My caddie left me with a 3-iron hybrid on the tee while he walked out ahead to the fairway. I was pretty blindly following direction (ok, except or #16) and enjoying the experience of the course, so I just went with it not really understanding how I was going to get home. I'm not a particularly long hitter - when I'm hitting that 3-iron the best it is going 215 and more often than not it is going 200 (and sometimes less.)
I hit the club perfectly on the line he dictated, and my ball landed directly behind the trees. As I was walking up to my ball grumbling about the club selection and how I was going to get around the trees, the other caddie pointed out that my caddie intended for me not to go around, but to go over the trees on the approach. He had intentionally aimed me squarely behind the trees, but far enough back to clear them. I was left with an 8-iron in my hand, and I don't hit the ball particularly high. I had plenty of room to get the 8-iron up and over the trees and plenty of distance to reach the green... if I didn't bail the shot out left and leave myself in double bogey territory from the left greenside rough.
Even looking at this photo of my ball in the fairway, I don't trust that the 8-iron is enough club or that I can get the ball lofted quickly enough to go over... but it was and I did.
I would have never imagined that I could get home on this hole with 3-hybrid, 8-iron from looking at pictures or reading about the course. It was a very realistic possibility had I not failed on the execution. My point is to address another option that hasn't been talked about in detail, which is over and above. It doesn't take extraordinary distance or loft to do it.
It was an option I've seen presented on few other holes. I'll never forget the swing of emotions from "I've struck it perfectly" to "I'm trapped", and then from "no I'm actually in really good shape" to "I'm in big trouble." Each shot on the hole left a lasting memory, as did every shot on the golf course. I have more fond memories of individual golf shots (both good and bad) from that round than I've ever experienced during any other single round.
For the record, I'm also in the minority camp of "the trees work on #18" despite the fact that I wouldn't recommend re-creating the hole on any tribute courses any time soon.