How would you play this hole? Short & Tight

RealPretendPsychic

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This is a fun 317 yard par 4. Downhill and 240 yards to the end of the fairway OOORRR 270 yards across the cart path and into the next stretch of fairway. The issue with challenging the hole is that it’s tightly tree-lined and there is a quarry on the right just through the first fairway. Of course if you play it safe off the tee, your second shot is all carry over the quarry. How are you playing it?
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I can’t carry the quarry even downhill so I hit 5W short of the quarry to 210 then a PW onto the green.
 
Straightest club off the tee I had that day. 8i-4H is all in play. Easier to wedge on from there than try to thread a needle and then flip a wedge on.
 
3w low flying ball let fairway camber move ball on ground looks little right to left, and 2nd shot with pw or gw into fat of green
 
Hybrid or 3-iron off the tee, wedge into the green.

Looked at google maps and it appears you have as little as 35 yards between penalty hazards if you try to carry your tee shot onto the second fairway. That is going to result in a lot of penalty strokes for any golfer on the planet. There's close to 70 yards between hazards if you lay up and you'll still have a short approach after doing so. Laying up is likely the correct play. The quarry shouldn't be much of an issue on your second so long as you commit to a safe enough target.

If I hit driver less than 240 yards, I'd hit driver without thinking twice.
 
Today I took driver because it was just my buddy and I with a little wind at our backs. Got lucky just to keep this one in play, but it was a bad lie and nothing good happened after that.
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Have some holes similar to that at some of the courses I play. I'd hit my 200 yd club off the tee, then a wedge into the green.
 
hahah we stand on the tee , full of optimism and club in hand only to be punished by the course and the number on the scorecard , vilified by our group or partner. Then stride to the next hole full of optimism ,..... hahahaha
 
hahah we stand on the tee , full of optimism and club in hand only to be punished by the course and the number on the scorecard , vilified by our group or partner. Then stride to the next hole full of optimism ,..... hahahaha
That has driver written all over it!
 
I don't have the horsepower to challenge it so I'm playing something short and straight. That quarry is not really worth the risk if I can leave myself some kind of wedge in playing short of it.
 
No decision for me, Driver every day (with 75.9% fairways hit its possibly my most confident club). Assuming i pulled off a good tee shot, i'd be left with 100 or a little less for my 2nd so that would be PW, hopefully hit the green & 2 putt for par ⛳
Really cool looking hole BTW
 
Just looked Iron Valley GC up on theGrint. Looks like a fun course. Hole 11, this is probably how I'd hope to play it. I can't move the line for the 2nd shot, but I'd aim for left side of green:

Edit: forgot to mention clubs haha. No driver for me...3W or 3h off the tee, whichever I'm hitting better.

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Draw whatever that club is that day (likely UT), and then the 80y wedge in.

I would probably be trying not to play from those tees though. That looks like a hole I'd probably have to give one on from there, and might not have to from the back tees, for the exact same approach shot in.
 
3 or 4H off the tee...then any combo of 9i and lob wedge. maybe some odes to jobu, the old gods...and the new
 
If I can drive it?

I’m driving it. I’ll deal with the trouble. I’d rather be sitting sh***y at 10 yards out then pretty at 100. Because that pretty at 100 can turn to sh***y at 10 really fast.
 
5h off the tee, then whatever is left (PW, if things go as expected).
 
5 W drawing it down to the lower left level area then wedge to the green.
 
View attachment 9002374

Draw whatever that club is that day (likely UT), and then the 80y wedge in.

I would probably be trying not to play from those tees though. That looks like a hole I'd probably have to give one on from there, and might not have to from the back tees, for the exact same approach shot in.

Or just drive it? 🤣

Don’t act like you wouldn’t be tempted.
 
Man I’ll be back Sunday (weather-permitting) and driver doesn’t seem likely! It’s the 11th hole so I guess I’ll see how things are going during the round.
 
Or just drive it? 🤣

Don’t act like you wouldn’t be tempted.
haha Not even a little bit! That's a sucker shot meant to prey on driver ego and lack of wedge approach confidence. I don't have either of those. ;)
 
haha Not even a little bit! That's a sucker shot meant to prey on driver ego and lack of wedge approach confidence. I don't have either of those. ;)
 
haha Not even a little bit! That's a sucker shot meant to prey on driver ego and lack of wedge approach confidence. I don't have either of those. ;)

I have one, lack of wedge stuff.

It’s esrly but I’m not sure I know what a wedge is.
 
5W off the tee and pray for the best, then (hopefully) a PW to the green. No way I’m trying to carry to the second fairway with a driver. When I need to find a fairway, 5W is usually my go-to.
 
Definitely an intimidating tee shot from the pic's perspective with driver.

If I'm protecting score, I'll go 6-iron/GW or PW. If I'm not... it's driver every darned time.
 
Pretty much how you played it in the first post. Mid iron and wedge. Gives the best odds for birdie and against penalty.

There are a couple of similar holes at my home course. I never hit driver on either one unless I’m playing a scramble, because the odds are not in my favor at all. Way too easy to hit it into trouble with poor recovery options.


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