[Jason Thurman]

What are your (strategic and/or swing) thoughts as you analyze and execute the different shots you're likely to face over the course of a round? A few of mine:


1st Tee - I usually try to force a draw on a hole like this, talking myself into playing it off the bunker even though a fade is clearly the right play and also by far my better and more reliable shot (and longer!) shot with a driver. But here, I've seen enough people hit a cut that I accept it fits my eye better. I'm playing the members' tees obviously, and I'm hitting a 3 wood.


12 - If it's even a little windy, I'm almost definitely gonna do that thing where I hit a 3/4 8 iron. And honestly, I should probably only hit 3/4 shots. Honestly, I should probably only hit 3/4 8 irons. I'm Tin Cup with a 7 iron with a 3/4 8 iron. No doubt I pure it and everyone in the group is genuinely surprised when I miss long, and I say shit like "Can you believe I missed long on 12?" at least five times while we're at the airport getting ready to fly home. The smart play would be to miss in the bunker on my second shot. I probably blade a wedge while trying a flop shot and end up back in the fairway, lying 2.


13 - I haven't been this excited to hit a tee shot since 3 at Pebble Beach - I love to hook a 3 wood! I'm just breathing deep and reminding myself to use the big muscles. Send the club down and let it go through impact. And honestly, I probably pull this shot off more often than most. (Which means I'm hitting something between a 3 and 5 iron for my second shot. I'm definitely going for it, and I'm definitely either sniping it hard into the trees and/or fence left, or fanning it right and never even threatening to get close to the green or the water.)

[Bill Gayne]

It took me a while to have coherent golf thoughts as I started out triple, double, and triple. The mind began to settle on four with a bogey and finally a par on five. Eventually it just became having fun with my son and brother-in-law and we all played better. The caddie makes an enormous difference as he will provide the local knowledge. When I listened to him it generally worked out and if I didn't it wasn't because of the advice he gave me. I paid dearly when I didn't listen to the advice. On fourteen I hit a poor drive and the caddie was asking me what I was thinking for the second shot? I said fairway wood up the left side and he said no it needed to be a seven iron short and pitch on. He was exactly right. That's the local knowledge. On nine I was above the hole and he said to me "hit the ball one inch"  but I don't know how to hit the ball one inch and ran it well by the hole.

[James Brown]

I think we can all agree that humble-bragging about how much you play August this week is just cruel.[size=78%] [/size]

[Terry Lavin]

I was 3 over as I stood in the 11th fairway.


Then I awoke and took my morning shower.

[Jason Thurman]

Maybe the spirit of this thread needs some clarification.
[/color] [/size]
[/color]Every one of us has watched approximately 3 million rounds at Augusta. If we're honest, we probably know the course's strategies better than just about anywhere outside of our home course.[/size]
[/color] [/size]
[/color]We usually talk about it in terms of how the pros play it, but I’m interested in what you would be thinking as you stood over various shots on the course while playing it yourself. And not necessarily shots the pros face – shots YOU would be likely to face over one or multiple plays based on your game, but applying your “local knowledge” from watching tons and tons of rounds there.[/size]

[Brian Finn]

OK, I'll play. 

#1 plays 365 yards from the members tee. While I should probably just get a 3 wood out in the fairway, I'm going to try to hit driver up as far as I can, to leave a wedge into the green.  The problem is, more often than not, my swing gets really quick, especially if I am at all nervous.  So, smart money says I snap one into the trees left, about 220 off the tee.  Now I've got about 150 to go, and a clear chance to punch it out to the middle of the fairway, leaving a relatively straightforward pitch from 30-50 yards short of the green...but, that just isn't my style.  Since I hook the ball anyway, I'm going to try to hood a 3/4 seven iron around to run it up onto the open, front-right side of the green.  Still nervous, I hit the dreaded straight ball, long and right of the green.  From there I hit a pretty good chip shot from a perfect lie in the "second cut" leaving a tricky, downhill 12 footer.  Still terrified of the green speeds, I barely touch the ball, but it drifts within a foot, and I tap in for bogey.  Relieved to escape relatively unscathed, I bounce to the second tee, where my sweeping hook will serve me well, as long as I can slow my tempo just a bit.

[Jason Topp]

"Don't do anything to offend anyone so I can finish this round"

[Kalen Braley]

If we're being honest,


I'd probably be more in the camp of "I can't fucking believe I'm actually going to play Augusta" and just be smiling/glad the whole time and hope not to take a X on any hole, because the course will rip my game to shreds anyways and i'm pretty sure I wouldn't be breaking 100...

[Sven Nilsen]

Do all of your fantasies end in such disappointment?


Stripe it down the middle, knock it stiff, make the putt. 


Michael Jordan never envisioned hitting the front of the rim and Babe Ruth wasn't pointing to foul territory.

[Kalen Braley]

Do all of your fantasies end in such disappointment?


Stripe it down the middle, knock it stiff, make the putt. 


Michael Jordan never envisioned hitting the front of the rim and Babe Ruth wasn't pointing to foul territory.

Sven,


I'm both a realist and knew long ago I would never be exceptional in any professional sport. 


P.S.  I struggle breaking 90 now from the whites at the local muni with 350 yard par 4s and flat greens, its fantasy to think otherwise much less ANGC that puts the wood to the best of the best.

[Matthew Petersen]

I'd spend a lot of time just focusing on trying to make solid contact. With the exception of tee shots, that course presents the most dramatic number of uneven lies you'll find anywhere. I'm not worried about getting to #14 in 2 shots. I'm worried that trying to play a shot off a racecar turn is going to make me look foolish.

[Jason Thurman]

I will not be able to be disciplined enough to go into 10 with a gameplan. I can hit the tee shot with a 3 wood and the smart play is to trust the downslope to get me in range. But I worry that 450 will feel too long to leave driver in the bag. I need to get better at playing to my strengths. I'm not a good enough golfer to try to draw a driver just to avoid hitting a long iron approach.

[Jason Thurman]

11 won't feel like it fits my eye. I need to remember that even though I hook every other club, I'm much better letting the driver fade. If I trust my swing, I could hit one of my best drives of the day here.


I kinda think I should hit a 3/4 shot on the approach to bounce a low draw in. Am I on to something, or is that dumb?

[William_G]

second shot golf course with a thin line between success and disaster

Masters tees, it's very long for average shmoes

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