You’ll almost always be hitting over the trees, pretty straight at the green.  However, club selection is very important!  A 5-wood can usually clear the trees no problem, a 4-wood clears all but the highest spots of tree, and a 3-wood needs to be over the gap in the middle or around the upper sides […]

This one is tough to reach in 2.  The fairway sand is strategically-placed to envelop a tee shot that’s too aggressive, and then you’d have to lay up.  Similarly, if you’re not aggressive enough and leave your tee shot too far to the left, you can’t make it in 2 either.  However, a 9-wood can […]

This shot can be a little intimidating with some cross wind, but don’t panic.  In the case of a cross-wind, play a very small cut shot into the wind to keep your ball straight through the gap.  If you don’t play cut shots very often, be careful to only pull very slightly to the left […]

The best play off the tee is to aim out left, giving you a clean look into the green with a 5-wood or 3-wood.  Here’s a 3-wood knocked down perfectly by the tree guarding the green, and here’s another one that lands cleanly and finds the hole.  If you do stay to the right, a […]

There’s no big advantage here to carry the water around the corner off the tee, so just lay back for an approach shot that’s not much more difficult.  Here’s a holeout from the middle fairway, well behind the winding river.  The green is pretty long, so if the pin is in the back, lay off […]

Don’t just blindly blast a drive as far as you can here — the better play is to hit something like a 5-wood off the tee, close to the water.  This gives you another lofted 5-wood to work with on the approach, where you can float it over the trees instead of having to curve […]

From the back box, lay up in the fairway as long and left as you can.  From here, you can bring an A1-type approach shot into the green, usually with no backspin, as shown here.  It’s better to be left than long, because even if you don’t tee off long, you could still have a […]

Here you’ll almost always be hitting a straight-180 shot, usually with backspin (unless there’s a strong headwind), aimed at the rough between the green and the hill to the right of it.  Use as much loft as you can while still giving you the distance you need.  A 5-wood has the perfect loft, a 4-wood […]

This is a really tough par 3 that requires a very precise tee shot to have a birdie putt.  You’ll often be working the ball right-to-left to hold the green.  From the front box, hit 3-wood or a 5-wood, like this. From the middle box, hit 3-wood or driver.  Here’s a hole-out with the driver. […]

Just lay up long next to the water to bring in your approach shot — make sure you’re far enough out there to have a straight shot in, and the farther left you are, the less club you’ll need.  Make sure you carry the green on the fly, because there are some weird bounces if […]

From the far right box, you’ll have to hook it around the trees with backspin, possibly needing a water skip for the correct distance to hold the green.  A 5-wood A2-type shot with backspin can work too if you’re good at cutting back distance.  Or, you can use the hill as a backstop, as was […]

HOLE-OUT FROM THE BACK BOX HOLE-OUT FROM THE SECOND-CLOSEST BOX HOLE-OUT FROM THE SECOND-FURTHEST BOX

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