Course Management

[kid2]

Evening all.......

I would love to hear peoples opinions on this one.......
Especially anyone off single figures.

Do you bully your course(Driver and wedges into greens) or do you plot your way around placing the ball where you want it......

I played today and im playing again monday but i found myself hitting a fair few irons off the tee's on par 4's and 5's something i rarely done before we played a team of 3 stableford competition off handicaps of 12,17,18 and it was 2 scores to count on every hole....We finished with 65 points..I was just trying to get a feel for the new irons...I found it very enjoyable and my scores on those holes were mostly pars.I hit every fairway that i used an iron off the tee from....Granted it was only about 8 holes im wondering should i take this approach more often and it really begs the question......Do we really need a driver......I dont use one but im now questioning whether i really need a 3 wood...........

Also would i be right in having the mentality to play for the middle of every green even if the flag is at the front edge......At green centre im probably no more than a 30ft putt at most from the flag no matter where it is.....



Im here wathcing the USPGA Memorial Tournament and i think Michelson is like the new tiger........Just bash it as hard as you can and hope you get a good lie.....And a short wedge to the green.....While it might be entertaining to watch i think he might as well have a baseball bat in his hand....Is this real golf?

 

[jammydodger]

I do both , hit some big drives to leave a flick on on some holes , but use irons/hybrids off others. Depends how you feel about each club and what situation youre in at the time ie one of those go for it moods or a little more circumspect

As for shooting to centre of greens , this is a very sensible strategy if youre not quite on your game. I go for some pins if i'm hitting any sort of wedge or feeling up for it. Other times theres just too much trouble waiting for a slightly mishit shot so play for the fat part of the green.

 

[Tiger]

Hey kid, not the low handicapper you were hoping for, I'm sure they'll be on later. Interesting point this as I've been building my bag from putter upwards. Having played my course a few times now I've just got a 3 Wood. I don't intend to use it on every par 4 & 5 but have identified the holes where a bit more length from the tee would put me in a stronger position to approach / lay up. I actually think I'd probably play a Driver (when I get one) on 4/5 holes, 3 Wood on 4/5 and the rest irons.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

You have to play the right shot for the hole.

I will hit driver if doing so carries no more risk than hitting a shorter club but there are some holes where position off the tee is more important than distance so I'll play an iron or hybrid.

 

[HughJars]

You have to play the right shot for the hole.

This.

If a hole has no real trouble, why wouldn't you bring out the driver? To say only hit irons all the way is going to severly limit your birdie opportunities, it may limit total disasters, but you'll never go really low either.

Course management is just that, managing every shot but hitting irons off every tee is just as bad as pulling the driver out without a thought to the hole you are about to play, ie. mis-management.

 

[Imurg]

If I can leave myself a full short iron shot into the green I'll take whatever gets me to that point. Sometimes a "bullied" driver is necessary. Our 16th is 437 yards uphill and often into the wind. ith a big drive I've a chance to get on in 2 and birdie or par (with a shot) so there's ground to be made up on those that can't reach it. But on our 14th (341) a big driver leaves a tricky half shot so a 3 or 5 wood leaves the better position.
Play the right shot to leave your ball where you want it. And use whichever club gets you there.

 

[RGDave]

I would love to hear peoples opinions on this one.......
Especially anyone off single figures.

Do you bully your course(Driver and wedges into greens) or do you plot your way around placing the ball where you want it......

I'm not off single figures, but I play under my 12 quite often. I plot my way around. ALWAYS.
Last weekend, I was in a 3-ball with a chap who had a 69 gross.
What was most impressive was that he *knows* the shape of his shots and never hit his driver when he didn't need it or the hole was the wrong shape.
He is the first person I have seen take a 5 wood off the 2nd tee, which is what I do. OK, so he hit his 40 yards further but it's all about setting up the shot to the green. I play mine from approx' 110, he plays his from about 70. 70 suits him otherwise I think he'd play an iron.
It was an absolute education to watch him. When he missed greens, he just pitched it on and holed the putt whether it was 2 foot or 12 foot. Brilliant!!!


I've since discovered I got DQ'd for messing something up on my card (rule 6-6b?) so I was relieved to see I hadn't messed up his card, as I was marking for him. PHEW.

 

[Spinn77]

I ALWAYS plot round our course (With today as the exception because i was seeing what benefit it would really be - and it wasnt as i shot 8 worse than yesterday).

At our place there are a lot of streams, ponds and lakes at the landing zones on three par 5's and a lot of the par 4's. There is a lot of OOB on the course too. Some par 3's are very narrow greenside with OOB one side and a stream the other. Its better to hit into the front of these green's and take the two putts if the flag's past halfway back. As i say, i always plot my way around.

There are two par 4's under 300 yards which have a lake either 40 yards short or 10 yards short if you drive direct. I never bother and play on in two. Direct, one plays with a 240 carry, the other a 215 carry. Not massive hits, but i dont do it. (the 210 carry i've done both times ive tried in Texas fourballs).

I'm not a big hitter, but im generally straight and im ok within 150 yards (hit half the greens) and im fairly decent at getting up and down greenside (35% of the time).

Suppose i just feel i should make par each hole and take my chances on the greens of finding a way to get under par sometime soon.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think Pedro is the definition of bullying a course, certainly at Ascot where he knows the places to miss it. He can bring all the par 5's into reach and often reduces the long par 4's to nothing more than a mid iron approach.

Of course the downside is when you take driver and miss the fairway. There is some juicy rough been allowed to grow at the 250-270 yard mark so the big boys can run the risk of a big score or lost ball. Personally its not a problem. I tend to try and play the precentages, perhaps not as conservatively as RGDave although he always seems to get a decent score when he comes down so there may be method in his madness

 

[GRAEMBO]

if the driver is hot, then ill use it more often. every round is different there are a couple of holes at my place where itll always be the same club, and there are a few where it will vary depending on the weather, the moisture on the fairways etc

 

[Wheyayeman]

I'm probably not the one to listen to here as I do things slightly different. I carry two Drivers and two 3 woods all of which I'm comfortable with and offer varying lengths and flights. I generally use the club which will get me the maximum distance safely, for example if I can reach a fairway bunker with one driver but not the other I will sacrifice the yards to avoid the sand. My course management applies to the shot i'm hitting and not the next shot. Probably not the best advice but it works for me

 

[kid2]

I'm probably not the one to listen to here as I do things slightly different. I carry two Drivers and two 3 woods all of which I'm comfortable with and offer varying lengths and flights. I generally use the club which will get me the maximum distance safely, for example if I can reach a fairway bunker with one driver but not the other I will sacrifice the yards to avoid the sand. My course management applies to the shot i'm hitting and not the next shot. Probably not the best advice but it works for me

Each and everyone to there own mate......Thats the beauty of asking these questions on the forum. Varied and interesting opinions......

 

[RGDave]

I tend to try and play the precentages, perhaps not as conservatively as RGDave although he always seems to get a decent score when he comes down so there may be method in his madness

Thanks Homer.

I wasn't that conservative last time, was I?

i.i.r.c. I took 5 iron(s) for the 2nd shot on the 5th and 15th....but still had birdie putts. Can't complain.

 

[19th]

Player practising at Carnoustie playing a four iron into a green, a local remarked that he had 'no chance' - after three shots landed short he turned to the spectator and agreed he was more knowledgeable so...help.

He was told that the front of the green was peat and therefore spongy, stopping all forward movement, however, Player was informed, wind was forecast for the Open days and therefore the prevailing wind would sweep all long approach shots into the bunker on the greenside.

Player therefore played loads of practise bunker shots from that bunker- landed in it each round of the Open and exploded out and sunk the putt each time!

That is course management!!

He sent a postcard to that guy, on a regular basis, from all over the world, up until the chap died.

 

[Ken_A]

Nice story 19th.

For me I hit driver where there is no troube (but I still find some) on some other holes I use 3 iron - most of the ones I play with use driver at each hole - but for me its too dangerous. Keep on the fairways and outta trouble and you will be putting better scores in soon.


My thought train is generally - can I make the green in 2 from an Iron - is it worth risking a 5w to green from fairway or should I bash the big stick and hope for the best.

Different holes different thoughts - one of the holes is a drive and wedge or 3 iron 7 iron - and I go with the driver every time as there is little trouble.

On another OOB down left bunker in reach 200 from tee its driver and a flick - or 3 iron wedge - always use 3 Iron even if the bunkers are in reach.

Everyones game is different - I can't hit a driver but I can scream a 3 iron off most tees. Depends on your strengths.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

My track's first hole is a sub 300 yard par 4 yet everyone I know takes a driver. I don't understand it tbh, a 5i and then a 9i or PW will have me on the green in 2 without any risk (OOB on the left, heavy rough and trees on the right).

 

[GB72]

Too many holes on my course that I still need a 4 hybrid or 5 iron into the green even with a decent drive so have to take the driver out more often than not. There is one sharp dogleg right that I hit a 3 wood to the corner, 1 par 4 with a steep downward slope that I hit a shorter club to ensure a flat lie and one shorter par 4 that I hit a 3 wood to leave an 8 iron approach otherwise it has to be driver every time for me to be able to threaten the green in 2.

 

[kid2]

My track's first hole is a sub 300 yard par 4 yet everyone I know takes a driver. I don't understand it tbh, a 5i and then a 9i or PW will have me on the green in 2 without any risk (OOB on the left, heavy rough and trees on the right).

This is one of the reasons that i posted this question......
Our 1st is a 320mtr Par 4 with a drop of about 6 ft in the fairway just after the 150mtr marker.....I used to use 3 wood off the tee but now im hitting a 5 iron which places me at the 150 and im either 7 or an 8 iron to the green from there.....OOB is on the right of the whole fairway and trouble all down the left....But stand on that tee and almost everyone that plays that hole hits a driver......No need if yo ask me.

 

[RGDave]

im hitting a 5 iron which places me at the 150 and im either 7 or an 8 iron to the green from there.....OOB is on the right of the whole fairway and trouble all down the left....But stand on that tee and almost everyone that plays that hole hits a driver......No need if yo ask me.

Yes, but what you need to remember is that for most people a 355 yard par 4 is fairly med/long. I'd be looking to hit a driver, then what's left. If it was tight, a 3 wood. If it was impossible for me (needed a draw or something) then 4 iron, 5(?)iron. You have distance on your side.

 

[kid2]

im hitting a 5 iron which places me at the 150 and im either 7 or an 8 iron to the green from there.....OOB is on the right of the whole fairway and trouble all down the left....But stand on that tee and almost everyone that plays that hole hits a driver......No need if yo ask me.

Yes, but what you need to remember is that for most people a 355 yard par 4 is fairly med/long. I'd be looking to hit a driver, then what's left. If it was tight, a 3 wood. If it was impossible for me (needed a draw or something) then 4 iron, 5(?)iron. You have distance on your side.

I know Dave. But id rather be short and accurate.....If i hit 3 wood here i can cut the dog leg slightly which isnt severe and im maybe 80mtrs or so out on a good one....Thats where i get nailed even though its nice to be long i find it hard to control my distances and thats why im slowing everything down so that i can get accuracy on my side....Everyone i play with its the first thing they comment on when there hitting drivers and im out there with the 3 wood......I am about 90% accurate with the 3 wood and i do have the odd bendy one that creeps in but its usually straight left.......

I think that because i hit so long then i might be safer going into the greens with 7,8,9's rather than odd wedge distances.......But then if i look at it from a different point im holding myself back by not learning to cope with awkward distances.....