Examples of Short Par 4s Where Pin Position Affects Tee Strategy

[John Ezekowitz]

This post was inspired by John Kirk's post in the strategic wide fairways thread, in which he extolled the virtues of holes where pin position can change how one plays the tee shot.

That got me thinking of how I love short par fours where pin position affects what club I hit or where I aim off the tee. One that jumps to mind immediately is 10 at Merion. When the pin is on the right side of the green, I like to hit driver because I can get it pin high and have a fairly simple pitch or even putt. The penalty for missing right is lessened because it is a shorter shot out of the rough, and if I miss short left, the bunker shot will also be shorter.

When the pin is back left, however, a miss with a driver is much more penalized because any shot from the rough will be longer up the throat of a very narrow green that is more sloped in the back and the bunker shot from the fronting bunker is much tougher. A 3-wood or hybrid to a comfortable wedge distance seems to be the correct play.

Does anyone have other examples of short fours where pin position changes tee strategy?

[Bill_McBride]

Definitely #5 at Friars Head.  The big knob in front dominates everything.

[Patrick_Mucci]

John,

For that to happen you have to have known where the hole is located, either visibly from the tee or from observation when arriving or playing other holes earlier in the routing, or vis a vis accurate pin sheets.

Holes that come to mind are # 1 at GCGC, # 1 at NGLA, #'s 3 & 12 at Mountain Ridge.

Hole locations can dictate play off the tee in terms of both club selection and direction.

I think that's one of the benchmarks for a good, short par 4.

[Dan Kelly]

Haven't played it often enough to know, alas, but...

White Bear Yacht Club No. 12 -- featuring the steepest front-to-back-sloping green I've ever seen or played.

The key to the hole, I think, is the bounce you'll get from the approach -- which, I think, MUST land somewhere short of the green to have any chance of holding it.

With the pin up front, I'd think you'd really want to bust a drive, to have the highest-trajectory, shortest-bouncing shot to the green, so that you might just trickle one onto the green. With the pin in the rear, you could afford a lower-(but not much lower)-trajectory approach shot.

[Mark McKeever]

Number 9 at Schuylkill is a good example.  I will hit less than driver off the tee in order to leave myself a "non wedge" into the green so I can control a short iron with little spin.  Usually a 9 iron is preferred coming into the back flags.

Mark

[Tom Culley]

I've not played this course and so i understand certain members of this site will think that i am unable to comment.

No. 10 at Riviera.

[John Kirk]

Definitely #5 at Friars Head.  The big knob in front dominates everything.

Bill, could you elaborate a bit please?  Do you lay up when the pin is behind the knob?

John, thanks for picking up the idea with the short fours.  My hypothesis is the short par four yields more of these types of holes, where a tee shot decision is dictated by pin position.

Our best at Pumpkin Ridge is #17 at the public Ghost Creek course.  This photo is appropriated from Mike Dugger's In My Opinion writeup:



It's 270-330 yards long, with a creek that crosses diagonally into a small pond right of the tiny two tier green.  As a 225-250 yard hitter, I often try to drive over the creek, but I will layup short of the creek and try for a full wedge into the front half.  However, the back tier is tiny and flat, and I always try to drive over the creek if the pin is back.  Once successfully over, I will attempt to play a bump and run, taking a less lofted wedge, landing the ball on the lower tier and rolling the ball to the back.  Long of the green can be very tricky, and this year in particular the LPGA got creamed trying to fly the ball (downwind) back there.  Although the shortest par four on the course, it played as the toughest par four the first two days.

An unusual example is #3 at Old Macdonald, though it is unlikely one will know the pin position before driving over the "Sahara" dune ridge.  The fairway is very wide, and a player can choose to drive either left or right of the greatest dead tree in golf.  Both the fairway and green are wildly undulating, but all things considered, the left side is considerably better for the typical right pins, and the long drive down the right side gives the best angle into the middle left bowl.

See Ran Morrissett's fine essay on Old Macdonald for pictures and details.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/old-macdonald/

The last example is less obvious, the 14th at Bandon Trails.  In general, attempting to drive the green works best for a short left pin, while all back pins on this "L" shaped green may best be attacked with a full wedge shot, but add plenty of club for the severely uphill second shot.  Regardless, a brutally difficult short par four.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/bandon-trails/bandon-trails-or-usa-pg-ii/bandon-trails-or-usa-pg-iii/

 

[John Kirk]

I second Pat Mucci's selection of #1 at Garden City.  That's a good example.  Pat, what about the Sahara hole at National Golf Links?  I only played it once, and remember the green is very wide, but I imagine everybody busts driver just trying to carry the sand and reach the green.

[Ross Harmon]

I know some people play the 7th at Ballyneal differently if the pin is in the front or back. I just always go for it either way! Birdied both times my last day there last month. Enough with the bragging though, it's really neat how Tom and team give you a nice "sneak peak" at the 7th pin placement when you're coming down #4. Gives you some time to think about if you're going to hit a driver/ 3 wood at the green or 4/5/6 iron into the fairway.

[Scott Szabo]

Ballyneal #14 immediately came to mind.

[Patrick_Mucci]

I second Pat Mucci's selection of #1 at Garden City.  That's a good example.  

Pat, what about the Sahara hole at National Golf Links?  
I only played it once, and remember the green is very wide, but I imagine everybody busts driver just trying to carry the sand and reach the green.

John,

# 2 at NGLA is a huge green and without going on the course prior to play it's almost impossible to detect the location of the hole.
From the tee, without a caddy to provide the line as he stands on the hill, it's also impossible to aim toward the flag.
Years ago, there was a clump of grass that looked like Don King's hair, and golfers used to aim at it as it pretty much indicated the center of the green, but, it's been clipped and is no longer there to guide you.

So, on # 2 at NGLA it's mostly about direction.
I've rarely, really rarely seen a golfer hit anything but driver off the tee.
(Note, I'm discounting Tiger's 3-iron off the tee, which he hit to the back of the green into a slightly misting rain)
Normal play calls for the driver and if someone's really long, I guess a fairway wood.

[John Kirk]

As a 225-250 yard hitter, ...
 

LOL.  You forget - we have played golf together.  225? Yeah, when it's 40 degrees, after Biblical rains, into a 2 club wind...  

I've aged dramatically in the last 15 months.  225 counts a typical mishit.  I can still carry it about 235-240 if I hit it, not counting wind or elevation.

Scott, I always try to play short of the middle bunker on Ballyneal #14, though a better angle might be achieved to the front left or back right pins.  That hole is too long for me to flirt with the left side.  You have to be younger and stronger than me to go for it.

[Carl Rogers]

See this link:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?action=search2
the 10th at Riverfront is a textbook example.

[Will Lozier]

The 9th at Cypress Point plays as you describe Merion's 10th which I have not played.  The first time I hit driver up the small chute of fairway (it is VERY narrow there) leading up to the front lower right portion of the green where the hole was that day.  I managed to hit it within 5 feet or so on a very simple and straightforward (until you go long!) chip shot and made a 4-footer coming back for 4.  The next and only other time I've been fortunate enough to play CPC, the pin was back left.  I knew 5-iron was the play to the super wide portion of the fairway where a full wedge is the best way to get anywhere near that pin anyway (unless you can actually drive the right side or come very close)...but, I foolishly tried to replicate my first attempt with a little extra to get that bit closer and smothered it into the waste area left 90 yards to the pin.  TERRIBLE POSITION and I consider myself a a very good fairway bunker player.  I can't remember whether I made 5 or 9 - I will find that scorecard - but I'll never forget the sight of that pin and my second shot coming agonizingly close to clearing the lip of the greenside bunker...before diving into the it's steep face.  Great hole!

Cheers

[Alex Miller]

#15 at Wilshire.

[Scott Warren]

The 12th at Bonnie Doon is as fine an example as I have played.

The green offers back and back right pins near backboards and sideboards that can be extremely useful if you've placed your drive well, as well as a front right pin over a bunker that is impossible to access from anywhere but the ideal finishing spot of a brave driver from the tee. That's just on the right.

The left-hand side is far less pleasant, with the domed shape resulting in anything substandard being swatted away, while strong internal contour means playing away from those flags leaves a really testing two-putt.

To any of these pins, the best play off the tee varies greatly.

Just short left of the green is fantastic for a back right or centre pin in the gathering zone I mentioned, but if the pin is cut just over the bunker, you might well prefer to drive the ball pin-high right and chip back downhill in what is a small valley that feeds the ball to the general vicinity of the hole.

With the pin cut anywhere on that imposing left-hand-side, I'm not sure that going for the green is a particlarly wise play, as from that "prime" short-left area you're hitting a 15m shot to a pin cut on a dome about 5ft above you.

If laying up, a similar variety of preferred placements occurs.

The LHS is generally preferable as it is higher - making for an almost level wedge approach - but the angle to the LHS pins from there is daunting, and so with the pin there you may find that the lower, wider RHS layip area is a better angle and provides a slightly more forgiving approach.

And regardless of the side you choose, laying further back is preferred for a front pin (so delicate is the shot, you want a full swing), while a back pin, especially in the bowl back right, means that splitting the difference between laying back and going for it can be wiser.

All that without considering the impacts of the always changing and generally strong wind that blows across the course.

A wonderful hole and a poster child for what a short par four should be.

[David_Tepper]

#16 at Harding Park in San Francisco is a good example. There is a stand of very tall trees down the right side of the fairway. If the pin is tucked back right, you definitely want to hit your tee shot as far left as possible.

[Brad Tufts]

#13 at kingsley!

One of the most severe greens i've seen, among those that work.

[Tom_Doak]

The 4th at Barnbougle is certainly one of the best ones we've worked on.  There are three potential lines from the tee -- short of the big bunker and hugging the right, wide left, and (trying to) drive it over the bunker.  If the flag is in the front portion of the green, especially front right, the wide left play is a good one, but if the flag is in the back of the green, you'll want to stay right, even if it means laying up short right and having a blind approach.

[Jared Kalina]

I'll throw the 7th at Sand Hills into the mix.  If the pin is right, being directly in front of the bunker is the play.  If it is on the left side hugging that embankment, then the right side of the fairway is the only place to be thinking about a birdie

[Neil White]

How about the 18th, St Andrews?

Neil.

[Patrick_Mucci]

14th at Pine Tree, a Wilson classic.

Neat risk-reward with the water, bunkers and angle of the green, especially when the hole is cut in the back of the angled green

[Tim Gavrich]

15 at TPC at River Highlands, where the pros play the Travelers Championship, is a great example of this. The hole is straightaway, with a pedestal green oriented straight-on, high-low-high--quasi-Biarritz, I guess. Pond left, bit of chipping area and then bunkers right. Front pins are especially interesting because if you're going to hit driver, you have to be very careful about where you miss, and each pin means a different "best miss." Absolutely a fascinating and wonderful golf hole.

[Bill_McBride]

How about the 18th, St Andrews?

Neil.

Who ever aims at anything other than the R&A clubhouse clock?   

[Bill_McBride]

Definitely #5 at Friars Head.  The big knob in front dominates everything.

Bill, could you elaborate a bit please?  Do you lay up when the pin is behind the knob?

 

I only played one round at Friars Head so really don't have a clue!   The one go at #5 the pin was tucked right in behind the knob.  The caddy suggested a drive up the left as far as I could hit it, which I did.  I guess the idea is to be able to pitch left of the knob and stay within say 15'.  I can't hit it far enough so still saw the knob kick me away.  Don't remember what a layup way right might yield.  With a back pin the play for me would be a middle layup to 100 yards.   It's a great hole.