You CAN go left around the house to cut some distance off your approach shot, but it’s usually not worth the risk unless you’re sure it’s an easy shot.  Sometimes it is if your tee box puts you in line with that gap, so take advantage of it if it’s there.  Here’s a hole-out from […]

Most times you can curve a wood around the left side and plop it down on the green, sometimes using the back wall for a light deflection.  A high tee can help too.  Here’s a great 3-wood from the back center box.  And check out this 5-wood played off the top of the wall, around […]

The best shot here may be a C2ish driver with backspin.  You can skip if off the water (not preferred, but doable) and/or ram into the hill short of the green (preferred), rolling up and on.   Cutting into the hill kills the velocity — here’s a great hole-out using that approach!  Here’s another low-teed driver […]

Let’s start with some trivia.  There have been 35 courses since the inception of Golden Tee LIVE back in 2005.  How well do you know them? What are the only two courses to feature six par 3s and six par 5s? What is the only course to feature six never-drivable par 4s? Name the six […]

There are several different angles into this green, but almost all of them will be a straight shot towards a particular target on the green.  The green slopes severely down towards the water, so it can make your decision whether or not to use backspin quite difficult.  Usually, if you’re hitting a driver, you want […]

Here’s another Yin Yang green, but it’s much more difficult.  As you’ve probably already noticed, the fringe separating the green from the mud will NOT stop the ball — it’s sloped towards the mud.  Actually, it’s like there’s no fringe at all, because if you get too close, that ball is sucked down into the […]

Find a spot in the rough or the fairway that seems like the best angle towards the flag with the wind conditions.  The approach shot can be tough here, so take a bit of time to strategize your tee shot. I’ve heard that pros are driving this hole on occasion!  One instance involved a B2 […]

Here’s one of the coolest holes in the game, offering you a chance at eagle if you can somehow land your tee shot on top of The Great Wall!  Difficulty depends on the tee box and wind.  Sometimes a straight-forward 5-wood does the job no problem, but other times you’ll have to find the right […]

This hole is always considered driveable, but sometimes from the back box it can be really tough if you don’t have the right equipment! HOLE-OUT FROM THE FRONT-LEFT BOX HOLE-OUT FROM THE MIDDLE-RIGHT BOX

A good effort off the tee is required to reach the green on your second shot.  A big A1 is usually best, but you can sometimes cut the corner just as effectively with a straight B2 shot.  Here’s a nice holed-out driver from 301.

Don’t lose sight of the fact that this is a downhill shot, so you may think about clubbing down once off the tee.  If the wind is in your face, try laying off the backspin and just landing on the front of the green, where your ball will trickle down to the middle.  Backspin can […]

There’s no need to try to clear the river here.  Lay back and stick your approach shot close.  Here’s an example hole-out from laying up a ways back, and here’s one from under 200, still behind the water.

From the front box, you’ll usually have a 3-wood to 5-wood that can be pretty straight at the flag.  Here’s a 3-wood with a bit of curve holed out from the front box. From the middle box, you’ll usually curve a 3-wood around the corner, usually with backspin to hold the green.  Here’s an example. […]

As with hole #4, you should bypass the obvious shortcut circle you see.  Instead, rotate right a couple times and play a big C3 with roll down the fairway.  The approach can be long at times, but you should always be able to get there in two, and you’ve taken the risk out of the […]

3 tee boxes and 3 potential greens present a whole array of possibilities!  The Yin Yang-shaped greens are quite difficult when the pin is tucked back into the tip, so you’ll often have to be quite accurate if you want an easy birdie putt. FRONT LEFT BOX TO FRONT LEFT GREEN MIDDLE BOX TO BACK […]

There’s nothing wrong with laying back off the tee — it’s just as easy to birdie from here.  Here’s an example hole-out from 212, well behind the water. If you’re comfortable with a bit of a longer approach shot because it would line you up with the wind, you can blast it straight farther down […]

The square landing spot is not where you should be aiming.  If you’ve got the red distance balls, just pound your driver straight ahead into the rough — you’ll still be able to get on in 2 easily. Otherwise, you can play an A1 or C3 into other parts of the rough.  The rough in […]

The only thing to warn against here is if the pin is tucked in by one of the edges of the star.  If so, make sure you err towards the center of the green so you don’t have to putt through rough towards the pin!  If you have a shorter putt, say 20-feet or less, […]

A very long par 4, but not too difficult with the flat green — make sure to leave yourself a putt. EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT

Some guys are driving this hole with a tailwind using a low-loft driver and the red D2 distance balls!  Even if you can’t drive it, you can consider a big A1 or C3 with roll off the tee to get pretty close to the green.  If you have good chipping skills you might be able […]

You’ll need to hit one of a few green grassy pods out past the fairway in order to reach this green in two.  It’s not easy, and you’ll have to have a good handle on your distances to stick the landing here.  You may also take wind and pin placement into consideration when deciding which […]

There are two possible greens on this par 3 also, and errant shots here have a chance of backing up onto the green because of the backstop created by the hill behind either green. HOLE-OUT FROM THE BACK LEFT BOX TO THE LEFT GREEN HOLE-OUT FROM THE FRONT BOX TO THE LEFT GREEN HOLE-OUT FROM […]

From the front boxes, you can clear the neck and the lake towards the bowl of the fairway, and then it’s a decent approach into the green — here’s an example hole-out from there.  It’s not automatic because it all slopes off into the sand, so try to hit the middle of the green.  Here’s […]

This hole forces you to make another decision based on the wind and pin placement.  Most of the time, you’re fine going left down low.  Your approach will be way up hill, but unimpeded, and wind won’t affect it much.  So, if you go this route, club up one for your approach.  Here’s a hole-out […]

Don’t get confused — there are two greens here and 4 possible tee boxes! HOLE-OUT FROM THE SECOND-FARTHEST BOX TO THE LEFT GREEN HOLE-OUT FROM THE SECOND-CLOSEST BOX TO THE RIGHT GREEN HOLE-OUT FROM THE BACK BOX TO THE RIGHT GREEN HOLE-OUT FROM THE MIDDLE BOX TO THE RIGHT GREEN

It’s best to clear the stream if possible, so you can hole-out like this … but, if you can’t make it, lay up to the right.  Here’s a hole-out from a lay-up in front of the river. The approach shot is not easy — the green is tricky and surrounded by water.  Be extra careful […]

Most guys are always laying up in the same spot, every time, on this hole.  It’s towards the end of the fairway, just left of the orange bush straight ahead.  From here, you can hit either a 3-wood or 4-wood over the hill and under the tree on top of that hill right at the […]

HOLE-OUT FROM THE BACK BOX HOLE-OUT FROM THE FRONT RIGHT BOX HOLE-OUT FROM THE MIDDLE RIGHT BOX HOLE-OUT FROM THE MIDDLE LEFT BOX

This hole can be driveable from the front box, which might only be available in casual play.  It may also be driveable at times from the back box with the right wind and equipment!  Normally, you’re just thumbing a drive out into the fairway, because you don’t gain anything with extra distance — leave yourself […]

This hole can be driveable at times with the right wind and equipment — but, don’t just automatically crank the longest drive you can.  Know the gaps in your clubs and don’t put yourself in a situation where you have an uncomfortable distance into the first green. EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT