How would you play this hole????

[Smiffy]

Cooden's 15th. Par 5. It's giving me so much trouble at the moment. I know I shouldn't be doing it, but I start thinking about it as soon as I get to the turn, knowing that even though I might be playing well and have a good card going, this hole is coming up.
Out of bounds tight down the right hand side, pond on the left with a reasonable strip of fairway between the two.
Off the yellow tee it's not too much of a problem. I can fly the pond with a decent drive no problem so will normally aim out to the left away from the OOB knowing that unless I hit an "iffy" drive I am going to be relatively safe.
But off the white tees it's a different proposition as the tee is quite a way back, and completely transforms the hole.
It's surprising how narrow that "reasonable" strip of fairway becomes when you walk further back, and the pond is now definitely a danger, for me at least.
What has been happening lately is that despite the fact I may have been driving really well on the previous holes, (usually either straight or with a bit of draw), I suddenly become the owner of an horrendous slice, and my tee shot, instead of flying magnificently down the middle will sail OOB.
I then swear, reload, and in my efforts to keep the second one in play, will come "over the top" and hit either a pull or a hook into the lake.
It's really getting to me now, so much so that in my last three rounds off the back tees, I have blobbed the hole twice, and taken one point off of it the other time.
I'm hitting my irons well, and it's been suggested that I just smack a nice 4 iron down there just to keep the ball in play.
I know it's all about course management, but taking a 4 iron off the tee on a par 5 smacks of being a bit "girlie".

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Drive it up to the corner , then 4 iron into the green for a two putt birdie

But if you keep slicing a driver then 4 iron , 7 iron 7 iron has you on the green in reg :thup:

 

[Craigg]

whatever you choose yo do, keeping it in play is a must, as you ain't going to par the hole from 3 off the tee. Is a softly hit 3 wood an option? Just get it down there 200. But you don't need me to tell you the right play.
You could always swallow your fear and aim at the OOB and draw it back! The further left you aim, the more you will slice it.

 

[Smiffy]

whatever you choose yo do, keeping it in play is a must, as you ain't going to par the hole from 3 off the tee. Is a softly hit 3 wood an option? Just get it down there 200. But you don't need me to tell you the right play.
You could always swallow your fear and aim at the OOB and draw it back! The further left you aim, the more you will slice it.

A 3 wood would see me in the water if I tugged it left and if I tried to hit it "softly" I can guarantee a slice would be the result.
A 4 iron should be safe, putting me out there about 200 yards or so.
But it's crazy why this hole has started affecting my round.
I have never had a problem during our visits down there with the forum, but we do play it from the yellows, so I don't even give the OOB or pond a second thought.
As I say, it's surprising what a difference going back 30 yards or so makes to the view of this hole.
The only other hole where the white tee makes a big difference is the par 4 13th. Off the yellow tees I can fly the two bunkers that protect the dog leg, but off the whites you have to play the hole completely differently.

 

[Hobbit]

I had a problem hole earlier this year. I changed the way I play it, accepting the loss of yardage off the tee. By changing the way you play the hole, you'll take all the nerves out of it, and you might just make birdies instead of bogeys.

That said, I seem to remember its a driver, 8 iron & 2 putts for a birdie...

 

[bobmac]

S.I. 7
Say no more

 

[Imurg]

Had a similar hole at my last club.
SI 1, par 5 of about 510 with OB all the way up the right
From the whites there was a 120 yard carry over very rough ground and bushes to the fairway.
Pond at 240 yards on the right, mounds on the left.
Virtually everyone hit driver and at least half of them went OB.
I would quite often hit 6 iron to make sure the ball was in play. Then hit a wood to about 80/90 short, pitch it on and almost guarantee a par. Eventually everyone else cottoned on....
Hit your 4 iron to the corner(ish), or even a 5, whatever gets you there and gives you a clear shot.
Then clear the bunkers, or lay-up if need be. Wedge it on and you're there.
Nothing "girlie" about 5 for 3!

 

[chrisd]

Yes, 4 or 5 iron off the tee then a wood and then whatever it takes to get to the green. After playing it differently a few times I'd keep coming back to the driver, it will be ok in the end, sadly in my experience though a different hole will then become the mare one!

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Any fish in the pond Rob? get out your extendable rod

Hybrid off the tee, so short of the pond. Play up to just short of the bunkers, unless you can clear them easily.
Then a short iron to the green, you get a shot too.

This type of thing with a "bogey hole" is also covered in "New Golf Thinking"

 

[Smiffy]

Any fish in the pond Rob? get out your extendable rod

Hybrid off the tee, so short of the pond. Play up to just short of the bunkers, unless you can clear them easily.
Then a short iron to the green, you get a shot too.

This type of thing with a "bogey hole" is also covered in "New Golf Thinking"

Don't carry a hybrid Phil. Can't hit the things for toffee. Hitting the 4 iron nicely though so will give that a belt tomorrow in the medal. See how it goes

 

[Foxholer]

I agree re the 4/5-iron off the tee, then chop the remaining distance into 2.

If you go back to the Driver - as you should in practice - make sure you commit to the (finishing the) swing. I'd be pretty sure that's the reason you suddenly develop a slice - brain says 'careful' so you hold off just a tad!

 

[User20205]

Use your chipper. 4 chippers, 2 putts = 2 points :thup:

 

[Foliage Finder]

Pull out the driver, high draw, 355 yard carry, lay up in front of the bunkers. Wedge to the green, tap in eagle.

"What would Rory do?"

Coming back to the land of mere mortals, I like Phil's idea.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

My guess is that you are trying to steer the ball away from the OOB, which is causing the slice. There was a similar hole at Hoebridge (13th) and the way I got over a similar issue was to aim down the right of the fairway where the OOB was knowing that my draw would turn away from it. You'll have far more success hitting the draw if you don't try to guard against the slice. Stare the OOB in the face and hit your normal shot without worrying about the result is what I'd do.

 

[virtuocity]

The slice/fade is the easiest shot in golf to play. Why not just aim your club face at the middle of the pond, aim body slightly left of the pond and then make a committed swing in line with your body?

You may lose a bit of distance, but you'll be safe.

Alternatively, play an iron to the front of the fairway, long iron short of the bunkers and then pitch on.

Looks like a good 'thinking' hole.

 

[Ethan]

On GolfWRX, the answer is to rip your Tour Issue driver with its Unobtanium XX shaft right over the water and hit a 7 iron into the green.

On GM, the answer is to bang a driver down the right hand side, then hit a hybrid onto the green.

Perhaps the safe option is to hit a hybrid off the tee over the water into the fairway short right of the pond, a 5 iron second safely short of the bunkers and a pitch into the green, 2 putts and walk away.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Had a similar hole at my last club.
SI 1, par 5 of about 510 with OB all the way up the right
From the whites there was a 120 yard carry over very rough ground and bushes to the fairway.
Pond at 240 yards on the right, mounds on the left.
Virtually everyone hit driver and at least half of them went OB.
I would quite often hit 6 iron to make sure the ball was in play. Then hit a wood to about 80/90 short, pitch it on and almost guarantee a par. Eventually everyone else cottoned on....
Hit your 4 iron to the corner(ish), or even a 5, whatever gets you there and gives you a clear shot.
Then clear the bunkers, or lay-up if need be. Wedge it on and you're there.
Nothing "girlie" about 5 for 3!

This is the answer. I played a tough course last week and went driver off the tee for every long hole. After mixed results, ending with two horrible holes I decided to play golf as above. I then proceeded to make every green in regulation and my scoring improved significantly. Suddenly I was in control and enjoying my round a lot more. Wimpy and scoring is far more fun than macho and OoB. The hole you describe can be reached in 3 irons and as it is a par 5 what is wrong with that?

 

[PNWokingham]

i have my problem with several holes on Cooden - like the entire front 9 - but this is one of the easiest holes going. You just need to get it out of your head

 

[ScienceBoy]

Hybrid to the corner, iron up the middle to short of the bunkers and wedge on.

Might even be able to go down to a 4 iron off the tee.

 

[Bratty]

I seem to remember taking a 7 iron off that tee once. Worked a treat.
From memory, it was a 3 wood, then an 8 iron into the green. Alternatively, you could hit a 5 iron and then a 6 iron in, depending how much or little you like your 3 wood.
When you're not playing in comps, do you play off the yellow? If so, ask your PP if they mind you hitting from the whites on that hole and try different things?