Using Stroke and Distance

[Kellfire]

But the OP states that his pitch (which he elected not to play) was in the fairway, yet he dropped into heather???

I was talking more in general than the OP...

 

[d2cko]

I was talking more in general than the OP...

Noted, but you'll never get better if you don't try the difficult shots and practice them then you'll never have the confidence to play them.

I would still say though that in 99.9% of situations any golfer would be better off playing rather than dropping. You'll never hole a drop!

 

[backwoodsman]

I know Bobmac doesn't like principle of the S&D option given given in OP

But although one fundamental principle of golf is hit it, find it, hit it again, isn't there another fundamental (and long standing) principle of " I don't like it, I'm having another go." But which second go costs you double? Has always been so hasn't it?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

But the OP states that his pitch (which he elected not to play) was in the fairway, yet he dropped into heather???

Indeed I did. The issue on this hole for me was not so much that I was up a bank in some not very long (important) heather - but the slope of the green from back to front - getting steeper the closer to the front of the green you get. And the green is fast. I was only about 5yds from the flag when in the heather - so the chip out had to be delicate.

My shot on to the green was a bit too firm - and the ball just took the slope of the green and off down the green - off the front and away down the slope it went. Coming back up the slope there is always the risk that you catch it heavy and it doesn't reach a spot on the green where it won't come back to you - or indeed run into a nasty bunker in the front right slope of the green as you approach.

So given I had a good idea of where I now needed to land the ball for it to stay on the green (pretty much on the fringe - NOT on the green) and the strike on the ball I was likely to get (given my experience the first time round) - that's why I decided to do S&D.

I'm not saying it was the right decision - and others wouldn't have chosen to do it - trusting in their pitch back up - but my close green short game is pretty good so I went that route. Still very risky mind. I could easily have racked up a ten.