How far should i hit my driver?

Sorry for the confusion - there is no bunker only a burn. 25% carry the burn at 210yds and are mostly on the wide fairway, 25% find themselves in the burn having been over ambitious and 50% are fed up going in the burn and choose to lay up short of the burn on the fairway.

My point to the OP was really that with a stubbornly immovable measuring stick like a burn a majority can't reliably carry the 210 yards needed.
 
Spot on Ian.
At my old course we had a par 5 with a burn at 215 yds, it also had two large trees 50 yards apart on either side of the fairway just short of the burn.
The hole was 520 yards with a big pond in front of the green.
Under 'normal' playing conditions I played it as a 4 iron, 3 wood and 7 or 8 iron.
The majority of players who took on the carry never made it.

Absolute card wrecker for those who thought they were big hitters.
I once watched one of the regions top amateurs drive 50 yards over the burn and then play short with a 7 iron only to dunk his wedge into the pond.

Very few golfers can consistently carry 215 yards

PS Ian....Good to see North Berwick's Martin Huish win Pro Shop of the Year
 
Down in Surrey we tend not to hit our driver - in case of any misbehaviour we just get another one. My Maserati is too precious to risk having it driven carelessly.
 
Thatsa little ott with very few golfers can carry 215 yards. Most golfers I have played with carry further than that!


Doon frae Troon said:
Spot on Ian.
At my old course we had a par 5 with a burn at 215 yds, it also had two large trees 50 yards apart on either side of the fairway just short of the burn.
The hole was 520 yards with a big pond in front of the green.
Under 'normal' playing conditions I played it as a 4 iron, 3 wood and 7 or 8 iron.
The majority of players who took on the carry never made it.

Absolute card wrecker for those who thought they were big hitters.
I once watched one of the regions top amateurs drive 50 yards over the burn and then play short with a 7 iron only to dunk his wedge into the pond.

Very few golfers can consistently carry 215 yards

PS Ian....Good to see North Berwick's Martin Huish win Pro Shop of the Year
Click to expand...
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
Not so sure that many of us could consistently hit the green on a 230yd par 3 all carry over water - probably why club golfers are rarely faced with such a challenge.
Click to expand...

Hitting the green is slightly different to clearing a burn. I'd be confident I could clear a burn at 215 yards 10 times out of 10. That sounds like a bullish thing to say...but I would be extremely confident. It may not be in the middle of the fairway, but confidence of clearing it is very high.
 
Wabinez said:
Hitting the green is slightly different to clearing a burn. I'd be confident I could clear a burn at 215 yards 10 times out of 10. That sounds like a bullish thing to say...but I would be extremely confident. It may not be in the middle of the fairway, but confidence of clearing it is very high.
Click to expand...

If you are not in the middle of the fairway that is more than a 215 yard carry.

You must be one of the few long drivers who can consistently carry that distance, well done.
I know many who will make it 3 times out of ten and convince themselves that it is good enough.
 
A players angle of attack will be the big factor if they can carry it.

There are many who hit down on he ball and would get their drives to run much further than 215 total. They will be in the burn quite often.

Those who hit up and launch the ball in the air should, with a reasonable club head speed and strike clear 215 carry.
 
Doon frae Troon said:
If you are not in the middle of the fairway that is more than a 215 yard carry.

You must be one of the few long drivers who can consistently carry that distance, well done.
I know many who will make it 3 times out of ten and convince themselves that it is good enough.
Click to expand...

I could never take on a 215 yard carry, but I play comps at a course a couple of times a year which has a hole with a burn that is 190 yards to carry from the red tees. Every time in the build up I try to psyche myself up to taking it on and I have carried it in the past in bounce games. But when it comes to a comp I know I'm no better than a 50/50 chance of carrying it, probably less, so I always make the decision on the tee and always decide to lay up nowadays. (Have found the burn more than once so slowly learning my lesson!)

Next time I play a bounce game there, though, I'm taking it on. But even if I make it I don't think that would change my decision with a card in hand.
 
Wabinez said:
Hitting the green is slightly different to clearing a burn. I'd be confident I could clear a burn at 215 yards 10 times out of 10. That sounds like a bullish thing to say...but I would be extremely confident. It may not be in the middle of the fairway, but confidence of clearing it is very high.
Click to expand...

That does sound very bullish

Blackmoor has a ditch across the middle of their first fairway at around 200-210 - have cleared it both times I have took it on but I expect you would see average club members be in it 5 times out of ten - even pros struggle to hit it out of the screws ten times out of ten - always that odd strike that just lacks a little
 
Playing the hole I mentioned [17th] in a medal when my PP told me that a couple of pars would see me break the course record [recently altered and re-measured course].
I took out my 4 iron on the tee and he started winding me up to take my driver.
Like a fool I did and miss hit it into the burn.
Lucky for me it was just short. Played a 5 wood up and miss hit my 9 iron third shot which bounced off the wooden edge of the pond, ran along the path and settled on the approach. Chip and putt for an easy par and parred the last for a 70-5 = 65:o

A couple of weeks later one of our 15 year old amateur stars posted a 63 in the club championship
 
Liverpoolphil said:
That does sound very bullish

Blackmoor has a ditch across the middle of their first fairway at around 200-210 - have cleared it both times I have took it on but I expect you would see average club members be in it 5 times out of ten - even pros struggle to hit it out of the screws ten times out of ten - always that odd strike that just lacks a little
Click to expand...

There's also the upside element (not only the ditch but in hitting a longer shot with the same angular error) of clearing it. That particular one is about a 9 iron to the middle of the green from a layup - why bother unless you are realistically going to leave yourself a putt for your second shot :)
 
I know I can carry a driver over 200. Driver distance wise I fit into the 230-250 for the good end of them, with the best out at 270 (like that one to the willow at Pidley, or the one that went into a divot). The best being 1 every other round, sometimes 2 in a round if I am very lucky!

My personal rule, that fits with my game plan is to not go for any carry over 190. If I cannot clearly carry something by 30 yards why go for it? If the shot comes out a little low or off the toe it won't make it. I know one drive in a recent round, right off the toe that carried only 180, barely making it over/past the lateral pond, wasn't even something to carry!

Work out what your carry is for your bad good shot (off the toe or a little low on the face) and give yourself another 10 yards, that is your safe carry!

If I have to carry over 170 on a par 3 I look to where I can lay up safe or try to go long if possible. I know I can carry stuff over 170 but its all about risk and the benefits over not taking it on.

My max risk is probably about 20%, unless its matchplay ;)
 
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I don't hit my driver very far at all, but I hit the ball with my driver anywhere between 200 and 250 yards depending upon weather and ground conditions. It's hard to define an average distance when the prevailing wind on a heathland course has such a profound impact. Distances in winter are different to those in summer, humidity I believe has an impact. I hit what I believe is a reasonable distance for an amateur but, and more importantly, I am now (generally) hitting it straighter. And that makes a big difference. I'd happily sacrifice a few yards to keep it in the fairway.
 
Depends on the conditions. Our 17th is 280 yard par 4 and if you want to drive it you have to carry a ditch at 240/50 not usually an issue on a calm day but would lay up into the wind.
 
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