The Ideal Course For Considering Trajectory Control

[Kalen Braley]

Pete,

That sounds like a cross between Tin Cup and Sideways...  I love it!!  When does it going into production??

[Ben Sims]

I'm not sure whether to be pissed or honored.

[Stephen Davis]

John - an aside, but Tom's last post reminded me of a two-part pet theory of mine that I am excited about testing if I ever get the pleasure of being hosted at (wink wink) Ballyneal. That theory is: to score my best on a Tom D course like Ballyneal, "Play Short".  That is, play short of fairway trouble by taking less club off the tee, and then on the approach land short of the greens and on the safe side by swinging easier with more club so as to bring the ball in low and have it roll out and on. Part two of my theory is this: one should approach putting Tom's greens the way Jack Nicklaus approached putting at Augusta -- in his words, with only a couple of exceptions for a couple of specific pin placements, the best way to shoot your best score at Augusta was to get your ball to the middle of the greens and leave yourself the 15-20 footers you might occasionally make.   
Peter

I'm trying to contemplate if this would actually be the best approach.


Of course, it's a bit more complicated than you describe.  On a hole like the 1st, it wouldn't be a matter of laying up short of hazards, but of taking a more conservative line off the [back] tee on the diagonal.  On my favorite hole, the 12th, you've got to stay in the left of the fairway, or your ball gets sucked into a deep hollow and the approach is much harder.


There are holes where playing a shorter tee shot might benefit you ... mostly, on the short par-4's.  I usually play short on the 7th and 9th and 14th.  You could do the same on the 8th and 10th, but then you give up going for the green in two, which is also a hefty price. 


Though the course plays short overall, due to altitude and firmness, on most days there are several individual holes that play very long if you lay back off the tee, because of the combination of length and wind ... either the 1st and 2nd and 17th and 18th will play long, or 6-8-10-13-16 will be beasts.  Indeed, the design has everything to do with the fact that I suspect the wind will be blowing, but I can't control how strong or where from.


As to the greens, sure, being in the middle of the green is usually good, IF you can get there without missing in whatever spot makes for an almost impossible up and down.  But getting to the middle of the green is easier said than done on holes like 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 16, 17, or 18.  More likely, when you've got a long club in your hands, you're going to have to hedge to one side of the green to give yourself the best chance of making par.

Tom,

I had a good chuckle trying to think how someone who get to the center of the 12th green. That may be the last place someone would want to be

[Tom_Doak]

Tom,

I had a good chuckle trying to think how someone who get to the center of the 12th green. That may be the last place someone would want to be

For sure it's about the last place anyone should want to aim for.