More Strategy

[Diane]

Scenario number 2. You're on a par 5 - 450 yds with a slight dogleg. It's a tight hole with not much fairway. Are you the guy that uses his driver off the tee followed by a 3 wood trying to make the green? Or are you the guy that uses his 3 wood off the tee, then an iron or rescue club to within 150 followed by maybe your 8 iron? Or would you employ a different strategy?

[GolfSavage]

Depends on where dogleg is, can it be cut, how far from the turn to the green, etc. Based on just the 450 yards, I'd hit 3.5 wood, 5.5 wood, and hope to be putting for eagle!

[Darth Fader]

Is it a dog left to the right or left? I would draw my 3 wood leaving me a shot with my hybrid or 4 iron to the green

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by Diane

Scenario number 2. You're on a par 5 - 450 yds with a slight dogleg. It's a tight hole with not much fairway. Are you the guy that uses his driver off the tee followed by a 3 wood trying to make the green? Or are you the guy that uses his 3 wood off the tee, then an iron or rescue club to within 150 followed by maybe your 8 iron? Or would you employ a different strategy?

450 I can reach in 2 and I'm not any straighter with anything else than I am with driver so I'm definitely going with that off the tee. My 2nd would depend upon how that worked out. If I hit a good drive I'm going for it with my 3-wood. If I'm still 250 out or so I'll punch something just inside 100 for a full wedge.

[jwaldrop]

Depends on the dogleg...where it is, and left or right. If left, probably 3 wood, then if there's not much trouble around the green I'll go for it, if there are a bunch of hazards, I'll lay up to 100 to 75 out and play a wedge in.

[PA PLAYA]

I consider several factors.... but I start the process by playing the hole backwards in my mind before I ever put a ball in play on the tee.

Where is the trouble around the green? Where is the hole cut in relation to the trouble? If I'm going for the green in two with a fairway wood or long iron, do I have a reasonable area to miss, and if I miss, do I still have a good angle to make an up-n-down conversion for birdie? How wide is the fairway in the lay-up area if I choose to not go for the green in two? From the tee, is the potential for a stray tee shot taking par out of the equation? Is there OB that would basically have me grinding to save double bogey if I err with driver off the tee? etc...

One thing I've noticed on short par5's on most courses I play -- the lack of distance factoring into the challenge is usually well compensated with the need for more accuracy. Many times players get on the tee of a short par5 and think that it's a definite eagle or birdie hole, and walk away with bogey or worse, playing right into the architect's hands. Maybe it's a small hazard, or a well-positioned bunker, or an overhanging tree limb that takes the golfer totally out of his comfort position. But we all agree that as unsettling as it might be for some of us to walk away from such a short par5 with par, it's not as bad as walking off the green with bogey or double. It happens more than we think.

Par is not a bad score, on any hole. I'd take 18 of 'em every round out.




Depends on how well I'm striking the ball, from the tee and the fairway. Also depends on how my shortgame is holding up. I'm more likely to continue playing aggressive as long as I'm putting well and avoiding big numbers. Not throwing caution to the wind, but playing each hole in a manner that offers the least amount of strokes possible.

[J.D.]

Like the previous poster, it depends on how well my driver is behaving. If it is a course I havent played, then I will tee up my 4 wood.

[Golfaddict]

450 yards, pretty short par 5. I played a 595 yard par 5 Saturday into a stiff wind. I hit driver, 3 wood, 3 wood, and then chipped and made the putt for a tough par.

Dogleg left I'm looking at a driver then a 5 wood. Dogleg right I'm looking at 2 3 woods.

[Leaguegolf]

I tee it hight and let it fly. It's driver everytime on this short Par 5 because on the tee I'm thinking eagle putt! If I happen to spray a drive then I'm looking for a good layup spot to give me a decent shot at birdie. Unless I mess up two shots, or miss a putt I should make, this hole is a scoring hole and should always be treated as such.

[CG8]

I would hit driver . Driver and 8 or 9 iron to be putting for eagle