How would you play this hole?

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Just now, edingc said:

Elevation profile, I see what you mean about it dropping near the green.

Actually quite similar to No. 1 at my course, but the killer for me is that there is out of bounds down the left side.

If I hit the range beforehand and am loose, probably driver. Else you could argue for dropping back to something shorter. Looks like 200 yards gives you about 120 in to center with the drop. I could go 5 iron, 54 if I felt really good. But that would require two really good shots.

Seems like on a nice, dry day you could run a driver up to short pitch distance if hit well.

easily could. The one time i ever hit my super hybrid well was this hole. Sadly it was wet out and got no run but only had a 50 yard pitch to the green. Considering we are getting lots of heat yesterday through Friday I may just have to play 4w and see where i can get on roll out.

[vandyland]

1 hour ago, bens197 said:

The entire course looks like 4 hours of critical thinking...

I felt the same way, seems like there are decisions constantly on this course. Obviously this course is made to challenge elite players under tournament conditions but for the rest of the year...why would average golfers want to play this course? Feeling too good about yourself and need a reality check? 

[cnosil]

19 minutes ago, vandyland said:

I felt the same way, seems like there are decisions constantly on this course. Obviously this course is made to challenge elite players under tournament conditions but for the rest of the year...why would average golfers want to play this course? Feeling too good about yourself and need a reality check? 

How are you evaluating the course?  Looking at the slope and course rating it doesn’t seem overly difficult. 

[vandyland]

53 minutes ago, cnosil said:

How are you evaluating the course?  Looking at the slope and course rating it doesn’t seem overly difficult. 

Looking at landing zones and overall width of the course on Google Earth. Take this hole for example (#12 - plays 359 yds from Gold tees):

Looks like I would have about 32 yds to land my tee shot in, and if I miss more than 15 yds either side of the center line the ball is absolutely dead/gone/never to be heard from again. I have no interest in playing courses like this, too penal for me as a hacker golfer. I don't know many people who have a tighter than 30 yd dispersion with their driver. Maybe I should play better.

Also, I don't know what you normally play but a course that is 6,000 yds long (gold tees) that is still rated/sloped at 70.3/138 suggests to me that it is difficult. For reference, here in Nashville one of the harder publics we have that hosts a number of state tournaments is 69.7/125 from the same distance. Personally, I stay away from any tees that are rated over 70, regardless of length. I'm not good enough to take that on. 

[cnosil]

5 minutes ago, vandyland said:

Looking at landing zones and overall width of the course on Google Earth. Take this hole for example (#12 - plays 359 yds from Gold tees):

Looks like I would have about 32 yds to land my tee shot in, and if I miss more than 15 yds either side of the center line the ball is absolutely dead/gone/never to be heard from again. I have no interest in playing courses like this, too penal for me as a hacker golfer. I don't know many people who have a tighter than 30 yd dispersion with their driver. Maybe I should play better.

Also, I don't know what you normally play but a course that is 6,000 yds long (gold tees) that is still rated/sloped at 70.3/138 suggests to me that it is difficult. For reference, here in Nashville one of the harder publics we have that hosts a number of state tournaments is 69.7/125 from the same distance. Personally, I stay away from any tees that are rated over 70, regardless of length. I'm not good enough to take that on. 

Judging by your picture it looks like there is a bit more room than the 32 yards but yes it is tight.   No one has tighter than 30 yards with driver including pros;  they are about 60.   I understand your thoughts,  just wanted to understand your baseline. 

For reference, one of the courses I play regularly Royal New Kent in New Kent, Virginia is 71.1/142 from the whites (6194)

[barryschwartz56]

On 10/20/2021 at 9:59 AM, RickyBobby_PR said:

May be in the wrong forum but could be considered mental game.

Dlow’s post in random thread reminded me of this hole. The course is Blue Mash which is a sister course of @Golfspy_CG2 old hole course Waverly Woods.

The front and back nine play complexity different and the back nine is usually pretty windy compared to the front. It also has shorter holes.

The first 3 holes play long from both white and blue tee boxes. This is hole 3. A par 4 and per scorecard white tees are 426 and blue 453. Red are 359 and green just slightly behind them. The course has a combo tee option and this one plays from the whites of using that option. The black circle is roughly where the 150 marker is. Tees are usually in the middle box where the tree on the left is. When I play there whites are anywhere from 400-430. Many times it’s into the wind which adds distance and difficulty.

What strategy would you use to play this hole?

For me I play a fade off the left side of the fairway to try and avoid the bunkers. My typical drive is short of the cart path that splits the fairway to about 20 yards behind it. Usually have anywhere from a 5i to my 4/5 wood depending on what bag setup I have into the green. It’s a hole that I don’t par often and play it to make no worse than bogey.

Edit: #1 hdcp hole. The green is surrounded by a hill on the back and sides with thick rough.

Turns out I played this course last month.  Blue tees.  Pulled my drive left near the second bunker, on the slope so not much of a stance.  Played a 7 iron to the right side just before the cart path.  Left an 8 iron just short, chipped on a made the putt for bogey.  Not a terrible recovery from a not great drive.  that was the only bogey on the front, and the birdie on on 8 gave me a par 36 going out. That hole is driver all day long.  And the shot into the green, if you play for the middle of the green you take the bunker out of play from any position.  

[Lacassem]

3 hours ago, bens197 said:

The entire course looks like 4 hours of critical thinking...

https://www.crumpinfox.com/course-tour/

 

It is lol I had my worst round there this year. Granted I played like crap and wasn’t the courses fault but for me an 85 there would be a very good round

[Lacassem]

16 minutes ago, vandyland said:

Looking at landing zones and overall width of the course on Google Earth. Take this hole for example (#12 - plays 359 yds from Gold tees):

Looks like I would have about 32 yds to land my tee shot in, and if I miss more than 15 yds either side of the center line the ball is absolutely dead/gone/never to be heard from again. I have no interest in playing courses like this, too penal for me as a hacker golfer. I don't know many people who have a tighter than 30 yd dispersion with their driver. Maybe I should play better.

Also, I don't know what you normally play but a course that is 6,000 yds long (gold tees) that is still rated/sloped at 70.3/138 suggests to me that it is difficult. For reference, here in Nashville one of the harder publics we have that hosts a number of state tournaments is 69.7/125 from the same distance. Personally, I stay away from any tees that are rated over 70, regardless of length. I'm not good enough to take that on. 

It’s honestly a. Typical New England course. It’s tight for sure and difficult at times but it’s a gorgeous course and worth every stroke

[baja okie]

This was my home course from the time they opened until I moved in May of '03. I hit driver as far as I could favoring the left and hoping to get to the split. Second shot was a knockdown running draw with a wood or hybrid (typically into the wind) to the open front and letting the ball roll up onto the green. Not one I hit in reg very many times. Tough hole.

Edited August 17, 2022 by baja okie

[vandyland]

56 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Judging by your picture it looks like there is a bit more room than the 32 yards but yes it is tight.   No one has tighter than 30 yards with driver including pros;  they are about 60.   I understand your thoughts,  just wanted to understand your baseline. 

For reference, one of the courses I play regularly Royal New Kent in New Kent, Virginia is 71.1/142 from the whites (6194)

In full disclosure, I'm a baby when it comes to landing zone width. I don't like golf courses that are tight or penal off the tee. That doesn't mean everyone has to think that way or that all golf courses have to be a certain way. I generally avoid courses like Crumpin-Fox because of that. In truth, I probably miss out on some great courses. For whatever reason I much prefer a course that benign tee shots and challenging approach shots. 

Would love to play RNK sometime. I am a big Mike Strantz fan (except for Caledonia because...well...see above haha) and True Blue and Tobacco Road are easily in my top 5 favorite golf courses I have ever played. Would love to try to play all the Strantz courses (sadly due to his untimely death there are not many), or at least all the public ones. Typically his courses play a bit wider than most and I found Tobacco Road to be (relatively) easy. Shot one of my lowest rounds ever the first time I played there. 

[StrikurJim]

I would play left edge fairway so a straight shot would still have a good chance.  Fading the ball in with a hope to make the cart path.  Next shot would most likely be a 5 wood aiming at the spot between the left bunker and green again with a fade.  Would almost wish to be short or be able to chip/pitch to get it close to the hole and save par.

[Mackey]

My guess is that you are looking for a better strategy for playing the hole.  It sounds like you hit driver about 230 yards. So driver is the play.  That leaves about 200 yards some days and 170 others.  On 200 yard days an 8 or 9 iron for position at  comfortable sand wedge yardage to attack the pin.  On the 170 yard days I would hit the 5 iron to the center of the green and two putt for par.  Both should remove the risk of a big number on the #1 handicap hole and give you a solid chance at par or even birdie.  Ego can kill the score card, Zach Johnson won the masters and laid up on every par 5 in doing it.

[MyCatsMom]

Playing from Red I would hit driver about 200-210 to the center to avoid the bunkers, then 7 wood to get it to drop and stop hopefully on the green. 

[Mackey]

On 10/20/2021 at 1:15 PM, Chip Strokes said:

here’s my entry. whitney farms golf course #6. par 5, 562 from the blue tees. 

the tee box is elevated and tight. you’re hitting into a small landing area about 230-240 straight out. cutting the corner is out because the trees overhang the tee box.  this picture was taken from their flyover and the camera is probably about 20 yards in front of the blue tees.  that tall tree in the top right of the frame is very much in play from the tee box.

 

from that landing area you’re about 310-320 out facing a blind second shot as the fairway goes up, then back down to the hole. long on your approach is dead because behind the green falls off to narnia. ive never gotten off this hole with better than bogey. 

whatcha got?!

 

[Mackey]

Choke down driver to make it stiffer and tee it a bit down to keep from hitting the side of the ball should go about 240.  Play 200 yards with a 4H or 5 iron depending on the day.  Attack the green with a p wedge or 9 iron depending on the second shot.  No aggressive shots and lowest stress.  Even if the second shot is short an 8 iron in is low stress.  2 putts and move on.

[Albatrass]

If I was playing the hole at 400 yds, I would hit driver off the tee and aim slightly left of center to keep the bunkers on the right side of fairway out of play.  I hit the driver about 315 - 220 yds so it appears I would still have about 180 yds to the green.  I would use my 3-iron hybrid that I hit about 200yds and aim slightly right of center to the middle of green and hope I hit it well enough to hit the green.  Hopefully I will two putt or chip and one putt and make par.

[Ben_Howell34]

12 hours ago, vandyland said:

I realize this is an old post but I got to play Ballantrae last year on a golf trip so I was like "oh, I've encountered this hole!" Then I realized you listed it as a 220 yd shot and I didn't recall any hole like that. Then I remembered I am a total coward and I would never in my wildest dreams play a golf course from 6700 yds, . We played Ballantrae at 6200 yds (III tees) so this was like a 180 yd shot playing like 170 (25 ft downhill or so). I aimed at the right edge of the bunker and played for the front of the green so like a 165 yd shot. As I recall I caught a piece of the front left edge and 3 putted from like 25 feet (the green is a bit gnarly). Basically everyone played away from the water and no one made birdie. Tough hole even from 180 yds. 

It is a very tough hole from 180. Basically no miss besides short left. Green is tough as you said also. Last time I played there, I played with two seniors who played the senior tees and I played the 2nd from back. I actually played it to the front of the green and got up and down for par. They both got wet from the tee ha. 

What was your thoughts on the course? 

[vandyland]

9 minutes ago, Ben_Howell34 said:

What was your thoughts on the course? 

We loved it. Good conditions, interesting layout. Same trip we played timberline, ross bridge and oxmoor valley and I liked ballantrae the best. Great value And the only thing I would like better is if it were walkable. Would play that course everyday.

[Professor]

On 10/20/2021 at 9:59 AM, RickyBobby_PR said:

May be in the wrong forum but could be considered mental game.

Dlow’s post in random thread reminded me of this hole. The course is Blue Mash which is a sister course of @Golfspy_CG2 old hole course Waverly Woods.

The front and back nine play complexity different and the back nine is usually pretty windy compared to the front. It also has shorter holes.

The first 3 holes play long from both white and blue tee boxes. This is hole 3. A par 4 and per scorecard white tees are 426 and blue 453. Red are 359 and green just slightly behind them. The course has a combo tee option and this one plays from the whites of using that option. The black circle is roughly where the 150 marker is. Tees are usually in the middle box where the tree on the left is. When I play there whites are anywhere from 400-430. Many times it’s into the wind which adds distance and difficulty.

What strategy would you use to play this hole?

For me I play a fade off the left side of the fairway to try and avoid the bunkers. My typical drive is short of the cart path that splits the fairway to about 20 yards behind it. Usually have anywhere from a 5i to my 4/5 wood depending on what bag setup I have into the green. It’s a hole that I don’t par often and play it to make no worse than bogey.

Edit: #1 hdcp hole. The green is surrounded by a hill on the back and sides with thick rough.

It’s a fun driving hole but damn, that second shot may be the most difficult shot in the course. It’s uphill and into the wind. On top of that the green is fairly large but it runs at a 45* angle to the fairway with a huge bunker short left and slopes mostly back to front. I find the front pin location to be the easier but that’s probably because I usually come up short and a little right of that green.

[juspoole]

This is one where I'm sure the aerial shot does not do it justice.  On here it looks straightforward unless there is heather or something like that.  I'm hitting driver with a full swing and not trying to aim it.  I don't mind fairway bunkers unless obviously I'm up against a lip.  If I'm in the rough, it would be tougher to get the ball close, but should be able to get it up near the green for a chip.  Back left looks like a good spot to chip from in most cases, but would do my best not to short side myself.  Hopefully then make a putt for par or at worst get out of the #1 hcp hole with a bogey.