It’s such a hard pitch over the front water on 15 that going for the green is the safer play for these guys.
None of the Par 5s at augusta are layup holes, unless you take yourself out of play especially for these guys. All long enuff to get there. ZJ did show you can play all the par 5s traditionally and still score, but today’s players can all reach these par5s in 2.
I’m 65 years old, chances are I was taught this stuff in about the same decade you were. But “knowledge” didn’t stop in 1978, we’ve continued to learn about golf, as awell as every other field of endeavor. Over the last 10 years or so advances in shot records and statistical concepts has increased the understanding of how scoring works. That’s what this thread is largely about, the relatively newer concepts about scoring, backed with data collected from thousands (millions maybe?) of golfers of all levels of ability.
And in this discussion, its important to remember these are all generalities. All of the concepts apply to “golfers”, but not all of them necessarily apply to “DaveP043”. My particular set of strengths and weaknesses really doesn’t change the broad overall concepts, other than to serve as one out of millions of data points. The same with Fax or Slu or MJTorts, for the purposes here they’re just a data point, not anything conclusive.
Have you ever tried playing from closer? I don’t mean one time, I mean for a full season? Its definitely not comfortable at first, and there are definitely situations where its not advantageous, and of course a bit of partial-wedge practice helps, but it improved my overall proximity. I guarantee that if Gary Player or Jack Nicklaus had the same kind of data available when they were in their prime, none of us would ever have been taught to “lay up to a full wedge distance.”
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Yes, I have tried from playing from 30-40 yds in especially on our Par5 that I cannot reach in 2. I can get close. Scoring for me, I tracked 40 plays over 1 year 3 years ago, I do keep a scoring app. From 80-100 (15 plays) yds I averaged 5.2 with 2x the amount of Birdie looks inside 20 ft than I got from 30-40 yds closer in I averaged 5.9 (25 plays). My propensity to want to get close poured 6 shots into a bunker and 6 shots bladed over the green and 2 shots completely muffed hitting the top half of my 60 going like 5yds. It’s a very uncomfortable distance for me because of the bunkers I cannot impart the spin on the shots I want to all things being equal. Golf is an individual game, it’s not one size fits all. I’m more comfy with droppin and stoppin a 60* from 70 yds that’s just me. Play to your strength, be aggressive…I know exactly how far my wedges fly flighted from 70-120. When I start playing those touchy/feely things I’m just not comfortable and at age 62, I don’t know if I want to devote the time to perfect a 35 yd flop over a bunker to a front pin position that in all honesty my brain would get in the way and I would decel! I can tell you this 100% of all putts and green chips left short miss! I was taught be aggressive with my putting (reach the hole) short putts commit to a line and hit it, don’t coax it, I make more short putts than the average bear because I’m not afraid, on a green to hit past the cup. I was taught take big numbers outta play. Accept your mistakes and limit it to one shot lost. Don’t compound. I’m tired oof people on here telling me that’s wrong, when all of the self education I am trying to do with these new systems say to do exactly what I’ve been doing. The day I was knocking around with slu up at BHP and he fired a 58, do you think any of these systems would have improved his game that day? Maybe he would have shot 57? Really? I’m NOT TEARING it down, I’m just saying that you gotta accept there are other (several other) concepts, systems, scoring helpers that are out there…At the end of the day the golfer has to put the ball in the hole whether I follow, Leadbetter, Como, Kostis et.al BTW, no one mentioned that every one of the players that I saw in the last few groups…including the Z-man hit 3W on #10…why? because it’s the proper play when its not wet!
One other thing, 435yd par 4, I hit driver 240, leaves me 200 give or take in…I don’t lay-up to 100, I hope that’s NOT what you all are thinking, I hit 7w and go from there. BUT I know enough if the pins on the left don’t aim left…aim right side to give myself best opportunity to make par. Miss left and 6 is in play, aim right 3,4,5 is in play…am I making sense to you ?
Check this out: I actually don’t agree with any of them! https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/golf-world-reacts-to-hideki-matsuyama-s-regretful-decision/ar-BB1fxzxW?li=BBorjTa I actually think he went one club too many and did not hit his normal high towering flight…The correct play was going for it, there was no wind, tee shot center of FW , he only had what max 190 carry could hit it 205 and be safe. Just poor club selection 5i not 4i for him!
Please make it stop! I feel like I’m reading Chapter One of War and Peace.
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Or correct! (Apparently a post had to be 20 characters so this is filler! 
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