Pin placement can make this shot difficult sometimes, as can the fact that you don’t know whether the green will have slope of up 7, down 7, or left 7, because of all the different tee boxes! Use the strategies you already know to attack this green based on the slope. Be warned on downhill […]

Here is a manageable eagle opportunity on a par 5.  You have to get long, but more importantly to the right, off the tee, and many times rotating left and hitting an A1 will be the shot for you to get far out to the right side of the fairway.  However, you can also really […]

Time for some fun!  This hole is great.  It’ll take some practice, but you should always be trying to punch a driver (or a very low-lofted iron) through the covered bridge onto the green!  The tee box is 60-70 yards long, but it’s always in line with the bridge.  You’ll have an offset look through […]

Here’s a tough, long par 3 that can set up over 300 yards!  It’s slightly downhill, and you’ll probably have to fly the sand, landing on the green and sticking it by the pin.  Make sure you leave yourself a clear putt at the flag because of the oddly shaped green! EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT 1 EXAMPLE […]

There’s no point in trying to clear the lake here — just punch it down the fairway.  Be careful on your approach shot with the sandy moat in front — a low-lofted club may get stuck in there, so make sure you fly the green and stick it! EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT

Nothing fancy on hole 1 — just get out at least to the top of the hill and try to line up the wind with the pin as best you can! EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT

In rare cases, this green can be driven with a huge C3 drive from the front-right of the box…check out this incredible ace! Otherwise, just pick a fat part in the fairway and tee off with backspin to hold this spot.  Don’t go too far or the tall grass will inhibit your approach.  The key […]

This hole has a big-time shortcut you should be using every time.  Rotate left of the green and aim directly at the big hill on the left — you’re going to want to put your drive at the top of this hill either with a 3-wood or driver with roll.  Approaching the green from here […]

This par 3 is a bit tricky because it’s a long way downhill!  And you know by now that the wind is going to affect your shot at least twice as much on the way down.  You almost certainly do not want backspin here unless it’s a front pin with wind at your back, because […]

Here’s a really tough par 3 that can easily put a damper in your round.  You’ll have looks from both sides into this green such that it might slope right 10 degrees or left 10 degrees, and you’ll often have to maneuver a small hook against the slope to give you a birdie putt.  Water […]

Did you escape 17 without killing your round completely?  No?  Keep at it — it’s going to take a lot of practice.  You’ll welcome anything after that, and hole 18 should be a birdie to finish your round on a positive note. The ideal setup is one where you don’t have to use driver off […]

Death has a new face in Golden Tee 2009, and it comes in the form of a dinky little par 3 on Grand Savannah’s 17th hole.  This is already being called the toughest hole ever created, and with good reason — most people can’t escape without a bogey or much, much worse.  It’s the ultimate […]

You will be tempted to pound your drive out into the grassy pothole dirt area straight ahead, but it’s usually not necessary.  If you get as close to the end of the fairway as you can, you’ll have anywhere from a driver to a 5-wood into the green without too much problem.  If you do […]

There are at least 4 tee boxes into this tough, elevated island green.  If you have to use a low-lofted club, it’s really hard to carry the green and stick it — you may have to club up to a wood and try to finesse it.  Just as important is neutralizing a side-wind if possible, […]

This par 5 has a couple shortcuts — one is fairly easy, and one is very tough.  If you’re on one of the left tee boxes, look across the river and you’ll see a circular landing area to the back and left of a tree there.  If it’s reachable, this is your best option.  The […]

This par 3 has three totally different tee boxes and a brutally-shaped green.  The pin placement here can be horrendous.  Do your best not to trap yourself without a clear putt at the pin!  Birdie is a great score here. EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT

Your first step here is to check the pin placement and wind, because this should determine where you put your drive. With a front tee box and a wind blowing towards the green, you actually have a chance to drive this green!  Play a big C3 with roll and you might actually get it there.  […]

Don’t get too cute with your drive — just make sure you keep it in the fairway.  You’ve got an uphill, upslope approach shot again, but sometimes the pin placement can be tough here.  If in doubt, find the middle of the green! EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT

You’ll need to find the best way to get as far down the fairway as possible, because you don’t want the trees blocking your approach shot.  Your approach is uphill and upslope, so make sure you club up and/or use roll! If you can’t clear the water very easily and/or can’t get past the tree […]

No tricks here — find a distance and approach direction you’re most comfortable with, and bring it in for birdie!  Make sure to account for the upslope on the green with the approach. EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT

Here you want to put your tee shot on the right edge of the fairway, about 80% of the way to the end of it.  Here, you’ll have a clear shot into the green in two with a 5-wood most times.  If you are too short or too far, you may have a tree obstructing […]

If you’re using the Big Bertha clubs, the 7-wood is a great club here.  It clears the trees easily and is usually the right distance for you to float the shot into the green. However, the 3-hybrid and 4-iron have enough loft to carry the trees too! You still might have to play a mini-C3 […]

First, take a look at the pin placement. If it’s on the left, especially far left, the ideal placement of your tee shot is as far left as you can get it — the small peninsula of fairway stretching out left.  This will leave you with anywhere from a straight B2 to a small A1 […]

A par 3 with several different looks and a couple different greens — you may have to play a slight curve into the flag if it’s on the high side of the green. EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT

You might be enticed by the mud on the left that leads towards the pin, but don’t do it — you won’t be able to get your approach shot there in 2.  Moreover, you’ll need a couple more shots just to get back out of the mud to the fairway! Instead, try to carry or […]

A couple things to consider here — you’re shooting downhill, so the wind will affect the ball a bit more.  Once again though, do NOT be short, or else you’ll stick in that dirt and have to chip again!  Try to carry the green and stick it, because rolling it up onto the green won’t […]

This is about as easy as par 4s get.  It’s always driveable, but you’ll have an “offset” look, meaning you won’t be lined up directly at the flag.  So, you’ll get more practice with your aim!  Do NOT be short, though…if you land in that dirt stuff short of the green, the ball will not […]

Just try to place your drive out there where the wind and sand traps will least inhibit your approach. EXAMPLE HOLE-OUT

One of the coolest hole ever designed, and just about as tough!  You’ll learn pretty quickly that you can’t miss left, or you’re falling down the faces of Mt. Rushmore!  The tendency will be to aim long and right, but Golden Tee conveniently put a pond there too! Actually, with a bit of practice, this […]

This hole can very easily kill your round, if it’s not dead already by this point.  What makes it so hard is that you have to hit a high-lofted club into a green surrounded by rock and cliffs while fighting a heavy wind! If your ball lands on the rock, the results are almost never […]