What makes a shot "blind"?

[Carl Nichols]

I was recently discussing my home course with a new member, who stated his view that the course has 9 blind tee shots.  I thought that was crazy -- there are no tee shots like those on (for example) a few holes at Royal County Down, where a dune completely obscures the entire hole beyond it.  Instead, on most of the holes in question you can see a lot of the fairway [including all of the bunkers], but you either can't see where a good drive will land, or you can't see where it will wind up.  Is that -- the inability to see the landing area and just the landing area -- enough to make a hole blind?   

[Jeff_Brauer]

Carl,

I recall Hogan and others in the 60's railing for tee shots where you see the ball land and roll out, and greens where you can see the base of the pin.  Seeing some of the fw and some of the green is but not all of it is considered blindness by a fair number of players.

[Bill_McBride]

Carl,

I recall Hogan and others in the 60's railing for tee shots where you see the ball land and roll out, and greens where you can see the base of the pin.  Seeing some of the fw and some of the green is but not all of it is considered blindness by a fair number of players.

Are those players not called "sissies?"

[Charlie Goerges]

Carl,

I recall Hogan and others in the 60's railing for tee shots where you see the ball land and roll out, and greens where you can see the base of the pin.  Seeing some of the fw and some of the green is but not all of it is considered blindness by a fair number of players.

Are those players not called "sissies?"

"Sissies" is the polite term for those golfers.

[Chris Flamion]

Carl,

I recall Hogan and others in the 60's railing for tee shots where you see the ball land and roll out, and greens where you can see the base of the pin.  Seeing some of the fw and some of the green is but not all of it is considered blindness by a fair number of players.

Are those players not called "sissies?"

I have many words to define this type of person, sissie isn't one of them. 

to me a blind shot is where you can't see the point you want the ball to land, but on an approach shot I change the question more to I can't see any of the green.  Even having a small area for where to land is enough for me.  I guess a true blind shot is where you are aiming at something that isn't part of the course.

[Jeff_Brauer]

If you are good enough to aim at the flag, you want to know exactly where the flag is, whether 7, 10 or 12 feet from the edge, etc.  Seeing is believing and removes all doubt.  They aren't sissies, they just think it enhances strategery.

[Sean_A]

Seeing is believing and removes all doubt. 

Jeff

This is exactly why blind shots are good for the game and add variety to strategic play.  Blind shots are one of the few holdouts against the onslaught of technical/mechanical/electronic golf.  Perhaps it isn't best to take aim at the flag even if you are good enough.

Blind shots are just that, blind.  Does there need to be any more explanation?

Ciao

[Cristian]

I think a drive to a visible fairway with the landing spot just beyond a little bump is not blind. A shot to a green however should be called blind if the base of the pin is not visible; because in this case it is impossible to make out distance/pin placement.

I think blind shots are a lot of fun, especially on heroic holes; there is a blind shortcut option and a longer option with the pin in view. My home course has a shot like that on the 9th hole, a par 5 where two long shots are required to have a look around the dogleg to the left, some 120 yds from the green, or where one can play the third shot over a high tree, shortcutting the hole by 30 yds or so.(pic attached)

The only real downside I can see to blind holes is the fact that they favour those with more local knowledge.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Cristian,

The othert downside to the blind tee shot is uttering the phrase, "Is that my ball under the dead guy?"

[James Boon]

A shot to a green however should be called blind if the base of the pin is not visible; because in this case it is impossible to make out distance/pin placement.

Cristian,

For me a hole isn't blind until you cant see the flag at all when hitting you approach to it. If every time you cant see the base of the flag is to be considered blind, then there are an awful lot of blind shots out there?

This desire to know exactly how far away the hole is may be well and good for the likes of Hogan, Faldo or Woods, but the rest of us just aren't that good. Sure, its nice to know if we need to be hiiting to the left or right side of a fairway, or the front or back of a green, but in all honesty its a case of point us in the general direction, hit it, find it, then hit it again. 

Cheers,

James

[Adam Clayman]

I've heard people describe Wild Horse as having too many blind shots. My first reaction was they're nuts. But, on further inspection one of the reoccuring motiffs is that for the long ball hitter many of the dunes obscure the LZ. Since the majority of fairway is visible and this blindness only affects the aggressive long baller their whines fall on deaf ears. I'm partial to the way TD uses blindness as a signature and strategery.

[Mark Pearce]

A shot is blind when you cannot see the spot you want to land the ball on.

[Cristian]

Cristian,

The othert downside to the blind tee shot is uttering the phrase, "Is that my ball under the dead guy?"

Not necessarily 

[Cristian]

A shot to a green however should be called blind if the base of the pin is not visible; because in this case it is impossible to make out distance/pin placement.

Cristian,

For me a hole isn't blind until you cant see the flag at all when hitting you approach to it. If every time you cant see the base of the flag is to be considered blind, then there are an awful lot of blind shots out there?

This desire to know exactly how far away the hole is may be well and good for the likes of Hogan, Faldo or Woods, but the rest of us just aren't that good. Sure, its nice to know if we need to be hiiting to the left or right side of a fairway, or the front or back of a green, but in all honesty its a case of point us in the general direction, hit it, find it, then hit it again. 

Cheers,

James

You have a point on distance control; however it means that a hole can be blind if the flag is at the back and not blind if it is at the front of the green?

[Mark Pearce]

Cristian,

The othert downside to the blind tee shot is uttering the phrase, "Is that my ball under the dead guy?"

Not necessarily 

Christian,

Is that the bell behind the 10th green at Elie?

[Cristian]

Cristian,

The othert downside to the blind tee shot is uttering the phrase, "Is that my ball under the dead guy?"

Not necessarily 

Christian,

Is that the bell behind the 10th green at Elie?

  I knew somebody would guess that, but not this quick.

(I just linked to a photo I googled for the purpose; not one of mine)

[Carl Nichols]

A shot to a green however should be called blind if the base of the pin is not visible; because in this case it is impossible to make out distance/pin placement.

Doesn't that make almost all uphill approach shots "blind," since the mere fact that they're uphill means you can't see the base of the flag?

[Cristian]

A shot to a green however should be called blind if the base of the pin is not visible; because in this case it is impossible to make out distance/pin placement.

Doesn't that make almost all uphill approach shots "blind," since the mere fact that they're uphill means you can't see the base of the flag?

True, perhaps it is fairer to say blind if you can't judge the depth of pin placement, which is a scrappy defenition, but leaves somewhat more room for uphill holes (If you can see a fair portion of the pin, distance judgement becomes a lot easier already). However I do think if you can only see the cloth of the flag it is hard to judge any distance or pin placement, unless you know the course very well, and therefore it should be called blind. For the record: I don't mind those (or totally) blind shots at all.