A firmer cover provides increased distance on straight shots off the tee. These balls can be exciting, because the extra distance off the tee with a B2 shot can be huge! BUT, it also becomes difficult to gauge accurate distance off the tee, because of the boost. Practice some big B2 shots off the tee […]

The low compression core creates better distance with slower swing speeds. This means you get more distance out of a “slower” shot, and the ball just settles on the green instead of having a moderate amount of spin. So, this could be good for people who can’t pound long shots, but they don’t seem to […]

This ball adds distance but maintains normal amount of spin for your hooking shots and backspin/roll.  It’s a great “control” ball that gives you a little extra distance to boot. *Available for purchase in GT LIVE 2008-2013.

DISTANCE — Players seem to have more “feel” with these balls, allowing them more distance control on thumb shots (especially when taking off distance).  Compared with the Orbits, the Trackers travel up to 30 yards farther on full-full shots (A1 or C3) and 10-20 yards farther on hammer shots (B2).  Thumb shots are almost identical, […]

Several options here to leave you an approach shot to the green in 2. If you’re close enough to hit it down past the sand on the left and onto the lower fairway, hit it there and close to the water, as far left as possible. You’ll have a 3-wood with backspin to the green. […]

This par 4 is drivable 75% of the time, but it’s very challenging. The front left box gives you the best chance. Aim for the right side of the green and hit a C3 5-wood to 3-wood with backspin, The follow-through is the key here — make sure you hit enough “3” so you don’t […]

This short little par 3 can be very tough, because most club sets have a gap in their wedges, and you’ll find that a lot of times here you’ll be in between clubs!  So, if you’re in between clubs here, you’ll have to hit a 3/4 shot with the longer club, which is difficult.  Don’t […]

It’s easy to think you need to clear the river to have a chance at the green in 2, but that usually won’t pay off.  The fairway slopes back towards the mud and water, and you’ll probably get stuck here instead.  The reward isn’t worth the risk, even if you can hit a 7-wood or […]

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 […]

In 2008, Golden Tee started releasing non-LIVE versions of the game for non-commercial purchase, so that anyone who really wanted a version of the game to buy for their home could play the same courses that you see out at the bar! Golden Tee 2008 Unplugged   Golden Tee 2009 Unplugged     Golden Tee […]

Handicap: 12th hardest hole Category: Moderate Average Score: -1.44 / -2.00 Eagle+ 53% Birdie 40% Par 7% Bogey 1% Double+ A high tee shouldn’t be necessary here, which is good since it’s a down-sloped green. Distance control seems to be the only thing preventing better scores on this hole. Just carry the sand with backspin, […]

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 […]