#5 at Pine Valley

[Tommy Williamsen]

Since Pine Valley is being discussed and certainly not wanting to touch any of the Merion threads, I was just wondering how many of you play number five.  My first two time there I went for the middle of the green.  One was successful and one went right and ended up in "Gene Littler's" are of perdition.  Recently, I find myself trying just to get the ball on the front left of the green.  Am I chicken or smart?

[Gib_Papazian]

I do not find #5 to be a hideous monster that induces shivers of trauma. First go-round, it was three-wood to 15 feet below the hole followed by a lag and tap-in.

The second time, it was three wood to 4 four feet above the hole (I nearly canned it), followed by a tentative prod (under the nose of Tom Paul) that ran six feet by the hole. Somehow, I managed to yip-in the come-backer . . . . .

[Jim Franklin]

Center of the green is always a good target, but you really do not want to be above the hole as that green gets pretty slick. From the tips it is a hybrid to the center which I try not to block and generally favors the left side. In the 20 some odd times playing there, I have never gone right (knock on wood!).

[JESII]

There ain't enough wood even at Pine Valley to save you from that jinx...you're toast.

[Jim Franklin]

There ain't enough wood even at Pine Valley to save you from that jinx...you're toast.

As soon as I typed it, I knew I should not include that part, but I had a brain fart and now #5 will haunt me upon my return. I can't wait to get back and find out though  .

[Michael Blake]

I was just wondering how many of you play number five. 

230+ yard uphill par 3.  IF I were ever to play it, I'd assume I'd hit a 3W and hope it went straight. 
Though maybe I'd 'lay up' short of the green with a different club.  How difficult of a second shot is it from that area, just over the 'forced carry?'

[archie_struthers]

 


Gib , are you crazy  ?    .  Sully is absolutely spot on!    Calamity awaits  ....sorry to say !


As to my recommendations on #5  ,   no matter how good you are , make sure you miss left , miss left ,  miss left , miss left ,  miss left ,   miss left .     LOL

Archie

[Rob_Waldron]

If you are Pet Micklewright the Director of Golf at Blue Ridge Country Club in Harrisburg you just feather your five wood into the hole. Pete's only visited yielded an ACE on #5!

[Carl Nichols]

Haven't had the pleasure.  Don't want to jinx myself by including a "yet" in that sentence.

[Gib_Papazian]

I am a congenital hooker . . . . .

The best I can do in the left-to-right situation is put my left thumb at the 10 o'clock position, pinwheel the clubface open on takeaway, camp out on my left leg and hold on for dear life. The result is a gentle draw.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Archie,

Would you amend your advice to...  short and/or left ?

Chances are, if you play to the front or short of the green, a 4 is the highest number that will appear on your scorecard.

Playing to the center of the green can result in an X

[Willie_Dow]

So !  I ask again when did they change the slope of the green from the back to front to soften the speed of greens ?

[JSlonis]

So !  I ask again when did they change the slope of the green from the back to front to soften the speed of greens ?

Willie,

I'm not sure what you are asking.  Do you think the slope of the green was softened?  If so, I don't recall any work done to that green.

[Alan FitzGerald CGCS MG]

one of my best memories of playing the 5th was having a birdie putt after my drive landed wayyyy right. missed the putt i guess i used up all my luck getting shot out of the woods

[Dan Herrmann]

I was watching the Crump Cup a couple of years ago.  Following the championship match, and I was about 8' from the guys as they hit their tee shots on #5.

First player hits a hybrid and it's a beautiful shot.  As it lands, the player and I look at each other and he lets out a big, "whew!" followed by a smirk.  Priceless

Very cool!

[Chip Gaskins]

Wow, what a hole.  Strategy somewhat falls by the wayside unless you can fly something 210+ straight.  Which is fine.

First time playing resulted in an X with tee shot way to the right into the Land of the Lost.  Second time was hybrid to 20 feet and par, whew!

[Dan Herrmann]

Isn't the lodging right by the tee?  If so, do folks watch players hit their tee shots from their room?

[G Jones]

All I know is, you don't want to be here...

[Doug Wright]

Like many holes at Pine Valley, this one is really visually intimidating. During my visit, some pars were made from the left side (and some balls hit left ended up bouncing out of trouble onto the short grass or not too penal bunkers); most balls hit right ended up with X on the card. I think the Billy Casper approach to #10 Winged Foot West is the play for most mortals--anywhere on the short grass short of the green.

[Patrick_Mucci]

This picture is taken from the front of the tee.
From the back of the tee, the view is even more intimidating.

The first time I ever saw this hole, in the early to mid 60's, when I walked from the 4th green with my caddy, we arrived at the back of the tee and I gazed out ahead of me and turned to him and said:, "Wow, this is one hell of a par 4 !"  To which he said: " Pat, this is a par 3",  to which I said, "No way".  I then looked at a scorecard and couldn't believe it.  The visual was so intimidating.  Prior to that moment I thought that all the hype about how difficult Pine Valley could be was overblown.   That visual changed my mind.

I was fortunate, I managed to hit the front of the green.
However, the fellows I was playing with weren't so lucky.
One hit his tee shot fat, down into the area above the water.  The other went far right, and the last fellow hit it on the fronting fairway.
Two of the fellows posted round ruiners on that hole.
It was a good lesson.
It's a very impressive and dangerous hole.

Playing short and making a 4 is NOT a bad score.


[/quote]

[archie_struthers]

 

Must reiterate !  from one who has watched players here many many .....    MISS IT LEFT  !

to Pat Mucci ...short left , long left doesn't matter too much just don't hit it right..

[Sean Leary]

This picture is taken from the front of the tee.
From the back of the tee, the view is even more intimidating.

The first time I ever saw this hole, in the early to mid 60's, when I walked from the 4th green with my caddy, we arrived at the back of the tee and I gazed out ahead of me and turned to him and said:, "Wow, this is one hell of a par 4 !"  To which he said: " Pat, this is a par 3",  to which I said, "No way".  I then looked at a scorecard and couldn't believe it.  The visual was so intimidating.  Prior to that moment I thought that all the hype about how difficult Pine Valley could be was overblown.   That visual changed my mind.

I was fortunate, I managed to hit the front of the green.
However, the fellows I was playing with weren't so lucky.
One hit his tee shot fat, down into the area above the water.  The other went far right, and the last fellow hit it on the fronting fairway.
Two of the fellows posted round ruiners on that hole.
It was a good lesson.
It's a very impressive and dangerous hole.

Playing short and making a 4 is NOT a bad score.

[/quote]

I agree with short. I have made par from short but never from the left bunker where I have been most of the time. Up and down from that left bunker is near impossible. Short at least you CAN make three and 4 is the worst you will normally do.

I hit three wood once, and went over the back. Just dead back there.

Pat, was it more intimidating looking with less trees back in the 30's when you first played it or now? 

[George Pazin]

Forgive the ignorance in this reply, but where exactly is there room to miss it left? Does it open up beyond the trees? Or is everyone simply saying the left trees are better than the right trees?

Didn't someone once mention that DLIII only hit irons while playing PV during the Walker Cup? That is a heckuva long way to hit an iron, particularly with the clubs and balls of 20+ years ago.

[Doug Wright]

Forgive the ignorance in this reply, but where exactly is there room to miss it left? Does it open up beyond the trees? Or is everyone simply saying the left trees are better than the right trees?

Didn't someone once mention that DLIII only hit irons while playing PV during the Walker Cup? That is a heckuva long way to hit an iron, particularly with the clubs and balls of 20+ years ago.

George, the "miss left" comments are more that right is really dead than a left miss is good. On the left there is a fairly steep slope that runs into greenside bunkers. You can play shots from that slope or the bunkers; also the left trees may spit the ball out onto the fairway short of the green. There is nothing but trouble on the right so it is a "pick your poison" concept.

PS One of the best shots I've seen was played to #5 by our host. He hit driver to within a foot from a pin located way back--15 feet from the back right corner of the green. The caddie who was spotting ran back towards the pin because he thought it was going in.   

[Michael Ryan]

George Pazin,

I recall that in Davis Love III's "Every Shot I Take" he talks about the '85 Walker Cup being one of the tournaments where he started to realize his talent vs. other elite players.  I don't have it in front of me, but I believe he mentions that he was the only member of either team who could hit an iron into #5.  I want to say it was a 1 iron. 

Mike