Tree in the fairway

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Tom, that is very true. I still think even with an long iron or 5 wood off the tee, it is a long shot over water with the same club to the green. Those are two very demanding shots which will test the best in a competition.

[Tom Huckaby]

JB, that's what I find cool - and fascinating -
about the golf hole.  You can bunt out a 200
yard shot to that garden spot and have 130 or so
in, if you succeed - cutting the water right
of the trees.  But man that is one TOUGH 200
yard shot... too short or right is wet, too far or left
is blocked.  Caddie convinced me to try it once and
I thought he was insane... pulled it off, good god
was that a reward.  But I've tried it subsequently
and met with dismal failure.  

The safe play is 250+ out to the left.

Pretty unique, I'd say.

TH

[Mark Leo]

What about that darned tree down the left center of #10-Spyglass.  Seems to always come into play for someone who draws it.

[Tom Renli]

You are right, don't forget Sahalee.........any fairway, everwhere.

[Ken Bramlett]

Carmel Country Club's South Course in Charlotte just hosted the 2006 USGA Junior Girls.

The 9th is a shortish par four with a slight dogleg right up a hill to an elevated green.  The landing area off the tee was framed by a kidney shaped trap on the left and an Eisenhower evergreen on the right at the crook of the dogleg.

As part of the deal to get the Girls Junior the USGA made us take the tree down.

Admittedly, that move opened up the hole visually from the tee, but a lot of us miss the old girl........

[Chris Perry]

I almost forgot about the 9th hole at Langara, a Vancouver Muni revamped by McBroom.

The 9th hole is only 325 yards, but the large maple 40 yards from the green makes hitting driver or 3 wood off the tee an extemely dumb play, I should know, I've done it a few times, and never learn.

Threading it between the tree and the stand of trees on the right of the fairway is a possibility, and will leave you with a chip on and oodles of green to work with, but it's quite a low percentage option.

Thomas wrapped a bunker around the front side of the tree, and landing in that thing, and trying to hit a low shot out of it to avoid the branches overhead, keep it out of the trap fronting the green and still holding the putting surface is next to impossible.

The prudent play is to hit to the fat of the fairway and leave yourself a full wedge to 8 iron from 120 to 150 yards as you can hit it over said tree from there, but what fun is that? The temptation is sometimes too much to sway yourself from blasting away and hoping you can thread the needle.

[Lloyd_Cole]

2nd hole at Valderama. http://www.valderrama.com/golf_course/hole2.html  The trick is to get close enough so that you're pretty much underneath it then it doesn't affect your second shot. There are other strategies, which require a tougher 2nd shot. Mine was blocking the tee shot so far right that I had to hit over a whole forest of coark oaks with a 4 iron to a small green. Tiger could play it that way every day, I was just lucky.