Driver Stays In The Bag Par 5s...

[Patrick_Mucci]

It's pouring cats and dogs out there... and so I'm reading back on many of this year's threads.

One thread about par 5s and their place in today's courses had me wondering about something.  This has probably surfaced previously and I'm just not recollecting the thread for this.

Are there any strong or even great 3 shot par 5s out there where using driver is just not the right move?

Going for two isn't even really an option but making it in 3 is a great (even exciting) result and the driver just needs to stay in the bag.

Patrick,

I would think that eliminating a driver off the tee would be a design flaw in a par 5.

[archie_struthers]

 



 merry christmas Pat Mucci

as mentioned the 15th at Pine Vallley ...great three shot hole...driver not the optimal tee shot selection for many good players

[Will Haskett]

I love this question...

I guess my thought process in all of this is which shot affects your decision to take driver out of the bag or not: The drive, or the second shot?

If the drive is too difficult to risk hitting the big stick, do you still gamble to try and reach. Or, if there is no sense in going for the green in two, should you bother with the driver?

Personally, I always look at the second shot. If I know the green is well guarded or will take a miracle shot to get there, why risk a mistake with driver if I know I am laying up? Conversely, if there is an opening to get home in two on the second shot, I will hit driver no matter how difficult the drive is. You have to take advantage of your scoring opportunities.

An Example: I recently played the Magnolia Course at Disney (for a PGA venue, I wasn't overly impressed), and the last par 5 there (#14) is brutal. Harsh dogleg right off the tee (about 590 from the back tees / 530 front), with trees and narrow landing area. But, there is a pond/creek that goes down the left side (about 150 yards from the green) and then fronts the green. Even if you mash a drive (fade) off the tee, you would need a solid fairway wood shot from there just to get home, let alone hold the green. There was no way I was getting there in two and I wasn't going to try. Because it was one of the more narrow driving holes on the course, I could take a hybrid down the middle, another hybrid layup and a wedge in. Much easier.

[Patrick_Mucci]

 merry christmas Pat Mucci

as mentioned the 15th at Pine Vallley ...great three shot hole...driver not the optimal tee shot selection for many good players.

Archie,

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year to you too.

At 570-591 yards, uphill, into a prevailing breeze, a driver to a fairly wide fairway would seem like the optimal choice off the tee.

I'd be more inclined to throttle down on the second shot, rather than with the driver.

Let's ask TEPaul.

If he agrees with me, you know I'm right.

And, if he disagrees with me, you know I'm right 

[Jerry Kluger]

I am not a long hitter but I have found today that leaving the driver in the bag is not nearly as common for most players as it was before the 460 cc driver.  The large head combined with the optimal shaft means far greater accuracy than years ago so the principal factor in making the decision to hit 3 wood is distance and avoid hitting through the fairway or reaching a hazard. Vijay hits driver most of the time and he has been very successful - I think he doesn't see rough as a reason not to hit driver. 

My recollection from a few years back is that Princeville has at least one par 5 where driver is just not a good choice as it brings a great deal of trouble into play.