what club would you use in this situation?

[slugger]

On the 14th green at West Lothian Golf Course (for anyone who knows it), i hit my approach to the green a few yards too long and the ball got caught up in the rough grass up behind the green.

This left me with a downhill shot to a pin position on the top tier of a green sloping downhill away from my ball. The green was around 2ft below the level of my ball and the fringe only around 3 foot away. The pin placement was around 12 yards further down the sloping green.

So, i saw myself with 3 options.

• wedge shot to get the ball up and land softly with little roll

• 8 iron to chip it out of the grass and roll down to the flag

• putter to get it out of the grass and roll over the fringe down to the hole


Now, i took the 8 iron, because i had been having more success with it on the day. Wether i never set myself up properly i don't know, but i managed to drag the iron into the grass and barely made it onto the fringe of the green.

What shot would you have played? or, what shot should i have played?

 

[JT77]

I would have took my 52 and tried to bump it onto the green and let it release down the slope, and hope I had less than 10 feet for the putt.
As for what you should have done, I think it was what ever you felt most comfortable with at the time, and if that was 8 iron, so be it, you maybe just did not commit to it enough.

 

[JustOne]

12 yards down a sloping green is hard to judge but it's quite a long way so i would have taken whatever club I felt I could hit firm enough to get comfortably on the green... possibly past the flag for an uphiller. 20 foot uphill putts are still easier than 10 foot downhillers, so theoretically you had quite a lot of green to work with.... driver?

 

[kid2]

I get a bit adventurous at times with shots like this....I may have tried every iron in my bag at some stage for a shot like that but never discount your long irons with a putter grip....they will give just enough loft to clear the fringe and get the ball rolling toward the hole and also wont get snagged in the grass..... Try it sometime you might be surprised at the outcome.

 

[RGDave]

Ouch, I know this situation. 3 ft + 12 yards for me would be a wedge for sure, it's when it's 3 ft + 4 yards that I find it dodgy.
t.b.h. I've messed it up enough times to not be overly-optimistic about getting down in two. I just give it a positive stab with a SW and hope it doesn't run on so far as to then make 3 putts possible.

 

[Spinn77]

I'd have played my 56*, try to land it on the green and get it past the hole as JustOne mentioned, have an uphill one back at it.

The loft helps you, but you need to swing with the downslope your on and commit to it well

 

[SammmeBee]

How long was the rough?

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

Probably use the wedge but might of used the 8 iron or maybe the putter

 

[Atticus_Finch]

I probably would have used my 24*utility to sweep over the grass and lift my ball just up onto the green and hope it dribbles down for a tap in.
It's pretty much the reason I have it in my bag.