Ever play holes that are too long

[neophyte]

Ever sit at your course and watch where most regular golfers hit the fairway. Most don't hit the ball as far as they think. I have a bushnell neo x and it tells my how far I hit the ball. I also have learned not to tell golfers how far I or they really hit the ball.

Last week I played a course that had holes I couldn't reach in regulation. I am usually one of the longest hitters at my club. In fact, I hit four good straight shots to reach one par 4. I also took five good shots to hit a par 5 green. I was playing from the white T next to the front T. When I mentioned how long the hole played. One of the ladies in my foursome said to me that I now know how most women feel playing.

My home course has several par fours that most women take three or four good shots to reach the green.

Since PGA pros can drive the ball over 300 and hit 3 wood almost as far and hit a 7 iron 200. 325 pus 275 plus 200 equals 800.

When playing forward t's and still taking an extra good hybrid shot to reach the greens distance, then a chip on and two putts. Results in a double bogey on the card. and you hit good shots?

 

[Spivey]

At my home course, there is a par 4 that is 475 yards. Two holes earlier, there is a 485 yd par 5.
I have par-ed the par 4 hole one time ever. I have birdied the Par 5 hole a bunch. Have no idea what the difference is except that for one hole I hit my FW and the other I hit a 3-4 iron.
My friends always complain that the par 4 is too long. They hit the ball as far as I do, tho, so I am not sure why they complain so much.

 

[malemotives]

I never have.... but then my home course is not about distance. The 3 par 5s are 505, 518 and 470 and the longest par 4 is 395. That said... it is about accuracy. You hit fairways or you pay a price, and the greens are pretty small. All that changes next year with the opening of the new back nine and newer larger greens, but fairway widths won't change and the trees aren't going anywhere.

 

[blugold]

Wow. Sounds like some of the course's yardages are way off.

 

[Brianbigoats]

if i hit a bad drive sometimes they feel too long

 

[salisboss]

There is a 240 yard par 3 at a course near me that is slightly uphill. The kickers are that there is also water the entire left side and water right but short. There is a small bailout area after the water on the right but it sucks either way.

I think they did some work on the course but didn't want to change from par 70. On the back 9 there is a par 5 that is 470 and a par 4 that is 500 back to back. Just make them both par 5 up become a par 71.

 

[jspangs]

A lot holes are too long, I'm a short hitter (230 yards average), so I hate par 4s at 400+ yards, because honestly hitting a fairway wood into a green to have a birdie chance isn't really that fun.

 

[cjroman]

I see people play off of the blues all the time that have no business playing there. There was a group of older (I'm 43) men, I'm gueessing in their 50's teeing off in front on my daughter and I last week. The card has the blues at 378 and whites at 352 for the first hole.

They all played off the blues. 2 of 4 hit the fairway, none were at or inside the 150...

Pride is an evil thing.

 

[blugold]

You should play True Blue from the blue tees. There were several holes that were tough to reach in regulation even with approach shots in the fairway.

Should be noted, nowhere in the rules of golf does it say that you have to go for the green in regulation. There's no shame in laying up on a par 4, or a par 3

 

[wubears71]

I see people play off of the blues all the time that have no business playing there. There was a group of older (I'm 43) men, I'm gueessing in their 50's teeing off in front on my daughter and I last week. The card has the blues at 378 and whites at 352 for the first hole.

They all played off the blues. 2 of 4 hit the fairway, none were at or inside the 150...

Pride is an evil thing.

Yep. I see it all too often - it's always 4 guys that either aren't long hitters or don't play very often that are there to have a good time but instead of swallowing their pride and playing from the appropriate tees, they have the "I'm a man so I hit from the blue" attitude and then complain how long the course is.

 

[wubears71]

Should be noted, nowhere in the rules of golf does it say that you have to go for the green in regulation. There's no shame in laying up on a par 4, or a par 3

There are several holes I play that I lay up on simply because it's easier to get the ball where I want it using a chip/pitch than trying to hit the green with a long iron or 5 wood. If I don't I may get it on the green but in a position that I'm going to end up 3 putting it. I'd rather pitch and putt then hit the GIR, then putt, putt, putt.

 

[DawgDaddy]

Yep. I see it all too often - it's always 4 guys that either aren't long hitters or don't play very often that are there to have a good time but instead of swallowing their pride and playing from the appropriate tees, they have the "I'm a man so I hit from the blue" attitude and then complain how long the course is.

I played through a 4some yesterday of guys who all appeared to be around my age (66) and they were playing the members tees, I was playing the senior. When I teed off 6 hole later they were in the fairway of the hole after I played through. It was a par three that I caught them on so I know they were playing the wrong tees. The hole I played through on is an uphill par three that measures 180/190 depending on pin placement, but plays more like 205/215, and that is from the senior tees. When I went up to the green to putt after my tee shot mine was the only ball on the green and I could only see 1 of the 4 balls that they were playing, need to swallow pride as you say and play it forward.

In answer to the OP, yes I play holes all the time that are too long for me to reach in regulation, but I attribute it mostly to my flexibility because at my age I simply am not as flexible as I need to be. I need to get back into stretching to get a few of those yards back.

 

[blugold]

There are several holes I play that I lay up on simply because it's easier to get the ball where I want it using a chip/pitch than trying to hit the green with a long iron or 5 wood. If I don't I may get it on the green but in a position that I'm going to end up 3 putting it. I'd rather pitch and putt then hit the GIR, then putt, putt, putt.

Have you ever tried playing up a tee box?

 

[JRod]

Ever sit at your course and watch where most regular golfers hit the fairway. Most don't hit the ball as far as they think. I have a bushnell neo x and it tells my how far I hit the ball. I also have learned not to tell golfers how far I or they really hit the ball.

Last week I played a course that had holes I couldn't reach in regulation. I am usually one of the longest hitters at my club. In fact, I hit four good straight shots to reach one par 4. I also took five good shots to hit a par 5 green. I was playing from the white T next to the front T. When I mentioned how long the hole played. One of the ladies in my foursome said to me that I now know how most women feel playing.

My home course has several par fours that most women take three or four good shots to reach the green.

Since PGA pros can drive the ball over 300 and hit 3 wood almost as far and hit a 7 iron 200. 325 pus 275 plus 200 equals 800.

When playing forward t's and still taking an extra good hybrid shot to reach the greens distance, then a chip on and two putts. Results in a double bogey on the card. and you hit good shots?

Scorecard?

I'd like to see these holes you speak of.

 

[Mango Smash]

When my father in law plays our home course from the regular tee's he has trouble reaching a few of the par 4's in 2. I have not personally had any issues reaching any par 4's in 2 or 5's in 3, of course this takes in to account me getting the first ball in play. I am a longer hitter, but most guys I play with are in the neighborhood of 200-250 with driver. But the tee it forward initiative has really helped with most of the courses around me. I see a lot more guys playing from the front tees now when they were trying to play back a few years ago. That has really helped a lot imo.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

I see people play off of the blues all the time that have no business playing there. There was a group of older (I'm 43) men, I'm gueessing in their 50's teeing off in front on my daughter and I last week. The card has the blues at 378 and whites at 352 for the first hole.

They all played off the blues. 2 of 4 hit the fairway, none were at or inside the 150...

Pride is an evil thing.

Pride and ego's. Play it forward if you can't reach the par four's in two.

 

[Hawk]

The par 5's at True Blue (those approaching 600 yards) were definitely too long for me. I could potentially reach them, but it would take three perfect long shots and the trouble on that course often made it very difficult.

 

[Canadan]

Should be noted, nowhere in the rules of golf does it say that you have to go for the green in regulation. There's no shame in laying up on a par 4, or a par 3

If you can't hit the greens in regulation, IMO, you need to tee it forward.

 

[blugold]

If you can't hit the greens in regulation, IMO, you need to tee it forward.

I don't disagree with you. But there are times when everybody is out an uncomfortable distance. No shame in laying up

 

[Golds]

I play the white's unless it is a course I play all the time and know the Blue's are doable. My ego is just fine playing from the White's, especially when I see a foursome from the blue's hacking a 200 yard line drive into the rough while I'm hitting 230-240 in the fairway from the White's.

A local course has a 600+ yard par 5 with fairway bunkers that I think is overkill. The fairway is wide and no real strategy is needed besides making you have long solid shots. I'd rather have a 470 - 480 yard par 5 that makes you contemplate going for the home run second shot or a smart strategic one.

 

[emart2173]

I haven't played any courses in MD/VA that I felt were too long. I did play a par 5 in Myrtle (don't remember the course since its been about 7 years) that was just over 600 yds closer to 650 I think from the tips. Nobody that went on the trip hit in regulation.

 

[Canadan]

I don't disagree with you. But there are times when everybody is out an uncomfortable distance. No shame in laying up

I think the OPs point was that he hit solid shots and was still well out of range to make the green in regulation.

Obviously no shame in punching out from the trees if it means avoiding a big number, but two good shots, IMO, should put people on a green of a par 4.

 

[Scorp]

Yep, I've played holes that were too long for me... I'm not a long hitter. Heck, with my drives I'm lucky if they go 200 yards... more often they're closer to 170-185... but I've slowed my backswing to help tame my slice... so it takes me 3 or 4 good shots to get to the green on long par 4's and 5's... that's not taking into account the lousy shots inbetween the good shots on those holes. My fairway woods are fairly reliable for me... but my longer irons are a crap shoot. Sometimes my 6 iron goes 150 yards... other times it goes 20. But I think my swing is mostly arm and little hip... something to work on.

the important thing is I still have fun, my score is dropping and my putting is averaging 2.9 putts per hole...

Lessons for me are in the not too distant future... maybe over the winter so next spring I can hopefully come out and play with my buddies and knock their socks off with my improved game.

 

[Wakit300]

I think the OPs point was that he hit solid shots and was still well out of range to make the green in regulation.

Obviously no shame in punching out from the trees if it means avoiding a big number, but two good shots, IMO, should put people on a green of a par 4.

I'm curious as to how far the OP hits a typical drive and 5-iron and what the distance of the hole actually was that he couldn't reach.

On long par 4s a lot depends on whether they're uphill/downhill or into a prevailing wind, sometimes you just can't reach them in two and then it's up to your short game to bail you out. We have one particular long par 4 on our course that plays into the prevailing breeze and some days 5 is a good score. That said, I personally don't feel any hole is ever too long, but I hit it pretty good.

As has been said numerous times, if you find yourself on a course where you are hitting a lot of hybirds or fairway woods into par 4s for you second shot, you just need to move up enough to give you a decent shot at the green in two.

 

[JRod]

He says he his the ball pretty far and it takes four good shots to get on. I would like to see the scorecard so i have some sort of frame of reference.