Par 5's

Ref the OP, I don't even use my 3 wood off the deck as I am shocking with it and need to practise it. Failing the 3 wood, next down is a 4 iron so I always lay up if it's out of 4 iron range.

Just to add, the Par 5's on my home course I get a shot on and large majority of the time I drive, 4 iron, wedge on, easy two putt for a 5-4 for 3!! :D

Easy par 5's....
 
In my opinion when 5 is a net birdie why push for the eagle? I do not even carry a 3 wood, just a 5 wood and that goes about 225-230. All the par 5s at my course are more risk than reward unless you can fly it long on the two on the back 9.

That leaves the downhill 2nd hole at my course, the only time I go for it is when I have the wind behind me and I can stop it on the green. Last summer to our shortest par 5 I hit a 6 iron to about 8 feet for my 2nd shot!
 
All our par 5s are reachable in the right conditions but they are fairly long so you do need to get one away before even contemplating it.

Our 3rd will always be a go for it as it's downhill and the bunkers are greenside and not a bad option.

12th is littered with sand @ 130, 110 and 60yds from the green. The lay up is almost as difficult as going for it, but the ideal shot to get on is a fade around the bunker @ 60yards, but that is from a lie with the ball above your feet.

17 is the shortest @ 510yd but all uphill. The green is a real nightmare and only 12yards deep on the right side. Unless you hit a big drive the lay up is the right shot, but even that is difficult as the are bunkers either side @ 100yards. You've never got a good score sorted until you've got past 17.

One of my weakest parts is my mid range pitching from around 25-40 yards. If there is reasonable doubt about getting closer than this i will normally lay up to 80yards for a full lob wedge.
 
What ever won't leave me 80 yards. Iron to 100 or more, or 4w to 30 yards or nearer. If the fairway is likely to leave 80 yards, that is not a good distance for me, so I'll lay up. this means 9 times out of 10 I'm laying up. If I par the 4 par 5s, then I have picked up a shot on the card. Works for me.
 
In the right conditions all of our par 5's are reachable:
The 2nd - 566yds - with a helping wind as the final 100yds are slightly downhill, so a good roll gets you there.
The 8th - at 478yds is SI18 - and is seen by most as a long par 4.
The 15th - 527yds - dogleg at the end of the hole, therefore can be cut if feeling good.
The 17th - 490yds - if you get the tee shot away safely the final half of the hole is quite easy to hit as the ball funnels toward the green.

As such, if I'm in a decent position I'll always go for the green as they are my best birdie chances.
 
Go for it every time unless theres trouble like bunkers or rough crossing the fairway short of the green. Then i'll have a think about it and decide i'm a hero and still go for it. Either way I usually mess it up and end up taking a par
 
It depends a lot on the hole and the course.

At Tain we have two par 5's one is 540 off the whites and its dog leg right and you have to lay up to no more than 200-210 yards. so unless you can hit your next shot 340 yards no chance.
The second is only 520 ish and if you get a good drive in easily reachable. If you have a strong tailwind its even possible to be going in 2nd shot with a 6 or 7 iron.

my old course only had two par 5's as well and again one was pretty unreachable in two at 590 yard uphill. the other only about 500 def reachable if you got a good drive in.

For me a lot depends on the hole and how I'm playing :rolleyes:
 
3 Par 5's at mine. The first 2 I would have a go in 2 if I manage to get a good long drive out to the fairway but the last, the 18th I will always lay up even though it is the shortest at 480 yds, this is because it dog legs sharp left at the end, the green is quite narrow, protected by a lake at the front and about 7 yds through the back is OOB. Cutting the dog leg is very difficult due to mature trees blocking the line close to the green. To get the distance I would need to reach in 2 I would have to hit a wood, which if I made it over the water would probably go straight through the green and oob. It is actually a very clever little par 5 because you really do need to be a very big hitter to get into a position to be able to go at it in 2, as you will need to go far enough to take the trees out of play and be close enough to be able to stop it on the green.
 
Depends on a lot of factors but isn't knocking a wedge stiff from 80 yards more exiciting than bashing a 3 wood pin high, but 25 yards right, into the crud? I know what gets more birdies.
Click to expand...

On two of our four par 5, 15 yards right of the hole would put you in water. Another one is a dogleg and very very few can get there from the middle of the elbow, and the other one is up a very steep hill, seen a few try, still haven't actually seen anyone actually do it.
 
depends on what protecting the green?
where the flag is, is it tucked behind a bunker?
what sort of game im playing fun/comp?

risk/reward ,what do i have to gain? and %'s

will i be better served by knocking it up just by the green n chipping from 20 yrds giving great chance for birdie

from 224 really wouldnt see the point in hitting what would pretty much ammount to 2 wedges unless its highly protected by water across the front of the green
 
Play every shot on it's merits is my motto. I don't see the thrill of taking on a shot that is going to get you in trouble more often than not and hitting a shot you're not happy hitting is a surefire way to hit it badly.

Golf is about shooting the lowest score possible and I would back myself to make birdie more often hitting my 3rd from inside 100yds than I would going for it in 2 with 3-wood. Hitting a wedge close gives me a lot of pleasure because it makes all the practice worth while.

I guess it comes down to each persons individual strengths and weeknesses and understanding your own game.
 
it depends, our course only has one par 5 (1st), now things are drying its just about reachable in 2, but teh green slopes right to left so you need to aim up the right side, and the right side of the green has a nice big nunker to catch anything that is more than 10 ft off line, now hit one straight and your geeting a nice bounce down ontop the 2nd tee..... overal risk vs reward the shot isnt worth it, only upside is as its the first your have 17 other holes to ruin teh card on so going for it is a bit of a buzz shot :D
 
With my stupid golfing brain I always go for it. 3 of our 4 are reachable in the right conditions - i.e. not wet or wind against - the other, the 16th, I have only been on the putting surface once, a few more times at the sides and a few times a couple of feet short - it is a big slope up and not fairway in front so good shots that just miss short, stop and go nowhere. There are plenty of times I would have wished I had laid up o n par 5s but I love the prospect of an eagle put more than my overall score usually - and will be searching for number 6 in 2011 (all 5 have been on par 5s)!!
 
My answer is it depends, boringly on the potential risk vs reward.

Where I play there are 3 par 5's. One is 540 and normally into the wind. I've only ever been on in 2 once and will normally hit an iron for my second if I don't think I can reach.

The other 2 are both reachable but both have ditches short with big oak trees left and right of the ditch leaving about a 30yd gap to aim through.
If I'm in the right place on the fairway I'll have a go, but I won't even try if I have to go over or around them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
Finally broke 90 best round of my life!
Replies
6
Views
3K
Flubster
F
Klimski
Honma TW-U
Replies
8
Views
895
Klimski
Klimski
E
New irons and first few sessions on the range.
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
Evan Atkinson
E
Mel Smooth
To Tee or not to Tee?
2
Replies
26
Views
3K
Pin-seeker
Pin-seeker
Pants
Shots in matchplay
2
Replies
37
Views
4K
sunshine
S
Top