From the front box, this low-teed 3-hybrid went around the right side and bounced up to drop in for an ace! This 2-hybrid did the same thing — awesome. It’s safer, though, to float a wood around either the left or right side to carry and stick the green. To use the left side, you’ll […]
The tricky part about greens like this, other than the slope, is trying to ensure you don’t end up on the wrong side and leave the grassy hill between your ball and the hole! Even though water is short, the front of the green is the safest place to give you access to both sides […]
There are a couple options off the tee here depending on the wind and pin. By far the most common is to either blast a drive straight ahead, hugging the left edge of the fairway, or rotate right and play a big C3 drive to this second fairway. The farther the better, as you are […]
This par 4 is very easy from the front box, often a short straight shot at the green. Here’s a 4-hybrid ace from there. From the middle box, you’ll need some loft or curve…this 7-wood had no problem going over the top to find the hole. The left box requires quite a bit of cut […]
It’s usually best to hit as far out as you can, favoring the left side since the fairway slopes right. Elevation shouldn’t be an issue with your club on the approach unless you are too far right and have to deal with something like a 4-iron. Shots seem to carry long into the green here, […]
From the left box, the enticing approach is the fairway peninsula straight ahead between the lava. However, distance control with backspin is a must…the downward slope will project many a shot forward into the burn. From the right box, the fairway shortcut area seems like a nice spot, but you’ll still have an awfully difficult […]
This is usually a tough front-9 eagle where you have to curve a shot around trees and stick the green…not only is there water on the left and back, but the deep bunkers all around will also suck up errant tee shots. It’s always safest to go around the right side so you stay over […]
From the middle or front box, you can clear the sand ahead to make the fat part of the second fairway for a straight approach. From the back box, a good layup spot is short and left to give you a line into the green…check out this example 3-wood hole-out. Here’s another with the driver. […]
The center box is usually the most challenging here since you have to be so precise to miss the tower and stick the green. The wind and pin placement should determine which side you shoot around. It’s ideal to play around the opposite side of the pin so you can backspin towards it upon landing […]
Know your clubs off the tee here — do what you can to get in the left or right fairway (usually left) the appropriate distance to give yourself loft over the wall into the green. A driver won’t clear on the approach, so if you’re too far back, you’d have to cut a driver through […]
It’s usually not more than a small curve into this green from wherever you are…use a tee to give yourself an easier time. From the left box, you may only need minimal cut to get around/over the tree to the green…this 3-wood coasts into a back cup. And this 5-wood cuts around into a back-right […]
You’re hoping for the middle box here where you can easily blast into the second fairway for a straight approach. This hole is challenging from the back box when you cannot carry the second fairway. One option is to settle a drive to the lower left part of the first fairway. You could have a fairly […]
This hole is easy from the front box — just blast your drive left or right over the wall into the rough…whichever gives you the best angle of approach to the green. Just don’t be long on your approach, because if you trickle over, it’ll cost you an additional stroke to get back on. From […]
Obviously you can’t be long, so aim to settle in the front/middle part of the green for your putt. Use a tee to help control your distance. VIDEO DEMO
From the back-right box, you could have a fairly straight shot or some curve depending on the pin placement and wind, and the elevation change makes it challenging. Of course, long is okay and can give you a comeback chip with a chance for eagle. This high-teed driver settled into a right pin. Here’s another […]
This really tough par 3 may force you to get creative with tees and shot-shaping to give yourself a decent birdie putt. The wind seems to affect your shot more than usual. From the back box, this 7-wood gets a ridiculous deflection to find the cup. From the middle-left box, this low-teed 6-wood curves nicely […]
With all conditions, you should be able to blast down the main fairway far enough to have an approach shot into this green in two. It shouldn’t be necessary, but if you are so inclined, there is a shortcut spot straight ahead at the hole. This spot is a more popular option with a straight […]
In general, it’s best to play as much loft as you can to clear trees and snow on your way into the green. From the back-right box, you’ll need at least the loft of a 3-wood, and usually more, to curve around the left into this green. You can also curve around right if that […]
Pin placement, like in the back right, can make this approach tough. Put your drive in a spot where you can stick a small landing area if needed; otherwise, most anywhere is fine. After laying back with the drive, this 5-wood hopped nicely into a back-right cup. VIDEO DEMO
Most common layup spot is the elevated landing area in the center…this can be had with a high tee with a headwind or normal tee with backspin given a tailwind. You’ll have a wood into the hole from there… here’s a driver hole-out. Another less popular layup spot is to the right of this one and […]
From the front-left box, here’s a video of a driver with roll that found a ramp to jump up onto the green! This is rare, but as long as you aren’t concerned about the loft of your approach, you may as well give it a try! Even though your approach is uphill, loft isn’t usually […]
Only real danger here is the water on the right side, so don’t get too aggressive when the pin is to the right! A bogey is not what you want on your card this early. VIDEO DEMO
The offset look and the elevation change provide the challenge here, so make sure you err to the center of the green to give yourself an eagle putt. Remember that backspin, when shooting downhill, causes more spin than on flat elevation, so be careful when applying it…especially with a headwind. From the front box, this […]
With a good setup, or almost always from the front box, you can blast it long and straight to have a straight shot into the green from the main fairway. Another alternative, especially from the back box, is turn left and loft a shorter shot (high-teed 4W works well) over the mountain onto the shortcut […]
Not usually that challenging, but you can’t flirt too much with the water…an offset look will make you have to work a little bit for your eagle putt. From the back box, here’s a nice driver with a slight cut into a right pin. VIDEO DEMO
With danger everywhere and an offset look, this is the toughest hole on the back 9. You’ll sometimes need to pull off highly-skilled shots to stick the green by the flag for a birdie putt here. From the front-left box, here’s a 7-wood ace to a center pin. And check out this doomed shot that […]
Your tee box will determine how far down the fairway you can get your drive, and as you can guess, the farther, the better. From the back boxes, you can often play it save and hammer a high-teed driver straight ahead over the mountain, leaving you a straight or slightly-curved shot into the green with […]
From the front-right box, here’s a 4-wood ace to a front pin. From the back-right box, this high-teed driver caught the rock by the green on the right but deflected perfectly left for an ace! And this high-teed 5-wood came at it over the top, cutting into the wind to find the hole. Here’s a […]
Any hole that gives you a chance at double eagle is a lot of fun, and this par 5 sets up to be driveable every time! If you know you can clear the mountains, there’s no harm missing the green, and at worst you should have a DE chip, so it’s worth a try. The […]
Vastly different looks from front to back here. From the front box, you’ll often use a tee to move around the box and see if you want to high-tee or low-tee a wedge to get the right distance. This sand wedge spun back into a front pin. This lob wedge also finds a front cup. […]
