You may have seen some pretty awesome YouTube shots this month where you saw someone (probably Putz) drive a par 4 that you never thought possible, just by hitting it straight.  I’ll point out four pretty sweet examples: Timber Bay #15 Grizzly Flats #7 Falcon Sands #6 Falcon Sands #7 I don’t even have examples […]

Now that you’ve hopefully got many games of 2011 under your belts, you have a pretty good idea of the holes on which you score well, but more so, you probably know which holes are giving you fits.  Ever wonder if other players like you are struggling on the same holes? Better yet, wouldn’t it […]

Here is a shorter par 3 that may test your skills curving a short iron into the wind.  There’s a lot of green to the right, and that’s the safe place to be.  Sometimes you’ll get a really favorable setup, so if you do, try to take advantage — here is a hole-out to a […]

From the back box, there’s no need to cut the corner much here — you don’t want to bring anything but fairway into play!  Poke it out right in a fat part of the fairway and hit a long wood into the green.  Here’s a nice driver hole-out. From the front box, you can curve […]

Lay up towards the end of the first fairway and bring it in for birdie.  Here’s an example 9-wood hole-out.  Don’t take this one for granted — you’ll need to nail your distance with sand short and long. VIDEO DEMO

Lots of tee boxes here create many different looks at this downhill par 3.  Account extra for the wind and recognize the presence of a big grassy hill on the right — it can help or hurt you depending on how you bring it into play.  Again, the best shot is to the center of […]

I haven’t seen a need yet to even consider the right fairway.  The left fairway is always reachable, usually without a high tee, but you might want a high tee to be safe.  Line up with the fairway that juts towards you and hit it straight and hard.  This should leave you a nice approach […]

This par 3 is where things start to get slightly tricky.  This usually isn’t the place to go pin-hunting either — do what you can to stick the middle of the green and give yourself a putt.  Don’t bring any trouble into play by being too aggressive, because this front 9 is very manageable and […]

Here’s another standard, flat par 4 where nothing but fairway or green should ever come into play.  Here’s an example hole-out. VIDEO DEMO

There’s never an issue taking it out to the right fairway.  Make sure you carry it far enough but not all the way through, as it slopes downward a bit.  Use a tee or backspin to stick the center of it.  Here’s an example hole-out from the right fairway. There may be certain wind conditions […]

This green is big and fairly flat, so don’t lose a stroke here trying to chase a pin tucked away to the edge.  Keep the pin between your ball and the rough, make your birdie, and move on.  Here’s an example hole-out. VIDEO DEMO

Nothing special here either — just pick a spot and bring it in for birdie.  Here’s an example hole-out. VIDEO DEMO

If you don’t have a 7-wood or 9-wood, make sure you lay back towards the top of the fairway to the left to use your 5-wood on the approach.  Actually, you can be a bit of the way down the slope for a 5-wood — here’s an example hole-out.  Here’s a 9-wood hole-out from towards […]

There are a couple of tee boxes here — one shot is longer into the upslope, and one is from the right where the green slopes left.  It’s usually up to the tee, wind and pin to decide whether high or low lofted clubs are better here for the shot into the upslope, but you’ll […]

Nothing fancy off the tee here, just poke it out right and bring in your approach.  Here is a dunk from the fairway!  Here’s another nice hole-out to a back pin. VIDEO DEMO

If you’re playing the Flares, you can lay back before the fairway gets too narrow — here’s a great 9-wood hole-out to a back left pin, and here’s a dunk to a right pin. If you want to take the skill and decision making out of this shot, just blast it straight as far as you can. […]

A 9-wood isn’t necessary here, but it sure can help.  Here’s a 9-wood hole-out playing the wind and loft nicely to a pin tucked up against the hill. Loft is no issue to the right — here’s a 5-iron hole-out to a right pin. VIDEO DEMO

With a really good look from the front-right box, you can get pretty close to this green for a short chip shot (some have even driven it) with a huge high-teed A1 driver with roll.  Don’t get too carried away on the first hole, though! Here’s an example hole-out after laying back off the tee. […]

Don’t put too much stock in the demo here either, because the trees are higher and you won’t really be able to cut the corner anymore.  This becomes a par 4 where you need a simple but accurate tee shot straight down the fairway to set up a longer, difficult approach shot.  Here’s a hole-out […]

This is a tough par 3 that will test your skills, especially if you have to hit a 7-wood or 9-wood.  Missing left or right means trees and water.  Missing short is water.  Long in the sand is your only bail out spot. Using a tee is often helpful here to give yourself the best […]

This is a big, fairly flat green, so don’t necessarily chase the pin here — favor the middle of the green to be safe!  Here’s a 9-wood hole-out. VIDEO DEMO

A high tee can potentially save you a stroke here — you’ll want to blast a drive to the second fairway and stay as far right as you can without getting in those trees.  This gives you the best angle on your approach.  There’s just a narrow gap between the trees on this approach, and […]

Not much to this one — just don’t go long chasing a back pin.  Here’s an example hole-out. VIDEO DEMO

A sign of what’s to come, here’s one of the toughest opening holes in Golden Tee history.  Right off the bat, the first hole gets you thinking! Laying back to the left is a good option once you figure out the distance.  You don’t want to be curving a shot into the first green, so […]

It doesn’t matter much which way you choose here, so let the wind decide for you — pick whatever side gives you the easiest approach shot with or against the wind.  A high tee may help your distance to be safe.  Here’s a hole-out from the left fairway, and here’s a hole-out from the right […]

Eighty-six courses designed mighty fine, From 2012 back to 1989. One was Great, while 2 were Grand, A King dubbed three Royal with his mighty hand. Two Eagles soared high with majestic Crests, While a Falcon and Kiwi flew along as their guests. A Crawdad approaches, not one you can eat, A Scorpion and Rattlesnake […]

The following grid breaks down the best and worst you should be able to shoot on Dusty Bend relative to the possible setups you could get on each hole: Hole Par GT Par Total Min Max Min Max 1 4 3 3 -1 -1 2 4 3 3 -2 -2 3 3 2 2 -3 […]

The following grid breaks down the best and worst you should be able to shoot on Grand Canyon relative to the possible setups you could get on each hole: Hole Par GT Par Total Min Max Min Max 1 4 2 3 -2 -1 2 4 3 3 -3 -2 3 3 2 2 -4 […]

The following grid breaks down the best and worst you should be able to shoot on Auburn Glen relative to the possible setups you could get on each hole: Hole Par GT Par Total Min Max Min Max 1 4 2 3 -2 -1 2 4 2 3 -4 -2 3 3 2 2 -5 […]

The following grid breaks down the best and worst you should be able to shoot on Tundra Peak relative to the possible setups you could get on each hole: Hole Par GT Par Total Min Max Min Max 1 4 3 3 -1 -1 2 4 2 3 -3 -2 3 3 2 2 -4 […]