• We'd like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas from all at Golf Monthly. Thank you for sharing your 2025 with us!

Your Par5 lay up shot

When pros say they didn't take advantage of the par 5s it means they didn't knock it on in two and two putt.

They are dropping shots to the longer hitters.

That's approx 3 or 4 shots a round! !
 
I really like either 90 or 100. On any hole. 90 is a full 54 and 100 is either half a pw or a 3/4 48 degree. Those are 3 shots that have really improved over the last year.
 
At my age, I have to lay up at some of the longer par-4's, let alone par-5's! :(

Ideally I would like to leave myself about 70-80 yards, because that is a full 50 degree gap wedge for me, a shot I am normally pretty good at. :)
 
IF i hit a good tee shot with driver. IF i hit a good second shot with my fairway wood then our par fives are reachable for me with anything from a faitway wood to a wedge with my third shot. ;-{)
 
4 of the 5 par 5's at Cooden are reachable in two if the wind is right and you get a good tee shot away.
With anything less than the "perfect" drive, I'll just try to knock a 5 or 6 iron down leaving myself anywhere between 80-120 yards in.
 
try and lay up to 75-100 yards. most courses i play reg, i would tend to try and get on in two and depending where my tee shot ended up then decide to lay up.
 
Other than avoiding a hazard I never lay up. I would much rather hit my third from 50 yards than 100.
 
All depends on how the hole is set up, eg water or bunker short of the green for instance will effect my second shot. I hit my 5 wood really well and so would usually pump for that if it's not going to run into trouble. I do enjoy playing shots from around 110-60 yards.


If my tee shot doesn't find the fairway or a good lye I will just pull a 6-7iron and hopefully leave myself at most the same into the green as a third.
 
If I know I can't reach in two, I take the potential disaster off the tee out of the equation, and hit 3 wood. Then it's what will get me to 130 from the green - it used to be 150 but I'm old now.

Pretty much this ^

If I'm driving well I'll hit a smooth drive , 7/6 iron then a wedge in. Normally takes every bit of trouble out of play.
 
Unless there is trouble(and rarely even then, oops), I would hit driver and the 5 wood to get it as close as I can.

Closer is better for scoring, kind of always thought that, but last year was the first year that I kind of showed it to myself and was getting more eagles/birdies (or the opportunity).

This is due to hitting my driver and 5 wood further than when I previously played of say 5 years ago and before(that's assuming I don't mess up the hole, which is just as likely!!!). So instead of hitting a wedge in say, I now have a chip or short pitch on
 
Yeah, unless there is trouble then get as close as you can. This lay up to 100 yds stuff is nonsense.
 
Looks like for most then, its get a close as possible and hope to get up and down. (if they don't mess up hitting fairway woods or hybrids off the deck)

Not for me and my iffy short game so I prefer a full or three quarter shot in where I have more chances to play a good one. Hopefully once the work pitching and chipping I'm doing starts to pay off I have a choice then
 
I employed a new tactic last few years, go all out and hit it as far as I can on each occasion. I will always go for it with as long a club as I can.
More often than not trying to lay up to a good distance brought its own problems.
 
Top