I'm not a big fan of Par 5s in general; for me, liking one is rare and loving one rarer still. Because of that, and because my driver is twitchier and more unpredictable than ever, I came to a 515 yard Par 5 yesterday in a mood to shake things up a bit, to get myself out of the duldrums. And, since as with most Par 5s I play the 'strategy' was pretty obvious and the 'options' not as bountiful as Par 5 lovers like to suggest, I did what I don't remember ever having done before, i.e. I took a 3 iron off the tee. Yes, just as if I were coming down the stretch trying to win my first major, leaking oil and throwing up on myself despite a 2 shot cushion, I played the hole very conservatively. I bumped my 3 iron out there and hit the fairway. Then, because the pin was on the left side of the green, tucked behind a bunker, I aimed a 4 iron (which I tend to fade) at the 100 yard stake and sure enough it drifted a little right, scooting just off the fairway and into the rough and leaving me a good angle in from about 130 yards. I hit a 9 iron and landed on the green long and left, from where I two putted for a Par 5. It was fun to play a golf hole like a real golfer (sort of), and to think of strategy and options not only in terms of left or right but also in terms of long or short, and it sure was satisfying to make a par (one of only 7 yesterday). But on the other hand, it didn't get me to change my mind about most Par 5s. Indeed, I think I got a handle on my dislike/disinterest, i.e. Par 5s: satisfying to play for a humble hack content to settle for (an easy) par, but this satisfaction is at the cost, more often than not, of architectural banality and a vague sense that golf isn't supposed to play like that.
Peter