Is your max ordinate high enough with the driver to clear that tree on the corner? I.e. just aim at it, because even if your path is at it, your ball will fly over it? I’d try hitting a high, tailwindy drive, rather than trying to bend it a direction you’re not used to. The trees in front look troublesome though. Maybe tilt that triangle about 5-10 left? Tough hole
On hole #2, how tall are the trees between the cart paths? That one, I kinda want to take enough club to clear the bottleneck and aim the triangle more right than you have it. I also don’t understand the drawing. Is it 152 or 180 to the middle of the far face of the triangle?
180, and it looks like 210-20 or so to clear the bottleneck and hit the second landing area. 3W? 5W and let it run downhill?
Yes, the tree on the corner, no problem clearing it with a well struck drive. I’m usually aiming just at the right edge of it. It’s the ones closer to the tee that are more problematic, but only if you hit it thin. Agree, starting it a little more left minimizes that some, but also brings OB left more into play if I over-draw. I think I also should always tee up as far left of the tee box as I can.
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The trees are very high, going over them is not an option. What I was trying to show on the drawing is 152 from tee to OB left, allowing for normal dispersion on a straight shot. If you only hit it 152, you’d have 180 to the green. Realistically on this one, if I play my normal draw, I can’t hit anything more than 7 iron off the tee without having to come dangerously close to the first tree on the right corner. The only way I can safely hit it further off the tee is to shape something left to right a little.
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I might be wrong! I simply thought about a swing arc… if we put the middle of the swing on 3 on a clock… 4 o’clock would be in to out (coming from 5, going to 3)
2 o’clock would me out to in (coming from 3 going to 1)
Well that sucks…
I was thinking you could launch 3h over everything on the right and get past the bottleneck
I really don’t like holes with this design where the dog leg is so far up and they don’t allow you to take some risk by carrying trees
You still may want to hit it more like 175 and hope for a kick off the hill? Also depending on how the ground english works could you hit a 4 iron punch and let the topo take you around the corner?
150 off the tee and then 185 into the green makes me want to puke
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Then you don’t want to see #18 on this course 
par 5 dogleg left, trees too high to cut the corner. Hit tee shot about 180-190 to the corner, then have 240 to the green from there. Gotta love holes where your second shot is longer than your first.
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Nice to hear there are other courses like mine. Our #3 is a par 5 dogleg left. From whites it can be 180 to 230 to get a look around the corner, but then you have 240-280 in. For a weakling like me I usually hit driver or fairway and then bunt a 6i or hybrid down the fairway. It’s not worth trying to hit it farther unless you can reach front edge of green as there’s just not many good lies to be had.
Going over the trees is only possible for a true 300 yard hitter and it’s risky so it’s really only tried in scrambles. Left is OB and the fairway is narrow so if you happen to clear the trees you may just be pitching back to fairway.
We have 5 doglegs that are definitely risk reward. Even the big hitters don’t risk it that often because you have to be so precise that it’s not worth it. Plus most have OB which is obviously a big penalty. Tournaments mean re-tee is required; you can’t drop for 2 stroke penalty. We see some really big #'s in tournaments especially when it’s windy lol.
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You are correct.
Ball forward moves path out to in. Moving back moves path in to out.
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Think we might be saying the same thing.
I certainly try to “think” about maintaining an in to out pattern with a forward ball position: ‘hammer the nail in at low 3:30-4:00 on the ball’.
I’m just not all that sure it happens…
[Grabs 5W and tees]. We can certainly test that theory…
I’m just teasing. That sounds like a very “unique” hole. Tell me it’s also impossible to play a low runner into the green too, while we’re at it…
Oh, not only that, but you actually have to hit OVER a group of 30 ft tall pine trees to get to the hole.
The tee is back in a chute of trees at the red dot. Yellow dot layup is about 190 off tee and you have about 240-250 to green from there. Theoretically you could sling a fade around the trees with a 3 wood, but left or long is OB and if it goes into the group of trees that sits IN FRONT OF THE GREEN, it’s no easy chip out either. Maybe the worst designed hole I’ve ever seen, and believe it or not, it was ‘improved’ about 15-20 years ago. The fairway used to slope away from the dogleg, at least you can actually hold the fairway now.
But I’m holding out hope…a lot of pine trees around here are dying of some disease and this bunch is not looking so healthy. I am rooting for their quick demise.
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Have you tried playing this hole from the hole shown below it? Just knock it in the other fairway and call it a day.
Holy crap. And this is a par 4!? With a green dog-legging away from the approach shot? LOL.
Yeah, that looks like a canyon of trees in that overhead. And the required approach angle with the tree right there blocking the immediate front of the green…whew.
So, you’re supposed to smack a booming draw, but not a big hook ('cos OB). Then turn right around and stick a long high cut on a green that I just bet is pretty hidden for your second. Ok…sure.
They probably have the balls (which go hand in hand with ignorance in my experience, if you’ll pardon the mixed metaphor) to claim that it’s an “inspired test of shotmaking” or some similar twaddle.
Neat experience; I’m glad you shared it. Bet it’s fun when you birdie it though. Like beating that one boss.
Funny thing that I just realized I forgot to mentioned about that first dogleg right hole, a favorite design feature, the internal out-of-bounds. I suppose it’s meant to discourage you from trying to cut the corner, but in this case it’s kind of pointless since you’re already in jail if you miss it to the right of the trees. Everyone in our league, and I think most people who play the course choose to ignore the white stakes on the right side 
This is inspiring me to create a new thread of course architecture features you love or hate.
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All three of those holes are proper 3 shotters, with my limited shot making abilities.
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Yep, same here. Play for a ‘5’ and get out of Dodge.
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I’m probably going to start a s*** storm by saying this, but here goes. Fawcett does not directly address forced trajectory shots. My guess is that he would drop his ‘stock’ shot in a heartbeat if he needed to go around/under trees, basically a “recovery” shot. In this case, you’ve essentially got a “recovery” shot from the box. Play it as such. Your choices are basically a) learn a 3W fade or b) lay up short.
To be clear, I’m not questioning Fawcett‘s wisdom of playing your ‘stock’ shot most of the time. But I also see wisdom in Adam Young’s teachings in developing at least functional differential abilities. No, doubt we should play our ‘stock’ shot shape when practical but should be capable of hitting functional opposite shots when advantageous.
Course architects design tests of golf skill, not necessarily exclusively one shot shape; that variety is the beauty of our sport.
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Ya I think you take the medicine. From my perspective, it would be a question of how often I would be successful. Do I think 7-8 times out of 10 I can accomplish the shot? And if I don’t, what’s the penalty?
Golf is about damage control. A birdie makes up for a bogey but it doesn’t make up for a triple. I’m looking to give myself the par putt at worst, and if I happen to hit the green from 170+, maybe I roll one in for birdie. Either way, I’m gaining strokes on the collective group of golfers playing that hole throughout the year.
Now, there’s also potential I’m just absolutely feeling it one day and go for it. That’s the beauty of sports. Sometimes, momentum carries us to take risks the statistics would advise against. Good luck!
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