2021 Shaft Up #3 Whistling Straits Holy-by-Hole Preview – Straits Course

[BuckNasty]

In just 3 short weeks @mancest and I will have the privilege of teeing it up with @DannyLe and @JB at Whistling Straights (home of the 2020-2021 Ryder Cup) for Shaft Up #3 with UST Mamiya. During the trip we will be playing both the Straits and Irish courses. We will be walking the Straights course and riding for the Irish course. Leading up to our travel day, @mancest and I thought it would be fun to do a hole-by-hole preview (1 hole a day) for both courses, provide some insight into how we plan to attack each hole, and also give the THP community a chance to chime in with how they would play each hole (internet golfer style). This thread will serve as the Straits course thread, and @mancest will be starting the Irish course thread.

Before we get started with Hole #1, let’s take a look at the scorecard for the Straits course.





I know from following other THP Experiences that the typical yardage played is in the ~6500 range, so I would imagine we will either be playing the Green (~6700 yards) or White (~6400 yards) tees. I am also anticipating a shamble format (similar to prior Shaft Up Experiences).

Now that we have the scorecard out of the way, let’s dive into Hole #1…


Hole #1 – “Outward Bound” (Par 4 – Handicap 15; 370 from Green, 361 from White)

“A gentle dogleg left starts the journey out to Lake Michigan where the true meaning of links golf starts to shine.”






Flyover -


How to Play This Hole

“A well-struck center of the fairway drive off the tee sets up a short to mid-iron approach. A tee shot down the left side flirts with a series of bunkers and dunes, while a tee shot to the right creates a longer approach from the rough. Favor the right center of the green to avoid deep bunkers short left and long.”

My swing speed has dropped a bit over the past couple years (from the 110-115 mph down to the low 100s), so my distance off the tee and on approach shots is not what it used to be. Off the tee I plan on taking my newly fit driver and aim along the right edge of the bunkers/dunes on the left side of the fairway and allow my natural fade to bring me back into the center of the fairway. If all goes well (and we end up choosing my drive) I should have somewhere in the range of 125-140 yards left on my approach into the green, which will most likely call for either an 8 or 9 iron (wind speed and direction dependent) and aim for center-right portion of the green. From there I hope to have a birdie opportunity on the green, or do my best to get up and down for par.

THP – How would you attack this hole with the hopes of taking an early match lead on @JB and @DannyLe?

 

[baylrballa]

wind would be a factor especially if the blue tees were in play.

If green/white I think I'd just bomb over the bunker and hope for a little wedge in.

also, those black tees.

 

[Bernoulli]

I would have trouble hitting the ball off the tee with all that sand to the left. Although I do like your plan of hitting the natural fade. As a fader, that is also the shot I would try. Aim at the left edge of the sand area and hope that the ball comes back right.

 

[BuckNasty]

wind would be a factor especially if the blue tees were in play.

If green I think I'd just bomb over the bunker and hope for a little wedge in.

also, those black tees.

The flyover video really highlights how far back those black tees are on #1. I'm glad we will be playing that hole from over 100 yards closer haha.

 

[captaincaution]

Fairway is about 20 yards wide. No reason to try to lay back, that is still a tight target to hit even with an iron.

Send it with driver. I would be aiming right center of fairway for my draw. Probably would push it into the bunker

 

[BuckNasty]

For anyone that has played the course before, does the wind typically blow in or out from Lake Michigan, or is it unpredictable/changes direction daily?

 

[captaincaution]

For anyone that has played the course before, does the wind typically blow in or out from Lake Michigan, or is it unpredictable/changes direction daily?

I haven't played at Kohler, but the prevailing wind on that side of Lake Michigan is out of the west or south.

Sailing on that side of the lake can be baaaaad news with a wind out of the east. And golf too

 

[OldandStiff]

Assuming green tees, I'm hitting driving-wedge, so I'm aiming at the right edge of the fairway by the bunkers off the tee, and hopefully pin hunting with a 58.

 

[BuckNasty]

I haven't played at Kohler, but the prevailing wind on that side of Lake Michigan is out of the west or south.

Sailing on that side of the lake can be baaaaad news with a wind out of the east. And golf too

I was hoping for a wind that blew my ball away from the water, not towards it haha, so I'll be praying for a wind from the south

 

[mancest]

Blue tees I am hitting driver at the bunker on the right. Green tees I am hitting bunkers on the right and hoping the draw I have been playing brings it back into the fairway. Hoping either way I have an iron in hand to put it on the green.

Realistically I hook one into the bunker on the left, I hack it out with a wedge and then have an iron to the green and can hopefully scrape out a bogey.

 

[BuckNasty]

Blue tees I am hitting driver at the bunker on the right. Green tees I am hitting bunkers on the right and hoping the draw I have been playing brings it back into the fairway. Hoping either way I have an iron in hand to put it on the green.

Realistically I hook one into the bunker on the left, I hack it out with a wedge and then have an iron to the green and can hopefully scrape out a bogey.

 

[BuckNasty]

Day #2 means we move onto Hole #2...

Hole #2 – “Cross Country” (Par 5 – Handicap 7; 521 from Green, 508 from White)

“The shortest of the par 5s on the front nine, be aware of a pot bunker placed 35 yards short of the long-stretched green.”








Flyover -


How to Play This Hole

“A tee shot down the left side of the fairway is required on this hole to avoid a blind second shot. If electing to take an aggressive approach by going for this green in two, players will have to clear a deep pot bunker situated 35 yards short of the green. If played as a three-shot hole, the third shot plays slightly uphill to a narrow green guarded by deep bunkers to the left of the green and a large runoff swale to the right.”

On this hole I'll be aiming my drive down the left edge of the fairway in hopes to avoid the bunkers/dunes on the right (hopefully the wind will also be coming from the west). There seems to be quite a bit of trouble around the green so even if we hit the perfect drive on this hole I'm still likely to lay up short of the pot bunker and then chip on in hopes of having a birdie opportunity.

How would you guys go after this hole?

 

[OldandStiff]

Day #2 means we move onto Hole #2...

Hole #2 – “Cross Country” (Par 5 – Handicap 7; 521 from Green, 508 from White)

“The shortest of the par 5s on the front nine, be aware of a pot bunker placed 35 yards short of the long-stretched green.”

View attachment 9017953

View attachment 9017952




Flyover -


How to Play This Hole

“A tee shot down the left side of the fairway is required on this hole to avoid a blind second shot. If electing to take an aggressive approach by going for this green in two, players will have to clear a deep pot bunker situated 35 yards short of the green. If played as a three-shot hole, the third shot plays slightly uphill to a narrow green guarded by deep bunkers to the left of the green and a large runoff swale to the right.”

On this hole I'll be aiming my drive down the left edge of the fairway in hopes to avoid the bunkers/dunes on the right (hopefully the wind will also be coming from the west). There seems to be quite a bit of trouble around the green so even if we hit the perfect drive on this hole I'm still likely to lay up short of the pot bunker and then chip on in hopes of having a birdie opportunity.

How would you guys go after this hole?

Fast fescue, right to left wind? I'm going gonzo off that tee and the right edge of the fairway, and probably coming into the green from the left with a mid/long iron and loving that wind from the right doing it. Can pick the safe line short right part of the green and let it work.

 

[baylrballa]

Yeah that's a very inviting drive with the huge open area in the landing zone. Hopefully be in a good spot to take a run at the green with a hybrid.

 

[jdtox]

Tip it out! Only way to play haha bomb driver then 3w to the green

 

[JonD]

Driver, then probably laying up to a distance so I have a chance at a GIR and a birdie putt.

 

[pumbaa]

I would love to place this course so much, but man I know that fescue would have me cursing like a sailor

 

[Golfers Anonymous]

Aiming at the middle of the sand on the left and hitting Driver with a fade with a little helping wind off the water to find the fairway in my mind.

 

[BuckNasty]

Aiming at the middle of the sand on the left and hitting Driver with a fade with a little helping wind off the water to find the fairway in my mind.

From what I’ve been told the wind typically will be blowing toward the water, not off of it.

 

[USAF Retired]

For anyone that has played the course before, does the wind typically blow in or out from Lake Michigan, or is it unpredictable/changes direction daily?

Both times I played there it came off the lake, so left to right on the 1-4

 

[formula8]

It was pretty much off the lake when I played there. #1 was straight into the wind and plays uphill.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[BuckNasty]

Today we move onto hole #3...

Hole #3 – “O'Man” (Par 3 – Handicap 17; 166 from Green, 154 from White)

“Do not be fooled by one of the largest greens on the front nine; the undulations make for some magic on the green.”








Flyover -


How to Play This Hole

“Favor the right side of this huge, undulating green to avoid Lake Michigan and deep bunkers and dunes to the left. Any shot landing on the right half of this green will move quickly left. Hole location will dramatically change club selection from short irons to mid irons, even when calm wind conditions exist ”

Depending on hole location/wind/tee, I will probably be anywhere from a 8-ron to a 6-iron on this hole with the goal of aiming center-right and letting the green do the work. Realistically (and with my luck), I will probably end up missing one of the largest greens on the course and end up in one of the thousand bunkers out there.

What would be your game plan for this one?

 

[captaincaution]

That false front

 

[baylrballa]

Similar, anywhere from an 8-6i. Throw it up in the air and let the wind have its way.

 

[Golfers Anonymous]

I’m a shorter hitter so I’d be anything from 7-5 depending on the wind and weather. I’d aim at the bunker on the nearest point on the green to get on and go from there.