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Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Awkward holes
« on: November 11, 2021, 09:24:49 AM »
There are some holes that fit our eye and we generally score well on them. There are other holes that are just awkward and even after many plays, we just can’t figure out. Sometimes it is because we don’t play them correctly, we are too aggressive or even too timid. There are other holes where the drive doesn’t fit our eyes, or the second shot requires a shot we don’t have.
One such hole for me is 15 at Dormie. There is a more forward white tee, but that is a different story altogether. For the purpose of this thread, I will be talking about the second from the back tee. From those tees, blue, it plays about 360 yards. To the center of the fairway, it demands a carry of about 200 yards.
The tee shot is a bite off as much as you can shot. The hole cants from left to right. Hook the ball and you have a blind second shot. Push it a bit and you are in tall and for the most part unplayable rough. It is important to be on the right side of the fairway, so you have a better view of the green.





I am shorter off the tee than I used to be so I will have a semi-blind second shot.


The ground left of the green slopes significantly from left to right. The green itself is relatively flat but on the right side is a deep bunker. It is best to hit a high shot into the green as anything low will bound into oblivion. I don’t hit it very high anymore. I will aim for the fringe on the left and hope it runs onto the green and not into the bunker.






If I walk away with a five, I am ok. I just try not to make six. I have played the course about ten times this year and have made some fours, some fives, a couple of sixes, and one other. If I had my choice, I’d play 14 then move to 16.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2021, 09:28:04 AM by Tommy Williamsen »
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Kalen Braley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Awkward holes
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2021, 10:59:37 AM »
Tommy,

Great post.  I suspect for many folks, holes like this will depend on their predominant ball flight.  For someone like me who can't hit a draw to save my life, this hole fits my eye well as I could aim a bit left and with a fade or even gentle slice, it would still be just fine.

The approach would give me pause thou as it looks to ask for a right to left ball...

Ira Fishman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Awkward holes
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2021, 11:44:38 AM »
Mid Pines 14 bites me every time. The bunker protecting the right front of the green inevitably takes my eye on the tee to the left plus I know the fairway cants left to right. I can never get comfortable on the tee and invariably yank my shot into the waste area left.


Ira

Jim Sherma

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Awkward holes
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2021, 12:41:39 PM »
Buddy of mine has an extra electric cart that I tried out a handful of times to see if I wanted to invest in one. Conceptually I really liked the idea of an electric cart, yet I chose against it for he following reasons.


The spikes of focus that it took to keep it going where I wanted it to I found distracting. The time and effort to put it together and take it apart was not appealing, not a huge deal, but enough to detract from my day. I guess I'm a bit of a minimalist with my golf and after decades of carrying I tend to have a very barren and light bag. I did switch over to a Click Gear push cart during the pandemic and they took the water off of the courses. I did have to invest in a larger bag (Ping Hoofer) to replace my Jones Golf carry bag since it did not work well getting the clubs in and out when on the Click Gear. I currently use the Click Gear for 18 hole rounds and carry for 9 hole rounds, with the Ping as I don't want to change bags all the time. The quick in/out and lack of fuss appeals to me.

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Awkward holes
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2021, 12:49:10 PM »
Holes where due to the terrain a lay-up is likely needed off the tee followed by a longer full fairway wood shot to the green or maybe not even reaching the green are awkward. Similar where after a full tee shot a short second is needed as a lay-up and then a full long club to the green.
Atb

Edward Glidewell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Awkward holes New
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2021, 02:39:34 PM »
Holes where due to the terrain a lay-up is likely needed off the tee followed by a longer full fairway wood shot to the green or maybe not even reaching the green are awkward. Similar where after a full tee shot a short second is needed as a lay-up and then a full long club to the green.
Atb


There's a hole like this at a course I play in a charity scramble every year. It's a par 5 where the fairway runs almost perpendicular to the teeing area, but it also slopes towards a ravine. Driver is too much club, and a 3 wood is very risky because if you can potentially knock it through the fairway into the woods or have it catch the slope and run down into the ravine.


However, if you hit a safe drive to the center of the fairway, you still have a 240+ yard second shot with a creek in front of the green, and the lay-up fairway has that creek at the far end, the ravine at the short end, and falls off into deep woods to both the left and right.


I think the best way to play the hole for me is probably 3 or 5 wood off the tee, then maybe a 6 or 7 iron, then a wedge. For really long hitters it could be something like a 3 iron tee shot followed by a 3 wood approach. I've always thought it was a strange hole.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2021, 03:08:15 PM by Edward Glidewell »

V_Halyard

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Awkward holes
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2021, 02:49:21 PM »
Great post. First to mind for me is the value of local knowledge. Both on replays and in a match!
"It's a tiny little ball that doesn't even move... how hard could it be?"  I will walk and carry 'til I can't... or look (really) stupid.

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