The island straight ahead is the common shortcut shot for an eagle chance but can be very tough to stick at times because it’s not completely flat, and backspin isn’t as effective in the frozen tundra.  It’s elevated too, so consider a high tee and/or hit it a bit more firmly. Here’s a solid tip […]

The most common, and usually safest, shot is a high-teed 5-wood.  Since it slopes way back towards you and the green is frozen, it should settle, although you’ll almost always have a fun downhill putt to finish out!  This one was just played very nicely.  Medium-teed 5-woods also work sometimes.  Here’s a nice one that […]

This can be a really tough eagle.  First, you might want to take a run at the green or at least get it close!  Rotate right and play a big high-teed C3 driver around the side.  Just hope you don’t get unlucky like this! If you don’t want to give that a try, rotate right […]

Don’t pay TOO much attention to the demo here, because the hill is now higher than the demo and you have a slim chance of being able to climb up and over the hill towards the green.  HOWEVER, study this shot.  It’s a medium-teed 3-wood with roll from the right-center of the box.  There’s a […]

Three options here!  First, to the right, there’s a narrow green patch along the wall through the trees.  If you can stick it here, this gives you probably your best approach shot for eagle — here’s a hole-out from there.  It can be very tough, especially with a left-blowing wind or if you get an […]

This shot is usually doable by curving around the left side and using backspin to hold the green.  Here is a perfect 5-wood backspin around the corner.  This sick low-teed 5-wood cut all the way around to a back right pin.  Here’s a 2-hybrid that played a huge A2-type cut. Sometimes you may not be […]

First, check if you can blast your drive down straight ahead to the second fairway.  If so, you can end up with a fairly straight approach shot. Otherwise, you just need to nail the correct layup spot for a shortcut to the right through the trees — it will take a little practice to learn […]

Over or under, that’s the question!  The safest shot is usually a low-teed driver straight at the green under the bridge.  You don’t have to hit it as hard as you think either — you should have plenty of loft and distance to carry the water, and you want the ball to stop before skidding […]

Sometimes higher-lofted clubs can help you float shots in here, especially when the pin is tucked to the right. Here’s a low-lofter to a center pin. VIDEO DEMO

Here’s a tricky hole that will test your skill.  The tee shot to the right is difficult to stick due to the narrow fairway, but you’ll be rewarded with a straight approach shot for an easy birdie if you pull it off — here’s a hole-out from there. If you do play down the left […]

It’s all about the tee shot here.  Either use a high tee to try to carry the sand to the second part of the fairway, or play a driver cut shot with roll and try to thread the needle past the sand.  You’re good from past the sand.  This driver hole-out uses the hill as […]

The safest shot for you here is to high-tee a 4 or 5-wood over the top of the barn at the same angle as it runs.  If you miss this shot too far right, the tree guarding the green will halt your progress.  Likely you will clip some leaves but have enough momentum to carry […]

This hole also has two tee boxes — one from the left and one straight on.  Here is where you really need Hawks or a set with low-lofted irons.  With a 7-wood or 9-wood, you may have an awful time trying to keep your round intact. From the left, here’s a perfectly-played ace.  Here’s another […]

In the minds of many, Auburn lets you off the hook with a very doable finishing hole.  You’ll have a pretty straight shot through the gap to this green.  Above all else, aim for the fat part of the green closest to the pin and give yourself a putt.  You’ll need to nail your distance, […]

Golden Tee 2011 is only two months away!  While it’s hard not to get excited for the new courses and features, due to ship in the last week of September to bars with eager vendors, you’ve still got a few weeks left to work on your 2010 game.  Since you’ve probably been playing 2010 for […]

From almost every setup, a high-teed 9-wood can go straight at the green if you’ve got the distance.  Here’s a perfect example of where you’d play this shot to a back pin.  This one actually comes at it from the left — what a crazy shot!  And this one involves a bank, which is even […]

The left or right fairway works here — it’s usually wind-specific.  To the right, you can hit it long and straight or curve a big A1-type shot over there, trying to get past the sand.  You don’t have to be dead accurate — it can bounce off the walls a bit and settle, still giving […]

This is the hole that seems to define your round.  The risk/reward is more evident here than anywhere.  It requires a precise A1-type curve around this mountain with exact distance to hold this green and give yourself an eagle putt.  If you miss in any direction, you risk the chance of a re-tee, which is […]

If you get the front left box, you can high-tee a 3-wood and play a small cut through the gap — here’s an ace from that box. From the middle box, this hole may be drivable — check out this high-teed 3-wood that nearly went in!  It takes a precise shot through this gap, but it […]

In beta, this hole did NOT have a sand trap in front.  If you played the Flares and had a strong wind in your face, you didn’t have much option other than stroke limit, so be thankful you now have somewhat of a bail-out spot! This hole alone makes me want to use Hawks to […]

Here you’ll be aiming straight through the small gap straight ahead, to the left of the green.  It’s too risk to try to cut it left to right — instead, shoot straight through and use the hill to the back left of the green to deflect back down onto the green.  There is water left […]

Don’t forget about the fence guarding the front of the green here — you absolutely cannot be short!  Make sure you have plenty of carry and use bite or backspin to hold the green.  Here is a nice use of bite from the back box. VIDEO DEMO

Distance off the tee shouldn’t be an issue here — anywhere right of the sand is fine for your approach.  You actually don’t want to hit too far off the tee and bring some of the brush into play just past the fairway, so lay back a bit from the end of that first fairway. […]

This one can be a bit tricky, so always play it safe.  The green basically has a front and back section, so play your tee shot to the middle of whatever section contains the pin.  Bite may be a good option here to get the ball to stick when it lands.  It’s often a 7-wood […]

This hole is tough to eagle, and an errant tee shot can turn your round in the wrong direction.  Everything slopes towards the water in the front right of the green, so you need to aim well left to avoid the water and a devastating re-tee.  Stay dry, and accept that birdie is a fine […]

This hole is fun — you’ll have all kinds of different shots here depending on your tee box and the wind.  The green is deceptively huge, so it’s important to get your shot close to the pin for a manageable putt. From the back left box, here is a high-teed 5-wood from the back left […]

Handicap: 6th hardest hole Category: Risk/Reward Average Score: -0.88 / -2.00 Eagle+ 21% Birdie 50% Par 26% Bogey 3% Double+ Here’s another par 5 that can be very difficult to reach in two. If you have a tough head wind, you will have to lay up short of the snow and fairway neck. From here […]

The safest play is something like a high-teed 4-wood to the left side of the left fairway.  This fairway slopes right, so don’t be careless and let one trickle into the water!  At the same time, there’s a semi-hidden building behind what you’re hitting over.  Sometimes it’s directly in your line.  If you play a […]

You will be aiming over the barn to get to the second fairway here.  A high-teed 3-wood clears the barn easily.  If the wind is in your face, high tee a driver and take it just right of the tree between the barn and the house to land safely in the fairway ahead.  Even if […]

Normally you’ll just hit your drive out to the right over the water and into the fairway.  Here’s a hole-out from the right side of the fairway after a nice drive.  If you go too far, you could find yourself in between clubs, so you may want to use backspin and lay back just over […]