Why can't I hit a blind tee shot?

[cliveb]

The tee markers were positioned so far right that even the black & white alignment post was actually obscured by trees/bushes from the right. Really weird choice to put the markers there.

I was going to point out that there's an alignment post, but I see you've already mentioned it.
Have to admit that in 10 years as a member there, I never experienced the post being hidden by bushes.

Anyhow, the key to that hole is understanding there's a lot more room on the right than it appears. The marker post is too far left - always aim slightly right of it. Doesn't help that after the difficulty of actually hitting the green with your tee shot, you are then faced with one of the trickiest greens on the course where a 3 putt is all too common. Just forget that it's stroke 16 and you don't get a shot - be content with a 4 and move on. Celebrate a par like it was a birdie.

 

[Orikoru]

I was going to point out that there's an alignment post, but I see you've already mentioned it.
Have to admit that in 10 years as a member there, I never experienced the post being hidden by bushes.

Anyhow, the key to that hole is understanding there's a lot more room on the right than it appears. The marker post is too far left - always aim slightly right of it. Doesn't help that after the difficulty of actually hitting the green with your tee shot, you are then faced with one of the trickiest greens on the course where a 3 putt is all too common. Just forget that it's stroke 16 and you don't get a shot - be content with a 4 and move on. Celebrate a par like it was a birdie.

Cheers. Now you mention it I do recall others seemingly slicing right of the post but being at worst in the right-hand bunker or just off the right edge of the green. I always figured the slope brings it back in sometimes. And yeah it is a mad green, if it's a front pin anything more than 10 feet past and putting down has no chance of stopping near the hole.

 

[Orikoru]

Ok, one more update on this, I'm not going to keep doing it but I thought it was quite funny this time. On Saturday on this hole I took 8 iron, and hit what I thought was an awful weak fade (not for the first time). It sort of started on the alignment post and went right, so I thought it had no chance. @cliveb you were quite correct though in suggesting there is more margin for error on the right than it looks - somehow I found it on the far left edge of the green. Made absolutely no sense for it to be there, but I could only imagine it shot off the path on the top of the mound that's on the right, evaded the bunkers somehow and went rolling back down the slope, right across the green. ? Crazy. And I actually hit a superb lag putt from there (for once) and was able to make par for the first time in a long while. It was a still an awful strike to be honest but I got away with it this time. I think I'll have to just stick with the 8 iron and try and hit it without thinking too much really.

 

[Boomy]

I keep it as simple as possible, pick my target on the horizon (whatever that may be) and stick to my pre shot routine making sure everything is aligned then hit it. Blind shots don't seem to phase me since I've been playing links golf a lot at Silloth which involves a few blind shots on tee's and on second shots.

 

[Orikoru]

I keep it as simple as possible, pick my target on the horizon (whatever that may be) and stick to my pre shot routine making sure everything is aligned then hit it. Blind shots don't seem to phase me since I've been playing links golf a lot at Silloth which involves a few blind shots on tee's and on second shots.

I think it's just a head-worm now like most things golf-related. Once I've finally hit a decent shot or two I'll probably get over it.

 

[Boomy]

I think it's just a head-worm now like most things golf-related. Once I've finally hit a decent shot or two I'll probably get over it.

Yes indeed, golf is like that We played in fairly strong winds yesterday, it used to smash my game apart when it was windy, I'm now getting settled with it and the key is to fully commit to the shot you choose - very similar scenario I think.