Accounting for different downhill/uphill shots

[One Planer]

As an example, Ill use a hole at my track.

A par 3 that plays 194 yards down hill, clear day, no wind.

The green is, at a guess, 10-15 feet below the level of the tee box.

Is there a set way of accounting for differences in terrain and the the resulting club up/down that follows?

Or is it gut feeling and guess work?

 

[Aztecs27]

At my level, gut instinct and guess work depending on terrain and conditions.

 

[One Planer]

At my level, gut instinct and guess work depending on terrain and conditions.

Same here Az'

Just wondering if there is a more accurate way of going about it.

 

[RGDave]

As an example, Ill use a hole at my track.

A par 3 that plays 194 yards down hill, clear day, no wind.

The green is, at a guess, 10-15 feet below the level of the tee box.

Is there a set way of accounting for differences in terrain and the the resulting club up/down that follows?

Or is it gut feeling and guess work?

Good Q?

Gut feeling and guess work are all you'll have on a new course. On your home course, you should have it worked out over a few games. Downhill holes rarely play as short as people think, depending on the club choice. A 4 or 5 iron might drop to a 5 or 6, but short irons "fall" quite vertical anyway, so it's less clear cut.

We have a downhill par 3, mostly into the wind. Skycaddie tells me it's 172-182 on average. Into a little breeze, that's perfect 5 or 4 iron distance for me depending on pin.

I'm surprised how many people see the downhill and hit a 5 or 6 iron, and then land straight in the bunker up against the face.

Luke Donald would probably go with an 8, Rory with a lob wedge.....

 

[Curls]

Good question but one that ultimately just requires you to practice. It's difficult to give an answer because of the physics involved.

So if the hole is 15 feet below, the ball is spending longer in the air. It doesn't drop until farther in it's arc than it would had it been stopped by the ground. Therefore you can expect to hit farther with less club, however this depends on your shape of shot. If your natural shot is a high arc fade, then the difference will be much less than if it's a low piercing draw, which is bound to bound on once it hits the ground that bit farther away.

The real question on this hole is where do you want to be, and really not want to be. If there's danger at the back, take less club and play the percentage. If it's trouble at the front, club up. Also take into account where you want to be on the green. If there's a big slope you probably want to have an uphill putt, so aim for that half of the green, be it ahead of behind the pin. 194 is a good distance for a handicap golfer to be hitting within the accuracy of a normally sized green, and I'm guessing some days you walk off happy with a 4. If that's the case, don't try to take the pin out with a 5 wood, float a 4I down there and if you come up short its a putt on, not a pitch from the trees 20 yards to the left ;-)

 

[RGDave]

As an example, I'll use a hole at my track.

A par 3 that plays 194 yards down hill, clear day, no wind.

The green is, at a guess, 10-15 feet below the level of the tee box.

Oh, b.t.w. this is how I'd work it out.

"194 to the middle, 180 (say) to the front. 175 ought to do it, unless I'm trying to avoid a bunkers or get on the back, 175-185 is my shot."

 

[HomerJSimpson]

On uphill par 3's I tend to take one more club as I'd rather be long and chipping back from a flattish lie than pitching up a slope blind or playing out of a deep bunker short. Similarly I tend to go with just one less on downhillers unless the drop is significant. I also tend to make a note in the strokesaver if it is a course I don't play often or haven't played before to give me some idea next time