive the green twice on a couple short par 4's in 2020, one I 2-putted for a birdie and the other I 3-putted for a #@*! par (the green was in horrible condition but still no excuse). Is there a worse feeling than a 3-putt par?

And why is a 6 foot eagle putt > harder than a 6 foot birdie > or a 6 foot par?

Standing over a makeable eagle putt definitely gets the blood pumping.    And there other bodily reactions we won't list here.  

[fixyurdivot 10,603]

4 hours ago, Kenny B said:

At my current course in over 5 years, I have never had an eagle putt.  Other than an ace, I've had two eagles from the fairway.

It most definitely becomes a hitting distance issue.  This raises the question whether the tees we choose to play from are correct.  Is it reasonable to expect to be able to reach some of the shorter 5's in two shots?  Personally, I think so.  If you're playing appropriate course length, you should be able to reach at least one par 5 with two solid shots on average difficulty courses.  Love to hear opinions on this.

It takes me a longer than average drive and average+ 3w to reach the ones I play, which range from 470 to 566, and I've have never reached the 566 here in Yuma.  Oddly enough, the shortest one is also the most difficult due to prevailing wind direction, a huge tree guarding the right side, and a fast downslope that moves long, left side drives behind some palms, requiring a thread the needle shot.

[silver & black 5,740]

I putt for Eagle quite often on my home course. There is a par 5 that should no way be a par 5. There is not really any difference in the hole from a longer par 4. It is straight up the gut from the tee. It takes a carry distance of 220 to clear the water. I'm on the green in 2 very often. I've probably Eagled it a dozen times or so. It's really nothing to be proud of. Eagleing that hole is like a birdie on any other hole.

All it would take is to move the tee to another location to make it a legitimate par 5. That location exists. The reason for not moving it is because they/he doesn't want to piss people off. 

[fixyurdivot 10,603]

1 hour ago, silver & black said:

I putt for Eagle quite often on my home course. There is a par 5 that should no way be a par 5. There is not really any difference in the hole from a longer par 4. It is straight up the gut from the tee. It takes a carry distance of 220 to clear the water. I'm on the green in 2 very often. I've probably Eagled it a dozen times or so. It's really nothing to be proud of. Eagleing that hole is like a birdie on any other hole.

All it would take is to move the tee to another location to make it a legitimate par 5. That location exists. The reason for not moving it is because they/he doesn't want to piss people off. 

Yes, well there are certainly a good many par 5's you describe out there.  According to most information I read, the minimum distance for a par 5 is 450 yards.  

Appendix F: Establishing Par (usga.org)

This seems a bit short to me unless there are other unique features that make a shorter distance play harder (like the one I describe above).  I agree with you that if I was making eagle on a par 5 as frequently as you describe, I too would discount its merit. There is a par 4 on one of the courses here in Yuma that I rarely reach in two shots and par infrequently.  It is uphill into the prevailing winds and has a very sloped green to boot.

[Kenny B 25,090]

1 hour ago, fixyurdivot said:

It most definitely becomes a hitting distance issue.  This raises the question whether the tees we choose to play from are correct.  Is it reasonable to expect to be able to reach some of the shorter 5's in two shots?  Personally, I think so.  If you're playing appropriate course length, you should be able to reach at least one par 5 with two solid shots on average difficulty courses.  Love to hear opinions on this.

It takes me a longer than average drive and average+ 3w to reach the ones I play, which range from 470 to 566, and I've have never reached the 566 here in Yuma.  Oddly enough, the shortest one is also the most difficult due to prevailing wind direction, a huge tree guarding the right side, and a fast downslope that moves long, left side drives behind some palms, requiring a thread the needle shot.

Of our 5 par 5's there is one that I might be able to reach from the Forward tees if I have a tail wind.  The others will still require a layup; just a different club.

[Nolan220 746]

This past summer I had 3 eagle putts and missed them .. never had an eagle but starting to come close .. I don’t hit far so it’s tough for me to get a lot of eagle putts so 3 is a lot for me 

[CarlH 5,280]

I used to be able to reach par 5s quite regularly and have had my share of eagles.  Have had quite a few eagles on par 4s as well by holing out from the fairway.  But, those days seem to be gone.  On my current course, which I've been playing for the last 18 years, we have 5 par 5s on the 27 holes.  2 of them, I could never reach in 2.  The other 3, I have reached before and of those, I have eagled 2 of the 3 on more than one occasion.  Now that I'm older, there's only one that I can reach in two and that's only if I'm playing the senior tees and hit a really good drive.  It's our shortest par 5, but it's protected by water on the left and a big tree and sand trap on the right.  I did eagle it last season during a scramble, but the drive was not my drive (the shot in and the putt were mine).  Only a couple of other times last year, and once this year, that I reached it, but I missed the putt.

[Micah T 964]

It most definitely becomes a hitting distance issue.  This raises the question whether the tees we choose to play from are correct.  Is it reasonable to expect to be able to reach some of the shorter 5's in two shots?  Personally, I think so.  If you're playing appropriate course length, you should be able to reach at least one par 5 with two solid shots on average difficulty courses.  Love to hear opinions on this.

I can only think of 2 par 5’s I play regularly that I can’t reach: one is 600+ from the blues and bunkered on both sides from 260-290. The other is 570+ from the tips, and would require me to carry a 4iron 225 over a 50 yard wide pond directly guarding the front of the green. Par is a great score on the former, and birdie is a 50/50 proposition on the latter if you play it as a 3 shot par 5.


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[fixyurdivot 10,603]

21 hours ago, Micah T said:

I can only think of 2 par 5’s I play regularly that I can’t reach: one is 600+ from the blues and bunkered on both sides from 260-290. The other is 570+ from the tips, and would require me to carry a 4iron 225 over a 50 yard wide pond directly guarding the front of the green. Par is a great score on the former, and birdie is a 50/50 proposition on the latter if you play it as a 3 shot par 5.


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I presume the holes and yardages you refer to are from the longest tees?  I'm guessing you're a pretty long hitter and if that's the case, don't you think you should be reaching par 5's in two more often?  Simply from a distance perspective, it seems to me that amateurs, if choosing the appropriate tee lengths, should be somewhat in line with pro stats for putting eagle attempts.  Is my reasoning off base here? 

[pulledabill 2,528]

I just dont get home in two often so not many eagles on my resume. I dont hit driver off the tee often these days so thats part of it. #1 hole at my home course I will run one up a few times a year in the summer but have yet to eagle it. Put a new driver in the arsenal and just tonight I changed my grip slightly so Im hoping that helps my squaring up issue. 

[Micah T 964]

I presume the holes and yardages you refer to are from the longest tees?  I'm guessing you're a pretty long hitter and if that's the case, don't you think you should be reaching par 5's in two more often?  Simply from a distance perspective, it seems to me that amateurs, if choosing the appropriate tee lengths, should be somewhat in line with pro stats for putting eagle attempts.  Is my reasoning off base here? 

I can’t speak for anyone else, but the longer the club, the less accurate I am. So getting on in 2 comes with the possibility of a big miss with a 3 wood or a 3 iron. If I move up, then everything is reachable with a 7 iron or less. But as far as eagle attempts, I’ve had plenty; converting those is another story altogether.


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[Tom the Golf Nut 3,426]

After thinking about all this I came to realize that if I want to have a possibility of making an eagle I need to play somewhere other than my home course. We have three par 5's. From the white tees they are 470, 472, and 503.  Not to bad for length. (Blue is 493, 506, 538) The issues are in the course design. The first hole hitting through a narrow chute to a medium dog leg left, with a narrow fairway. Hills on the right and left side. The big hill to your left makes the tee shot blind, right side is all trees. Your second shot will be blocked by trees if you are to far right. The green is elevated , long and narrow, and the left side is surrounded by bunkers, right side a big hill with thick rough. This hole is the best opportunity.

The second par five is a very narrow up hill blind drive and you must be able to move the ball to the right. If you don't you are blocked by trees. This forces you to punch a shot over the top of the hill and let it roll down to the bottom. Then you are left with 100 yards and an uphill elevation change of about 20 to 30 feet. If you can fade it, your second shot will be from a down hill lie unless you are a shorter hitter. You will be hitting across a drop in the fairway. If you don't hit it well the ball will go into what we call "the valley of death" The green is tucked behind trees to your right and guarded in the front by two large bunkers. So you have to move the ball to the right twice with precision and distance. (If I ever want to try a ball I haven't played i take a walk into the valley of death and come out with half a dozed balls.) 

The third is just not reachable due to design. You have to drive to the right to avoid the overhanging tall trees, second shot is from a down hill lie back to the left to a very uphill green guarded by a large bunker on the left side. The green is probably 40 plus feet up.  So even if you smoke a drive, your 3 wood from a down hill lie will not have enough elevation to get close to getting up on the green. 

I have birdied them all but only got close to an eagle on the first one a couple of times and the second one only once. Never made them.  Mountain golf is tough. 

 

[CarlH 5,280]

I believe that I've chipped in or holed out from the fairway for eagle more times than I've putted for eagle.

[Siamese Moose 381]

Reading the comments here by so many that almost never have an eagle chance is making me wonder if I'm an outlier, or maybe my courses are. Most of the courses I play have at least one par 5 that I can reasonably expect to hit the green on occasion, Certainly not always (or even most of the time), but often enough that I expect at least one eagle putt every few rounds. For you guys who want a good shot, may I recommend Circling Hills GC, in Harrison, OH (Cincinnati)? The front has three par 5's, two of which I expect to reach at least one out of three times. (I've never hit the other, though I've tried a couple times.) The back has two par 5's. I've never seen anybody reach the first, but 17 is a 90° dogleg left where, if you can place your drive accurately, you need to hit it between 210 and 230. Shorter and longer is blocked, but hit that sweetspot and you've got 150-170 in to a flat green that's easy to putt.

[Tom the Golf Nut 3,426]

3 hours ago, Siamese Moose said:

Reading the comments here by so many that almost never have an eagle chance is making me wonder if I'm an outlier, or maybe my courses are. Most of the courses I play have at least one par 5 that I can reasonably expect to hit the green on occasion, Certainly not always (or even most of the time), but often enough that I expect at least one eagle putt every few rounds. For you guys who want a good shot, may I recommend Circling Hills GC, in Harrison, OH (Cincinnati)? The front has three par 5's, two of which I expect to reach at least one out of three times. (I've never hit the other, though I've tried a couple times.) The back has two par 5's. I've never seen anybody reach the first, but 17 is a 90° dogleg left where, if you can place your drive accurately, you need to hit it between 210 and 230. Shorter and longer is blocked, but hit that sweetspot and you've got 150-170 in to a flat green that's easy to putt.

I need to get out more.. Plain and simple....  If I think back I only had opportunities before I moved to TN and joined our club.  Out of 18 holes there are only 2 without elevation changes and they both are par 3's. All 4 par 3's have the same yardage between 165 and 175 from the whites. But due to elevations you wind up using the same club on all four.   I think I just pissed myself off!  I got to get out more...……  I smell a road trip in my future. 

Golf near the mountains has it's challenges. Many an up hill, down hill, side hill lie. The only thing you can count on being flat is your tee shot.

The course designers get creative. There is another course nearby that has what would be a easy reachable par 4 on a straight shot but its designed to be a par 5. The hole looks like the letter "Z". You hit 8 iron to a turn, 9 iron to the next turn, then PW into the green. The trees are very tall and you can't go over them or through them.

Hey its golf! 

 

[fixyurdivot 10,603]

So very close yesterday on the 504 yard, #6 at Desert Hills. Driver + 3w left me on the short grass apron to a front flag position and a 15 foot uphill putt for Big Bird.  Ran it past the cup by a foot+, but made the knee knocker.  Very little wind help and hit both woods about as well I as can... so it looks like 500 yard par 5 holes is my limit.

[Jwhite86 244]

I can only remember a handful of eagle putts... my only eagle I've made was a fluke (5 wood block that the wind grabbed and it stopped to 2 feet)

[Knucklehead 6]

Had a couple attempts in the last couple rounds, but usually once every 3-4 rounds.