Short Game Scenario - Shot Choice

[BMart519]

Your ball is 10 yards short of the green in a tight fairway lie and came to rest in a slight depression from an aeration hole. The hole is 10 yards past front edge, so you have 20 yards to the hole on a slight upslope with no obstacles to carry or rough to roll through. 

How are you playing this shot? Putter/hybrid/FW putt? Chip with a 7 iron or other lower lofted iron? Using a wedge to hit a standard pitch? 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

I'd chip with my 54* wedge. Alternative option is a pitch with my 58*. Really, it depends what shot i am most comfortable with at the time. I don't like the idea of a 60ft putt, uphill, half of which is on fairway/fringe

[RickyBobby_PR]

Take a 9 and fly it just onto the green and let it run out to the hole or takes 6 or 7i and bump and run it to the hole.

depends on what the fairway looks like between my ball and the green

[funkyjudge]

3 hours ago, BMart519 said:

Your ball is 10 yards short of the green in a tight fairway lie and came to rest in a slight depression from an aeration hole. The hole is 10 yards past front edge, so you have 20 yards to the hole on a slight upslope with no obstacles to carry or rough to roll through. 

How are you playing this shot? Putter/hybrid/FW putt? Chip with a 7 iron or other lower lofted iron? Using a wedge to hit a standard pitch? 

Probably chip with a 9-iron or maybe a PW. If it was flat or slightly downhill to the hole, I would likely use my AW rather than the 9i or PW.

[GolfSpy_APH]

I'm probably in the pw camp for this. Something lower and running as it is sitting down a bit. 

The other option with be a firmer 58 that would pop and have a bit of spin on it. 

[Jake-mediocre]

I’d probably use my 54, handle forward try to hit a low little spinner. Unfortunately I seem to get the spin when I expect it to release, and release when I expect it to spin so don’t listen to me. 

[J7Hawkins]

Based on the description of the lie, I would lean towards my Gap wedge (48°) to keep it low-ish. If it was a flat lie I would go with a 56° but I’m not sure I trust that shot in a divot. 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Great question! Most likely a pitch with a 58° wedge, that I would try to land a yard or so onto the green and let it release toward the hole. Though the answer lies in how those shots are going for me during that round, i could also see chipping it with a PW or even putting it, if the path to the hole is free of obstacles that might inadvertently redirect it.

[ZackS]

I am definitely planning on landing a little on the green and releasing in that situation. Probably a 50 degree wedge but could be different depending on other factors. 

[BMart519]

Thanks for the feedback. I used my GW (48 degree) to chip out landing close to edge of green. With the ball sitting down, I caught it a bit thin and it came out lower than expected. Even with the gentle uphill between the ball and hole it rolled out about 12 ft past the hole. Thinking about it after the round, using lower loft like a PW or 9 would have been my preference. Need to spend some time putting with a fairway wood and hybrid to see if it works for me as I feel that would be the highest margin for error on a lie like this or off hard pan in the early season. 

[Caddie1966]

Either 45 degree PW or 49 degree GW and I would use it with the heel up to play it like a chip rather than pitch due to the depression

[Kenny B]

Everybody’s situation is going to be different and we all play the shot that we are most comfortable with.  I know that shot with my 60º will work at my home course.  I also know that my 60º is the wrong club at every course I played in central Oregon last week; I would use my 48º PW or 9i.  The turfs are different, the greens have different grass, and the green speeds are much slower than my home course… and don’t get me started on Bermuda grass!!  So, it all depends.

[Haro]

It’s a low chip with PW or 54 wedge. 
I like to line it off the toe and feel like I’m drawing my low chips 

I dont like to use my putter for 60 footers unless I have to

 

Edited June 1, 2023 by Haro

[drb1956]

Being that close to the green, and ball in a slight depression, my 58* lob would be my go to shot, hitting from my back foot to keep it moderately low. Try to hit just about a foot or so on the green, let it run to the hole. I don't try to put a lot of spin on these shots, it just kind of happens with my CBX2 wedges. 

[Kwoodfield]

I have 3 shots with this scenario. Depending on the grass and green set up. If either Take my 54* and pitch to the green, bump with a 9i, or almost putt it with my 2i. Totally depending on how tight the fairways are, how firm they are, how sticky the fringe is, far the greens are, etc

[Julius]

On 5/25/2023 at 12:24 AM, BMart519 said:

Your ball is 10 yards short of the green in a tight fairway lie and came to rest in a slight depression from an aeration hole. The hole is 10 yards past front edge, so you have 20 yards to the hole on a slight upslope with no obstacles to carry or rough to roll through. 

How are you playing this shot? Putter/hybrid/FW putt? Chip with a 7 iron or other lower lofted iron? Using a wedge to hit a standard pitch? 

if in a depression and still on the fairway, likely 8/9 iron for a bump and run up the hill.  Would be concerned with a higher lofted wedge that I would skull it if in a slight depression.  If flat, I would use the PW or UW with a putter like stroke to keep it from carrying.  the lie of the golf ball would dictate what club I use in that case, more than the distance. I would adjust swing tempo/length to adjust for distance. 

[Fjd]

Have had this shot and always bump and run with an 8 or 9 iron.

[Tommy E]

Playing my Ping ChipR...less air, more ground time.  This past weekend, my second shot was from the right rough with a tree and low hanging branches between me and the green.  The green was also protected by a bunker from my approach and I was too close to the tree to go over it, so I decided to just punch it out with a 7-iron to the front of the green.  I ended up about 10 yards in front of the green with the pin on a top shelf.  I took my Ping ChipR which I swing with my putter grip and ended up less than a foot from the hole...saved par!  It was the only shot with my ChipR all day, but it was worth carrying.

[Smackey17]

I use my 54 around the green 90 percent of the time if I'm two or more paces off the fringe. If I have a good lie on or just off the fringe I will sometimes putt it. But in this scenario, given the lie, I would most likely bump and run with a 9 iron with the ball back in my stance.

[saz0418]

Had 3 of these yesterday during a match-play on the 2nd 9.   I managed to shoot even-par for the 2nd 9 and won 2 and 1.   My choice for this shot is usually a 9i.  My caveat (which I have mentioned in some other forums) is that I carry a Cleveland Launcher HB 9i, which I use for a whole bunch of specialty shots.  one of which is as a "chipper" although I usually just think "putt" and putt it from collars or fringes where I have maybe less than 10 ft of "stuff" to carry.   On typical summer greens (stimp 9 -11), the 9i is a 1:2 or 1:3 club (carry:rollout).    My experience is that landing in the fringe (or tightly mowed apron) reduces the rollout by about 10%.   I usually add one club of loft (say, 9i instead of PW) and then hit the same shot to the same spot.  All seems to work.    So the shot you describe is a 9i... hit it 1/3 of the way to the hole.  With the lower loft,  the collar has minimal effect and the shot just releases.    If I have to roll it uphill once it is on the green, I add another club (or hit it about 10% farther).    I also use the Cleveland HB 9 iron from 70 or 80 yards out-- hit it about 5- 10 yards short of the green and let it release on.   Its maybe half a swing and pretty safe when I NEED to get on a green.   Certainly a safer choice than a full 56 or 60.    It is also great out of deep rough, and out of cross bunkers that are within 100 yards of the green.   Because it is constructed like a hybrid, the ground interaction with the wide, rounded sole is really clean and simple.   You pretty much can't stick it in the ground.   And for chip and pitch shots, it doesn't have the really hot face like a hybrid, so there is less adjustment.   It feels like I am hitting my regular 9i (Mizuno JPX 921 HM), but it handles tight collars, fairways (bare lies, deep rough, firm sand) really well.    Its like having a "chipper" without having a chipper (and all the giggles and whispers that might come with that).   In fact, its like a super-chipper because it does all these other things so well.      I would urge you to try it.  You can find one used for about $75 - $85 used (I just checked).    

 

[Jbreck10]

Given the lie, I would take an 8 iron and bump it up there. 

[Hacker Milt]

I'd chip with a 48* wedge.  Hands forward and play for a fair amount of roll.  The uphill will deaden the chip some.

[Jim N]

Bump and run, most likely with an 8i, after taking into account how much of a slope up there was and if there were landing spots I'd like to avoid because of bumps, bad ground, etc.

[dlm]

Tight lies around the green are frequent on the courses I play.  I hit an 8 iron bump on these shots as I watch my buddies scull many a chip shot over the green.  Occasionally, with froggy grass, I'll drop down to a low hybrid for more power.

[Donn lost in San Diego]

60 or 70 year old Don Martin Up-n-In chipper.  No grooves, bronze or copper, 7 iron loft on a putter length shaft.  Too bad only 1 other player here so far says 'chipper", and that is a $200 new Ping.  An old Don Martin runs $20 on ebay.  Killer accuracy.  I can de-loft or add loft just like any other club, narrow sole lets me get direct contact on a bad, or bumpy lie.  Distance control is way easier than it is with a high loft wedge.

[ChuckZ]

With out hesitation, because this describes the types of conditions we play on at the muni I play three days a week.  Our comes my faithful Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2.  I could use my 48 degree wedge but it is a tight light it would work better with a bit more grass to work with.  As a golfer I much admire, get it on the ground as quickly as possible and was pretty darn good at it.  The ole Texas wedge always the safest and in some cases gets it the closest.  Lee Trevino said it best.  Live by those words.  BUT, whatever works best for you.  It is all in the hands of the indian.  Hakuna matata.  Happy golfing.  

[Franc38]

I'd go with a 52° low runner shot... that's my "bread and butter" arround the greens. Now, if the lie had been juicy, I might have favoured the 58°.  For me, from these distances, the putter is too inaccurate (direction-wise AND distance wise as there's a large part on the "not-green"), and I'm really bad at proper "chip and run" with anything less lofted than a PW. Not a good example, I know

[RollingGreens]

I’d like to try to use my gap wedge with it placed in the back of my stance to hit a lower trajectory shot to let it run out.

[Beakbryce]

Aeration holes are common in spring but are not considered ground under repair, so free relief is generally not allowed. But relief may be permitted if a Model Local Rule is in effect – check with your golf course before your round to know for sure.

Everyone understands that golfers don’t necessarily want to play on greens and fairways that have just been aerated, but it’s important to keep in mind that the short-term disruption is significantly outweighed by the long-term benefits. For more on that, watch this video from the USGA Green Section.

Since I would only play a course where the Model Local Rule for aeration holes would be in effect, I would take it out of the plug hole as ground under repair and chip with my 58. C'mon man!

[Dweed]

I would without a doubt use my 52* wedge and use a putting stroke to hit it low and get it running. 60 feet is too iffy for me to use a putter on.