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Taking Your Medicine?

I would go for it! If I didn't go for it I would always think what if... I know the odds are against me getting it through the gap but I have to try.
 
If it is just for me and the gap is "reasonable", I go for it. If it is a team match, I play safe and punch it out. I try not to let my ego hurt my team during a match....
 
the_paulo said:
I did it only a couple of weeks ago. Good round going, took a nice 8 on 18 to turn it into a regular round. Forgot all about the 17 good holes.
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and then I do this too hahahaha.
 
For me it depends more on the scenario rather than just my score:

1. If I'm playing at an expensive course then I'll go for it to feel like I'm getting the most bang for my buck.
2. If I'm down in a match then I'll go for it.
3. If I'm up or even in a match and my opponent can't reach the green in 2 then I'll chip out.
4. If I'm on a team and the majority votes to chip it out then I'll chip out.

I've won more often being aggressive over conservative. I can't remember ever thinking "I should have played conservative on that hole." and I never want to end a round thinking "I should have been more aggressive."
 
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I put myself into this position today. Faded the driver off the tee, and it landed on the other side of a line of mature palm trees (yeah, just a bunch of tall trunks, but enough to make you think twice about hitting through them at the hole). I punched out (not completely sideways...some forward) with the 7 and ended up about 85 yards from the hole.

From there I couldn't decide whether to play a low one in the wind, or hit my usual wedge in the air. I over thought it, went for the low runner, and I'm pretty sure I used too much loft, because the ball went 40 yards. Lesson learned.
 
I'm not good with hitting a targeted, low shot through a small opening. I'd chip out and take my medicine. That gives me a chance at 4, at worst probably a 5. Trying to go through the trees brings 6 or 7 into the equation. I blame the day job in risk management. :)
 
I assume this is a par 4? Go for it.
 
i'm going for the green if i have the shot. i can always scramble and try to save par from there if i miss the green.
 
If I played the way the way I did most of the year I go for it! If I played the way I did today one shot at a time and playing smart around the course then I chip out and take my chance at saving par.


Tapatalk killing phone batteries since day 1
 
I'll take my medicine and pitch out.
 
If I have a good round going I'm going to go for it. The confidence is going to be elevated. No to mention I actually practice these shots at the range.
 
I had a good example of this today. My 2nd shot on #1 par 5 ended up directly behind a tree with about 130 left to the green with a creek perpendicular to the FW at about 30 yards from the green. Going for the green wasn't a real option IMO. I could hit a straight punch out into the FW to leave myself with about 100yds or hit a sight fade punch and get all the way up to the end of the FW with about 40 yards left to the green. I opted for the latter and focused more on shaping the shot than the force needed. I ended up hitting just over the creek and leaving myself with about a 15yd chip onto the green. After hitting the shot my first thought was, "well hell, a little more and I could have made the green!". It's a severely sloped green and my punch ended up just above the hole and I 2 putted for a bogey. I would classify this as a 'good miss'. :D
 
I would have to take my medicine. I would think about going for it for sure though.
 
Trying to teach myself it's better to chip out and take the blow up out of the equation, especially if its early or mid-round. I just can't rebound from 8's. If its the final hole, I may give it a run if I am comfortable with what I see, but I'd probably still chip out and take my chances with saving par/bogey.


Gregory Hines. Tapping.
 
I would have to chip out and work on up and down for par.
 
I'd dial up my inner Bubba Watson and cut the ball around the trees and onto the center of the green...

Seriously, I'd hit to the center of the fairway. With my luck, if I attempted to hit through the trees the ball would hit the tree and come back and hit me in the crotch.
 
JB said:
You are on the 18th hole and you have a good round of golf going. Your hit your tee shot into the woods and you have trees in front of you towards the green. There is a gap between the trees that is low and you could possibly run it up there. The other option is to pitch out to the fairway which is an easy shot and will give you 150 into the green. What do you do?
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I think all depends on just how hard a shot it is and how comfy you are with making it. . And even if you get through the gap I'd have to think where might it end up? I'll assume you are talking about a very difficult shot because you probably wouldnt ask if it were otherwise. With that in mind then I am pitching/chipping out. Unless my day had just been a disater and I'm pissed and just dont care anymore. Then I'll be stupid and try it. But if I'm in the midst of one my better rounds and playing decent and think I can have my best score or close to it then I will not take that big risk. It would kill me if I missed my best score by couple strokes and it was because I screwed up that hero shot. Keep in mind i am a high capper so getting to my lowest score or beating it is far more important to me and means more than risking that shot.
 
Took my medicine today, still bit me in the backside.
 
Pitch it out in a heartbeat. Every time I've had a shot through trees I've let them get in my head and I'll catch one and the ball will land back at my feet. I don't like giving away strokes for free.
 
This came in to play for me today. On #11,it's a par 5 and I pulled my drive to the left and in to the trees. Plenty of room to chip out and still have a chance at par, but instead I try to be a hero and fade a 5iron through a tight Window. I hit it perfect, except a tree got in the way and knocked it straight down.

Learned my lesson on that shot, next shot i hit a small punch out of the junk and somehow managed to save bogey.
 
Yesterday I blew it on #9, which was my last hole because I started on 10. Par 5 490 yards slight dogleg left. Sliced my tee shot into the right tree line and had 250 to the green. Instead of chipping out and still having a decent chance at par (easy green) I decided to try and hit a 5 wood through some trees, over water, and over a giant sand trap in front of the green. Ball hit a branch, fell into the water, and ruined what would have been my personal best round after scoring a double bogey. I am an idiot.
 
rollin said:
. It would kill me if I missed my best score by couple strokes and it was because I screwed up that hero shot. .
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ArmyGolf said:
Yesterday I blew it on #9, which was my last hole because I started on 10. Par 5 490 yards slight dogleg left. Sliced my tee shot into the right tree line and had 250 to the green. Instead of chipping out and still having a decent chance at par (easy green) I decided to try and hit a 5 wood through some trees, over water, and over a giant sand trap in front of the green. Ball hit a branch, fell into the water, and ruined what would have been my personal best round after scoring a double bogey. I am an idiot.
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thats funny. I dont mean funny that you ruined your best but funny I just brought up that possibility of doing that a couple posts back as noted above. Hope i didnt jinx you.lol
 
DevRickus said:
I suppose for me it depends on the round. If I am striking the ball well, I would go for the green. If not, I pitch out and try my luck from 150 out.
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Yea, that is M.O. f I am hitting it well, I'm going for it. If it's one of those rounds where I am scoring pretty well even though I'm not hitting it great, I may think about punching out. I am pretty good with those shots ( way too much practice! ) so most times honestly I probably go for it - especially if there isn't any real danger around the green.
 
So I had a good example of this at the Invitational. It was on #13, the sharp dogleg left over the ravine.

I hit a poor tee shot, in the fairway but short, leaving me with a second that had to go over the trees and cary about 185 to get to the green. I considered laying up, but the layup spot was only 50-60 yards away. I would literally only be hitting a half-wedge to the layup spot, and then I'd still probably have a 7 or 8-iron in.

My ego just couldn't take that. So with that in mind, and of course JeffSpicoli encouraging me to go for it, I pulled out a 5-iron and went for it. I hit it a bit fat and it hit on the far bank and rolled back down. I got very lucky it stayed out of the hazard, but I was faced with a very difficult steep uphill pitch to a pin in the back, out of an awkward stance. I bladed the pitch, putting myself into the back left bunker. Now I've got a bunker shot to a green sloping away, with no green to work with, and very good chance of going back down the big hill. V.man had the same bunker shot and can attest to how difficult it was. Fortunately I got it out and managed to stop it in the rough before it rolled down the hill. I made a good chip and putt to secure my double, but it easily could have been a triple or worse.

I'd say there's a 85+% chance that had I hit that 50-yard layup, I would have hit that 7 or 8-iron on the green and given myself a putt for par and almost assured bogey.

Now, to those of you who are great golfers, the thought of "laying up" when all you have is a 5-iron may seem absurd, but that was a small green with nothing but carry. I'll bet my true chances of hitting it were 40% or less. I made the wrong decision and paid for it with at least 1 stroke.
 
Pitch it out. 150 yards is a stock 9 iron for me and I love that shot.
 
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