Author Archive

Teal Gardens — Hole #15: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 31st, 2017 • Category: Teal Gardens

With the right tee boxes, the safest shot off the tee that gives you a nice approach shot is out to the right fairway just short of the sand circle.  It’s usually a driver that you can stick to give yourself a middle wood into the green.  Here’s a 3-wood hole-out from there. The center […]



Teal Gardens — Hole #4: Par 3

By • Updated: Jan 31st, 2017 • Category: Teal Gardens

From the right box, here’s a hybrid into a tough pin. From the center box, here’s an ace to a back pin. Fun trivia — the message in the sand behind the green translates to “hazard”.  Naturally.



Pine Coast — Hole #16: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 31st, 2017 • Category: Pine Coast

There are many layup spots on this hole, and the risk increases with the closer you try to get to the water.  A tailwind is certainly helpful so that you don’t have to be as aggressive off the tee.  Always make sure not to tempt the water too much as you can usually still get […]



Pine Coast — Hole #7: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 31st, 2017 • Category: Pine Coast

There are 3 sand traps out in the right second fairway…if you can reach that fairway, then just stay to the right of those, which offers plenty of distance to get there in two.  Here’s a hole-out from there.  Here’s another from farther back showing a driver has plenty of distance. Another option is to […]



Sandy Reef — Hole #18: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 31st, 2017 • Category: Sandy Reef

From the front box, you can carry out to the second fairway to give yourself more options to curve around a wood on the approach to stick the green. Especially with the back box, you can just lay up left in the first fairway.  If you are back far enough and/or have a headwind, a […]



Ruby Rock — Hole #9: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 31st, 2017 • Category: Ruby Rock

Either layup shortcut spot straight ahead works, but both still provide challenging shots into the green.  You’ll often have to cut around a tall mountain using as much loft as you can get away with.  Take what the tee box gives you and hit the back-right side of either layup spot to give you the […]



Sandy Reef — Hole #4: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 31st, 2017 • Category: Sandy Reef

The shape of the green and tough pin placements make this challenging to end up with a straight putt at the cup.  Sometimes it’s a short chip instead, which is okay.  You’ll either be cutting a lower-lofted shot through the gap or playing a high tee over instead. From the front-right box, here’s a 4-wood […]



Teal Gardens — Hole #14: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 31st, 2017 • Category: Teal Gardens

I don’t know if I condone this hole being drivable, but someone did it — check out this giant high-teed driver from the back box that bounces on! From the center box, this high-teed 3-wood almost hung on for a DE putt.  And this high-teed turbo driver almost found the hole! Without the turbo, this […]



Coral Vista — Hole #18: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 28th, 2017 • Category: Coral Vista

Normally you’re going right over the top into this green with something like a 5-wood. As another approach, here’s a great 3-wood around the right side for an ace!



Monument Valley — Hole #9: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 27th, 2017 • Category: Featured Holes, Monument Valley

From the front box, you’ll want to cut a driver or a 2-iron underneath the rocky gate towards the green.  Use backspin, and you will often be skimming over the the hill in front of the green, but it won’t stop you from making the green.  Just try to control your distance, especially when using […]



Juniper Falls — Hole #3: Par 3

By • Updated: Jan 25th, 2017 • Category: Juniper Falls

From the front box, here’s an 8-iron ace to a right pin. From the middle box, here’s a 7-wood to a back pin. From the back box, this 5-wood finds a back pin.



Pine Coast — Hole #5: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 25th, 2017 • Category: Pine Coast

From the front box, this 5-hybrid curves through to a front pin. From the center box, this high-teed 5-wood cleared the trees to a left pin.  And this 6-wood cut through the gap to spin back to a right pin.  There are also situations where a high-teed 8-wood over the trees is a great play […]



Juniper Falls — Hole #1: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 25th, 2017 • Category: Juniper Falls

With a great setup, this hole can set up drivable…even with just a B2.  Here’s a hot ace to start the round! Here’s an 8-iron hole-out to start the round.



Ruby Rock — Hole #2: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 24th, 2017 • Category: Ruby Rock

You can usually take aim straight at this green and curve around the left, or sometimes to the right, of the main mountain to get to the green.  It’s easy to overcut or underestimate the loft, which can leave you in trouble early, so consider playing a little safer to give yourself that putt for […]



Juniper Falls — Hole #9: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 23rd, 2017 • Category: Juniper Falls

From the front box, you may be able to pull off a drive to the green!  Here’s a turbo A1 high-teed 5-wood that bounced down for a long eagle putt. From the back box, it’s even possible — check out this high-teed driver that trickled over onto the green!  Even with the turbo gone, this […]



Juniper Falls — Hole #17: Par 3

By • Updated: Jan 23rd, 2017 • Category: Juniper Falls

From the center box, here’s a nice ace to a back pin followed by an 8-iron to a tough center pin. And here’s another nice one from the back box.  The hard left wind is what can make this miserable…here’s a great 7-wood cut into the wind to settle in the cup!  From the back, […]



Pine Coast — Hole #13: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 23rd, 2017 • Category: Pine Coast

By shooting through the trees with a driver, you can land the lower fairway, aiming to the left or (more often) beyond the narrow sand in the middle, giving you plenty of distance for the uphill approach.  Use as much loft as you can to avoid the water on the approach, especially with a front pin. […]



Woodland Farm — Hole #12: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 22nd, 2017 • Category: Woodland Farm

From the left tee box on this crazy par 5, you can usually play a big A1 with roll and get your ball to either carry, skip, or bounce down to the lower-level fairway to the right.  If there’s a big wind at your back, you may consider laying up at the top of the […]



Teal Gardens — Hole #8: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 18th, 2017 • Category: Teal Gardens

This should be a pretty easy eagle most of the time…a good layup spot with all tee boxes is the center fairway area between the circular water and sand pods.  It’s a long wood from here into an uphill green but it’s a pretty easy approach. Here’s a 5-wood dunk to a front pin.



Sandy Reef — Hole #13: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 18th, 2017 • Category: Sandy Reef

It’s not usually hard to carry and stick this green, but it may be hard to get close to the hole with the setup.  Play a small cut if you are comfortable but make sure you at least have a putt at the eagle. Here’s a nice 3-wood ace to a back-right pin.



Sandy Reef — Hole #16: Par 3

By • Updated: Jan 18th, 2017 • Category: Sandy Reef

This is a tough par 3 because you may be in-between high-lofted clubs battling wind and a nasty down-slope. From the back box, here’s an awesome dunk to a front-right pin! From the middle box, this 7-iron spins back into a front-right pin.



Juniper Falls — Hole #13: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 18th, 2017 • Category: Juniper Falls

With a tailwind like the one shown in this picture, this green can be drivable or close to it.  There’s a stream by the green that could swallow an approach, but it may be fun to give it a try with a straight blast or a curved A1 through the mountains.  Here’s a gigantic A1 […]



Teal Gardens — Hole #6: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 18th, 2017 • Category: Teal Gardens

Five tee boxes here and a difficult green sloped towards the water make this another tough early eagle.  You might need a small cut over the left edge of the trees or you may high tee a wood straight at it. From the 2nd box, this 5-wood curves around to a front pin. From the […]



Ruby Rock — Hole #4: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 18th, 2017 • Category: Ruby Rock

Take advantage of setups where you can drive the second fairway, which makes this hole a lot easier.  This should always be possible from the front and middle box (from the middle box, play a big C3 out there to the left side of the second fairway).  Here’s a 7-wood hole-out from there. With a […]



Teal Gardens — Hole #12: Par 5

By • Updated: Jan 18th, 2017 • Category: Teal Gardens

A high-teed driver to the left or right neck (or beyond to the fairway) gives you the most reasonable approach…your choice will depend on the wind and pin placement as always.  Here’s a 3-wood holeout from the left neck. While it certainly helps to drive out past the neck to either second fairway, straight ahead […]



Ruby Rock — Hole #5: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 18th, 2017 • Category: Ruby Rock

This tough par 4 early in the round can present some nasty setups that will challenge your curve accuracy to avoid the mountains on the the approach.  Other setups require only a small cut and should be a pretty easy eagle. From the front box, this 5-wood cuts nicely into a front pin.  And this […]



Ruby Rock — Hole #18: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 17th, 2017 • Category: Ruby Rock

First note is that this hole plays shorter than it seems, and you’ll lose many a tee shot long in the water while figuring out the right distance to land shorter and hold your backspin on the green.  It’s most often a left-to-right around the mountain, but sometimes around the right can be a better […]



Golden Tee 2K

By • Updated: Jan 16th, 2017 • Category: 1999 - Golden Tee 2K


Pine Coast — Hole #12: Par 4

By • Updated: Jan 16th, 2017 • Category: Pine Coast

You’ll need to beef up a little bit since you’re shooting up and trying to clear the hill, but of course you can’t be long in the water either.  A nice strategy sometimes is to aim for just enough to get to the top of the hill and trickle down with backspin. From the front-left […]



Max length putt

By • Updated: Jan 16th, 2017 • Category: Home Edition, Putting

Some greens in Golden Tee are so large that you can leave yourself with a literally unmakeable putt.  So what is the cutoff distance?  I’ve found that it’s right about 145 feet.  Anything longer, and you cannot get the ball to the hole, no matter how hard you hit it.  Keep this in mind if […]