Split Fairways - Risk/Reward or Alternate Lines of Play + Difficulty

[Philip Caccamise]

When it comes to split fairways, I always fall back to Bethpage Red #13. Carry distance does not dictate risk/reward. Off the tee if you play right, you can miss all day, but your approach is over a brutal bunker with a green that runs away. Birdie requires an absolute perfect strike and good luck even making par without a solid approach. If you risk the left side, it's a very tight tee shot and narrows further as you go and missing the fairway is an almost near certain bogey. However, a successful tee shot leaves an easy approach with 7 iron or less and a legitimate birdie chance. I know this hole shares some characteristics with a "bottle" hole but I see it more of a risk/reward split fairway. I love the subtlety of the risk/reward of the hole- you have to play it several times before you realize the penalty of taking the easy route.

[Keith Grande]

The 5th hole 380 yard par four at Harbor Links is an interesting split fairway hole, in that there is an upper and lower fairway to a banked, elevated green with a steep dropoff on the right.  The left side fairway is elevated and blind from the tee, with high fescue on the left side of the hillock.  Drives left of the fairway finding this tall grass and reeds are usually lost.  Furthermore, longer drives tend to find the side of the hill leading down to the lower right fairway, leading to an awkwar stand in rough.  Players opting for left fairway usually hit hybrid, leaving a longer iron into a banked green. Approach shots landing left of the green leave an awkward flop shot onto a green running away and down a steep hill where the green is perched.  The lower fairway can be played with driver, hitting over the right corner of the elevated fairway, leaving a shorter iron into the elevated green.  I have played the hole many times, and I'm still not sure which fairway is the optimal play.


View of hole from behind 5th green.

[Tom_Doak]

Actually one of the best split-fairway holes I've seen is shown on another thread on the front page right now:  the 13th at Winchester.  If you drive it over the cross-bunkers you get a better angle to the green, but you can squeeze it down the left side if you're not sure of making the carry, and then nuzzle it past the left-hand greenside bunker after that.

[Eric Smith]

I played this one last year and liked it a lot. Same principle as many...drive it down the left hand side, avoiding a forced carry over the creek but face a more difficult angle to the green and a longer carry over the waste bunker. Drive it over the creek and have a more direct route. A good looking hole, even in the dead of winter.


Capstone Club in Birmingham, AL. Gil Hanse, Architect.


Edit: Here is the yardage guide..

[Thomas Dai]

Eric,
Nice example. This certainly ought to make folks think before teeing off.
All the best

[BCrosby]

Eric -

Is Capstone doing well? I've heard all sorts of stories. I hope to get there this Fall.

Bob

[Eric Smith]

Eric -

Is Capstone doing well? I've heard all sorts of stories. I hope to get there this Fall.

Bob

Bob,

I drove down on a whim last winter and was very happy that I did. Solid golf course with a few really strong holes. I played late in the day and was the only one out there as far as I could tell so was able to have a little fun and play a few different shots.

Course conditions were really good for winter and the clubhouse staff most friendly. I hope they are doing well as I would enjoy going back to play there again.

[Steve Lang]

  A short, split, two shotter , into prevailing south winds, play left on short pins, but need not to slice into ditch and must have accuracy on approach between trap on right and fall-off to left, ... can play right on back to middle pins and only challenge ditch on approach..



Tee view



Looking back from green



... best strategy is talk about how much of ditch can be crossed, watch slice of opponent, and take ditch out and just dink it down the right side every time and play to back of green.