I have started playing smarter this year (or trying to). This is my first year paying for the Grint and I love the data that they provide so I can manage my strategy.
What holes are toughest for you?
charley48
Well-known member
My home course has two par 3's on the back nine about the same distance. 165 give or take. The first one has water to the right. The second one has water to the left. I hit both waters in the same round a while back. The only consistency for me is inconsistency.
charley48
Well-known member
The holes that are hardest for me are the longest par 4's. 420 yards or more from the white tees. I have enough length to reach them in two but I have accuracy issues with my long irons/hybrids. Many times I've been pin high right or left, but never hit them in regulation. Par 5's are the easiest for me to par but strangely enough, I rarely birdie them. Most my pars on them are two putt pars or sinking an occasional long putt. Most my birdies come on par 3's. I'm a guy who only averages a birdie every 3 rounds. And I miss the green many times on the par 3's. But it seems like once in a while I hit a beauty inside of 6 foot on par 3's. Did it on a day where I hit doubles on the other 3.
Over time I have problems with all of them, mostly it seems that the Par 3s give me the most problems. Mostly because I can never find the dance floor off the tee.
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gonyr
Well-known member
Short par 5 holes are usually the worst for me. I get into the mode of thinking I can get on in two. Mostly, I can't. Overswinging never works out well.
Popeye
Well-known member
Statistically I'm 3.3 on par 3s. 4.2 on par 4s and 4.9 on par 5s.
So strictly speaking I'm losing the most strokes on par 3s. I don't know where everyone else struggles. For myself I try to play from the back tees at every course. So the par threes tend to be fairly long.
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So strictly speaking I'm losing the most strokes on par 3s. I don't know where everyone else struggles. For myself I try to play from the back tees at every course. So the par threes tend to be fairly long.
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Generally speaking, high handicappers have more difficulty with par 5s. Low handicappers have more difficulty with par 3s. I'm talking about actual stats relative to par.
High handicappers typically struggle with solid contact and direction. Thus a par 5 gives the most opportunity to screw up. Hitting one quality shot off the tee on a par 3 will happen sometimes. Hitting three in a row to get on the green of a par 5? Not so much.
For a low handicap player, getting on the green on a par 5 in 3 happens almost all the time, except when they get on in 2. So seeing an average strokes per hole below the 5 allowed is typical. Anytime they miss on a par 3, you need to make an up and down. An exceptional up and down percentage is about 2 of 3 times. So most low handicap players still have an average score north of the allowed 3.
The average score to par on par 4s is more situational to the courses you play. On length alone, some courses have par 5s that are barely 500 yards or less with plenty of par 4s in the 420 to 460 range. All else equal that is going to make the par 4s more difficult than a course with par 4s mostly in the 300-360 range and par 5s 540 yards to 610. But then length is not the only variable. Differences in the number or placement of hazards, size and shapes of greens, slope and undulation in the fairway are examples of other factors that if significantly different between the par 4s and other holes can influence relative difficulty.
High handicappers typically struggle with solid contact and direction. Thus a par 5 gives the most opportunity to screw up. Hitting one quality shot off the tee on a par 3 will happen sometimes. Hitting three in a row to get on the green of a par 5? Not so much.
For a low handicap player, getting on the green on a par 5 in 3 happens almost all the time, except when they get on in 2. So seeing an average strokes per hole below the 5 allowed is typical. Anytime they miss on a par 3, you need to make an up and down. An exceptional up and down percentage is about 2 of 3 times. So most low handicap players still have an average score north of the allowed 3.
The average score to par on par 4s is more situational to the courses you play. On length alone, some courses have par 5s that are barely 500 yards or less with plenty of par 4s in the 420 to 460 range. All else equal that is going to make the par 4s more difficult than a course with par 4s mostly in the 300-360 range and par 5s 540 yards to 610. But then length is not the only variable. Differences in the number or placement of hazards, size and shapes of greens, slope and undulation in the fairway are examples of other factors that if significantly different between the par 4s and other holes can influence relative difficulty.
greenOak
Well-known member
Par 3s for me. Reason is pretty obvious as the average distance of a par 3 greatly exceeds the average distance I have into par 4s/ par 5s.
The last bit is part of why I asked @RealPretendPsychic about the next graph on his grint. Can't control the bunkers, fairway widths, etc, but as they even out over time I'd think the scoring progression should be kind of linear based on distance, somewhat regardless of par.
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Long par 4's (400+ yards) since I don't drive the ball far, I could leave myself 200 yards on a 425 yard hole.
I don't keep statistics, but my feel is par 3s beyond the 160-165 yard range. Almost 100% chance I'm not hitting the green at that distance.
Stats aside, a 120 yard par 3 on my home course is my biggest nemesis right now. #18 handicap, but it’s totally gotten in my head and I can’t hit the green to save my life. I can have a decent day going all day, but when I come to that hole it all falls apart. So frustrating.
maxw72
Well-known member
Pat 3’s are diabolical for me. I know I should get on in one, But going to the tee box with that in my mind means im probably posting a 4 - 6
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Stat wise, par 3’s. Mostly bogey them on a regular basis not sure why as most are 180 yards and under I should be playing them better.
As the story goes a par 3 is the easiest 5 on the course!
ntanygd760
Well-known member
Par 3s. 3.5
par 4s 4.3
par 5s 4.9
Pretty normal I would think
par 4s 4.3
par 5s 4.9
Pretty normal I would think
I have to say that par 3s are my worst. I've had more doubles and triples on par 3s than any others. Par 4s are my best birdie opportunities. Par 5s are bogey, db at worst.
Par 3’s are tough for me
Generally you are on or dead.
Generally you are on or dead.
Statistically it's nearly a push between averages, 3.6 vs 4.5.
But my perception is that par 4s are tougher because at least par 3s provide the perfect "approach."
Whereas on par 4s, I can put myself in some squirrelly positions off the tee.
But my perception is that par 4s are tougher because at least par 3s provide the perfect "approach."
Whereas on par 4s, I can put myself in some squirrelly positions off the tee.
Par 3's by a long shot. I've been known to drop a 7 or 8 on a par 3 on my home course. Most of them have small greens well guarded greens and there is water in play on some. Something about those holes mentally gets me.
So for me it's kind of the opposite. Different games for everyone, but my weakest part is a specific distance of par 3, even though those clubs are a strength from the fairway.
Worst GIR, score be relative to handicap rating, approach off the tee vs. the fairway at that distance, etc, because I can't play myself into a 'perfect' position. The tees are where they are, and I can't do anything about it. I'm at the greenskeeper's mercy, and they typically want to screw with me more than I do.
And like I said, I'm stubborn, and too aggressive.
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I can't remember exactly what the stats said for me last time I checked, but I believe it's slightly towards par 4's over par 3's. I know 5's were easiest in terms of scoring for me, but the other two were close to each other.
In general, longer par 3's are going to be by far the hardest of any types of holes out there. but I believe that is fairly consistent in general across golf.
In general, longer par 3's are going to be by far the hardest of any types of holes out there. but I believe that is fairly consistent in general across golf.
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Same thing to a tee....
SunnyWalker
Well-known member
I'm sure I make double bogey or worse on Par 4's more than anywhere else. Occasionally chop up a par 5. Rarely make worse than bogey on a par 3.
Birdies are probably close between par 3's and 5's
Birdies are probably close between par 3's and 5's