To go for it or not to go for it...

[ScienceBoy]

Picture this... Stableford competition, driver going well, woods intermittent, wedges and putter on fire:

18th hole is a par 5 reachable in two but only through a narrow gap between a slope with bunkers and a pond, I drove to within reachable distance and feeling confident. My current stableford score was 38 points so net par would be 40..

I chose to go for it and sadly just missed threading the needle to end up in the water, usually I iron down then wedge on to make a 5 or a 6, here, thankfully, I made 6 after being in the drink.

With that points total to there I felt it was worth the risk, I still made my 6 but the safe play could have easily been a 5. Would you have made the same choice?

 

[chris661]

Yes, at our place the 18th is around 450 yards a smashing drive will leave around 160-170 BUT you need to carry all the way to the green or risk ending up in the burn. The amount of time I have decided to play safe and still made a 6 has made me think I might as well go for it

 

[stef92]

If it wasn't at a club that you play often I would say go for it! And, I would hope that I would lay up anyway, however, often my head is not quite as strong as my heart and I have a go anyway…

I if have any doubt always try and play the safe shot confidently.

I think that is the key, commit!!

 

[ScienceBoy]

I think that is the key, commit!!

Yup I agree!

I have made the green from the same position in the past and I was feeling confident. Sadly it was a mediocre contact and fed down about 5 yards too far right and turned into the pond by following the slope.

If it was a medal I would have laid up... If I could play it again I would still go for it, every time, as my woods could easily make it with a good line and half decent contact from the position my drive ended up at.

 

[kid2]

What handicap are you off......
I have a 2 par 5's at our course reachable in two but you would have to be a good hitter fro 200 yrds......Most players find it hard to hit a fairway off the tee let alone hit a green from 200 yrds.....If your good with your wedges why not hit 2 of them afer your drive......at worst you could have par if your wedges and putter are that hot.....at best you walk away with a birdie

 

[ScienceBoy]

I was playing off 16 (15.7) for that round

It was downhill with a medium helping crosswind.

In the summer it can be just a drive (a good one) and a 4 iron to make the green but even then I still often lay up as it is a real risk reward hole due to the slopes, bunkers and the ponds short, back and right of the hole. I know how to get my shot in and to stick but that time I should have allowed more room for the wind to move toe ball and I needed a cleaner contact too. It is a shot I have made about 50% of the times I have gone for it in two but due to the undulating and tiered green I have never made birdie or better yet, those above are the main reasons for going for it in two.

To make my 6 I holed a 5 footer, my putting was on fire that round!

 

[JustOne]

usually I iron down then wedge on to make a 5 or a 6, here, thankfully, I made 6 after being in the drink.

If you often make a 6 then you've lost nothing. Hitting in the water is no big deal as you get a drop for 3 and still have the chance of an up-and-down for par if you're close enough. I'd take it on unless it was a ridiculous chance of getting over the water and ending up safe.

 

[HRC99]

For me, it would depend on the conditions. If I thought I needed the extra points to win/place, I'd go for it. If I thought that I'd got a competitive score, I'd lay up.

Then duff it in the water.

 

[Region3]

If I had a score going I'd say lay up, but then I know I'd end up going for it anyway

I went for one today that was far too risky, but we weren't going to do any good in the comp anyway so it didn't really matter.

 

[EaseNgrace]

When im faced with this kind of scenario, I usually only base my decision (to go for it or not) on my lie. I just do it this way so I dont mull over the indecision of basing it on how I 'feel' as I then loose focus.. So my only thought in this situation is 'If it's sitting up go for it, if it's sitting down don't'.

 

[thecraw]

You were obviously playing well, your confidence was high, in my opinion you did the right thing.

I would have gone for it as well. It didn't come off [****] happens.

It was a good score, take the positives out of the situation.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm afraid I lack the killer instinct and my first thought would have been to lay up and hope my wedge practice paid off and I could get it close enough for a single putt. I'd be confident that a six would be the worse I could do.

That said I played the medal this morning and by the time I got to my 2nd at 16 th card was shot anyway. I had a good lie the rough with a gap between two trees to go through. It needed a draw to get it close but a dead straight shot would have flirted with the hazard but proabably would have been ok. The safe shot was a low runner the other side of the tree and then a mid iron into the green. Head said left but before I knew it the 5 wood was in my hand. It needed to go right to left and I hit a low slice left to right into chest high ferns in the lateral hazard. THAT IS WHY IS DON'T TAKE RISKS

 

[NickSwan]

From the Jack Nicklaus quotes:

"I think I fail a bit less than everyone else."

He also said something along the lines, that he won so often because everybody else beat themselves.

I always lay up - unless it is maybe match play and the other person has just put it on the green and you need to win the hole.

 

[JT77]

I would have went for it, if i was in a good position to then why not. I agree that you have to commit fully, and if you can do that and it doesnt come off at least you gave it your best try, if it works and you make 4, then you get 42 points! happy days, 42 points is better that 40, if your in a good position to get a great score, take it!

 

[ScienceBoy]

From the Jack Nicklaus quotes:

"I think I fail a bit less than everyone else."

He also said something along the lines, that he won so often because everybody else beat themselves.

I always lay up - unless it is maybe match play and the other person has just put it on the green and you need to win the hole.

Good points there!

I have learnt a lot from this discussion actually! About myself, my game and how I manage my round.

The definitive moment will be when the results go up on the notice board (or howdidido) and I see if anyone put in 41 points, to get pipped by one will teach me to lay up! It was a windy day and the course was set up pretty hard for a mens blue tees medal that weekend.

I shall twiddle my thumbs, would be nice to win a 3rd club stableford this year.

 

[kid2]

There's people for and against going for it but just to throw the cat amongst the pidgeons here.....Of the people that said they would go for it....If it doesnt come off and you make bogie or double and you are faced with the very same situation the following week.......

What would your thinking be then?
Do you go Drive wedge, wedge.
Or Drive and wood!
Just curious?

 

[Imurg]

Go for it.

Safe play could have been a 5 or even a 6. If the long shot had come off then a birdie or at worst par was the result. The safe option still needs 2 good shots to make it work.

If you're playing well, make your choice, stick to it and commit to the shot.

 

[thecraw]

If your swinging well and playing well always go for it.

 

[ScienceBoy]

If it doesnt come off and you make bogie or double and you are faced with the very same situation the following week.......

If I had the chance to go back in time and do it again all I would change is my line in, just a little more to the left and hope for a good swing!

If I had only 36 points to there and not 38 I would have hit an iron down and wedge on. As I felt I could do no worse than 40 points (and I cannot loose points), I went for it.

I'm still very sure I made the right choice, even if I end up coming second I think I read the situation right.

Next time I am within range, I will again consider the same things I did then:

My confidence
My previous wood shots
The lie, wind and risk

 

[NickSwan]

well.....you could have gone for it, got 3 points for a total of 41, and someone still come in with 43 points and beat you!

This happened to me a couple of weeks ago in a medal. Shot gross 74, nett 65. Was sure I was going to win until I realized my playing partner who played of 19 has shot 83, net 64!!!

Thankfully my aim in golf is to get my handicap as low as possible. While I'm working at that I'll hopefully pick up some wins along the way. You could play the best round of your life, and still finish second! That is one of the things of golf we have to accept