Would you ever consider playing a par5 with a lay up tee shot?

[mikedean441]

yes Ive done it, quite a bit too, play for par and not trying to be a hero

 

[AMart]

Very rarely do I have the length to get there in 2 so I'm always playing for position to make a GIR and have a putt for par.

 

[Agent Jay]

I've thought about it, and I have done this before, but not very often. The example your bring up is a good one, but there hasn't been to many par 5's that I have played where laying up is the right decision. I'm not saying I haven't ever taken less than a driver off the tee of a Par 5, I have, just not often.

 

[golf4life]

I really dislike par 5s that pinch down fairways at 225-275 yards. On the flip side, I love par 5s that give you a choice with a forced carry that gets longer the further you want to hit the ball (the proverbial risk/reward hole).

Regardless if I can reach the par 5 in two or not, I'm going to hit driver whenever the landing area for my drive is reasonable. Hitting to a number with my second shot is much easier with an 8 iron than a hybrid. For those occasions that the course designer does silly things (dogleg at 200 yards for par 5, landing area 15 yards wide between trees) I will pull hybrid or long iron and lay up. Never enjoy it though.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

We have a par five at my home course that has OB all the way from tee to green down the rights side and a creek at 230 yards which has a huge tree on the left at the creek (and the OB right). The opening there is just 55 yards wide. For me now at my age it is a hybrid off the tee laying up at the creek. From there you still have 280 yards (blind shot as well as you can't see the green from there). There has not been an eagle on the hole in close to twenty years.

 

[Drumdog]

I have done it too, but not very often. If the fairway is open for a drive, I will do it. Then lay up if needed with a shorter iron.

 

[rbarthle17]

If my driving distance is going to put me in trouble, I'll back down regardless of the next shot. Otherwise I'll take a full swing and determine my next shot from there.

From there, if I can't get to the green I try to get it to my ideal layup spot, a full PW (about 130 out), or within distance of my C wedge (no more than 60 out) if I can do it. I'd prefer to avoid between 65-95 if I can because that's too far for the C wedge and is a partial club for my GW.

Talking strictly on distance, I drive between 250-270 for the most part, and my 3h maxes out around 210, though I'm still new to the idea of hitting long clubs well. Used to be that I'd max out at going for the green at 165 or so.

But all that is taken without consideration to the hole. Where is the trouble at? Would I be better going over trouble around the 130 out mark and try to get to my C wedge zone or vice-versa? Where is the trouble around the green, is it better for me to set up a bump and run and avoid trouble left or right, or do I have safe misses? All of that determines my strategy.But bottom line, layups are never a bad thing in my book.

Once I got that in my head about 2 years ago, my game improved a lot. So if I can get a full driver out safely, I'll happily go driver, PW, PW if the hole calls for it.

 

[OITW]

If it will help me score better, I have no problem laying up. As my buddy says "You didn't drive all this way to layup." My retort is usually "Correct, but I didn't drive all this way to shoot 100+."

 

[Golf Ghost]

Quite often. I don't usually go for par 5s in 2 anyways so I've hit anything from 3w to 5i off the tee.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[GenErr]

We lay up off the tee on a few par 5's we play. Two of them have sharp doglegs left. Our first hole is a par 5 double dogleg, that requires a 5 or 6 iron tee shot, a 5 or 6 iron second shot and anything from an 8-iron/LW to the green.

 

[rollin]

We have a par five at my home course that has OB all the way from tee to green down the rights side and a creek at 230 yards which has a huge tree on the left at the creek (and the OB right). The opening there is just 55 yards wide. For me now at my age it is a hybrid off the tee laying up at the creek. From there you still have 280 yards (blind shot as well as you can't see the green from there). There has not been an eagle on the hole in close to twenty years.

Great example hole imo. This looks like a hard hole. Long, narrow fairway, green seems not large and also tucked away pretty good too. Even a good drive if on the fairway and long would still mean lay up for me with that green and leftover distance. So then the question fits the topic of considering a layup tee shot. I can carry the creek but its narrow and going to be 3shots anyway. This may be a 4 or 5iron prior to creek and then a 4i or 5w far down as i can get and then a pw or aw in.

Very interesting hole. Even with no bunkers from what i can see and a hard one. I think a par on this one would feel very satisfying.

 

[rbarthle17]

Would you ever consider playing a par5 with a lay up tee shot?

We have a par five at my home course that has OB all the way from tee to green down the rights side and a creek at 230 yards which has a huge tree on the left at the creek (and the OB right). The opening there is just 55 yards wide. For me now at my age it is a hybrid off the tee laying up at the creek. From there you still have 280 yards (blind shot as well as you can't see the green from there). There has not been an eagle on the hole in close to twenty years.

This is a good example hole. That creek doesn't worry me I can carry is easily and I hit a high ball so I am guessing the tree shouldn't be an issue either? My misses tend to be left so right OB doesn't worry me too much, plus I'd play for the left side.

After that though, I'm still looking at around 240 to the green, and I don't have that shot in my bag. How far out is the end of the fairway from the green, 50 yards? That's probably where I'd play to and set up either my GW if I need to carry it all the way to the green, or my CW (preferred choice) if I can have it run up there some.

So, driver, 5hy, CW/GW for me, and I'll be perfectly happy with two putts for par.

 

[GaBubba]

#9 on our course has a fairly tight tee shot, but it opens up as you get closer to the hole. I used to regularly play this 5i/3w/w:

But my long irons have been crap lately, so now it's usually 5w/5w/w

 

[rbarthle17]

Here's a hole I tend to back off on. 250y out is a choke point. If you can get through that and stay on the fairway, going for it in 2 is doable. Miss right, you lie can give you access to the fairway across the pond but the green is blocked. Miss left and you're dead, 90% of the time it's an unplayable in the rocks before the trees protecting the Buckeye #2 tee box, or a lost ball. Landing on the #2 tee box gives you nowhere to go.

Even if you get it past the choke point, the green is 2 clubs uphill from all points on the fairway. So the 170y shot from the choke point is playing closer to a 190-200 club. The sand trap to the right of the green is at the bottom of the hill. Bunker shot has to go high and far. To the left is a severe uphill lie with trees blocking you from the green. If you can get it there, flying over the green is a safe miss. The green is decently sloped back to front.

Depending on how my driver is going, I will either swing a 3/4 driver or hit my 3hy which on the tee I can get out to about 210. My goal is to be on the left side of the fairway short of or around the choke point. Only one time did I hit a full driver past the choke point, and I got on the green in two with 150y left to the hole for a second shot. I've been in those right trees many times because left is dead.

I will usually play my second shot (if I can) to the end of the fairway. That 90y shot is more like 110-120, so I can swing a 90% PW and be on, or a full PW and be on the back. To me it's better than facing that bunker shot.

 

[swellins]

I do this all the time, no point at all in making things harder than they need to be!

 

[kozmo]

I layup on par 5s often. There's a course that I play a few times a year & 2 of the par 5s I have to layup off the tee because of water or trees I would hit into if I hit driver off the tee. Usually I go with a 3,4, or 5i off the tee depending on the yardages I get. But I have no problems with laying up on a par 5 off the tee.

 

[Mulligan9111]

Only reason I'd lay up for a tee shot on a par 5 is if there is trouble that I have to avoid. Otherwise I'll pull driver every time and then see where I am yardage wise for my 2nd.

 

[StLCardsFan]

I've thought about it, but don't recall ever doing it, other than maybe 3W instead of driver to play for position (unless course layout all but requires a lay up of course). A couple of reasons for me. One, as a longer hitter, I always want to at the very least try to have a shot to reach in two. Sometimes that doesn't work out and I lay up anyway, but I still want to see if I get that chance. Secondly, I think I puts a ton of pressure on the second shot. For instance, if the goal is to hit two shots 400+ yards to get in position for the 3rd, I'd much rather go driver then a 6-7-8 from wherever the drive ended up than have to pure a 4-iron or hybrid off the deck to get to that same area. For me, there is a lot more that can go wrong with a 4-iron than a 7 or 8.

 

[Fourputt]

Your on a P5 (not super long) and you know is not reachable or too dangerous to attempt and you never try even after a good drive.

In discussing managing ones game I've often discussed putting myself in position "A" on a basic P4 even if that means using a lay up tee shot vs the driver/3wood. The idea would be to play to your strengths and play to what the course gives you. At least for better management of certain holes for me over all. Many have agreed with such logic and say they also play sinilarly.

Well what about a P5 in the above scenario? Knowing its a 3shot hole for you would you consider lay up tee shot? Sort of with the same logic of being in position "A" as on the P4 but we now look at two positions instead. The logic here is to obtain position "A" to best help set up for and then obtain positon "B".

Perhaps for examples = 5w, 6iron, wedge. Or may be 4iron, 4 iron, wedge. Or maybe 3hyb, 5iron, wedge. Whatever, but you get the point. or is it alwys a big stick for the longest tee shot regardless.

Of course I would. I've done it many times. One par 5 on my home course almost requires it. A person who knows his game and how to manage the course is gong to play the shot that gives him the best chance for the lowest score. If that means laying up on a par 5, then it's the right shot to play.

I would not layup, it puts way too much pressure on the 2nd shot. It almost forces one to use a wood from the fairway on their second.

Now I'm not above taking a 4w off the tee for position but I know I can get after that if need be

Why would a 4.6 index worry about playing a wood from the fairway? That seems illogical to me.

 

[ArmyGolf]

This isn't something I like to do at all. My mid/long game really sucks except for a few key yardages I can play well so typically I always want to be as close to the hole as possible after my drive.
I'm more comfortable with DR - PW - SW or Dr - hybo - chip than I am with Hybo - hybo - loft wedge...but that's just me.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Great example hole imo. This looks like a hard hole. Long, narrow fairway, green seems not large and also tucked away pretty good too. Even a good drive if on the fairway and long would still mean lay up for me with that green and leftover distance. So then the question fits the topic of considering a layup tee shot. I can carry the creek but its narrow and going to be 3shots anyway. This may be a 4 or 5iron prior to creek and then a 4i or 5w far down as i can get and then a pw or aw in.

Very interesting hole. Even with no bunkers from what i can see and a hard one. I think a par on this one would feel very satisfying.

For me it is always a layup to the creek which is around 190/200 yds. From there, it is blind over a hill past the creek to the end of the fairway which is another 200+ yard shot. There is a pond left and with the OB right, there is no room for mistakes on either the tee shot or the second shot. To make it even tougher yet, there is an old Box Elder tree that hangs over the front of the green so approach shots are either low punch shots or high over the tree shots depending how close you end up to the tree.

This hole has been rated the hardest hole in our area.

This is a good example hole. That creek doesn't worry me I can carry is easily and I hit a high ball so I am guessing the tree shouldn't be an issue either? My misses tend to be left so right OB doesn't worry me too much, plus I'd play for the left side.

After that though, I'm still looking at around 240 to the green, and I don't have that shot in my bag. How far out is the end of the fairway from the green, 50 yards? That's probably where I'd play to and set up either my GW if I need to carry it all the way to the green, or my CW (preferred choice) if I can have it run up there some.

So, driver, 5hy, CW/GW for me, and I'll be perfectly happy with two putts for par.

The tree left at the creek is a towering cotton wood. Thousands of balls have hit that tree and knocked the shot down into the creek. The best shot with driver off the tee is a draw, aiming down the right OB side. My brother in law plays it that way and often makes it well over the creek but now and then he loses one right into the OB area which is death on this hole. Hitting three from the tee here leaves you normally with a high number.

The OB is less than 10 yards on the right side of the green and there are two more huge trees to the left. Tough hole. It takes three perfect shots just to make par most of the time with the rare birdie now and then.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Here's a hole I tend to back off on. 250y out is a choke point. If you can get through that and stay on the fairway, going for it in 2 is doable. Miss right, you lie can give you access to the fairway across the pond but the green is blocked. Miss left and you're dead, 90% of the time it's an unplayable in the rocks before the trees protecting the Buckeye #2 tee box, or a lost ball. Landing on the #2 tee box gives you nowhere to go.

Even if you get it past the choke point, the green is 2 clubs uphill from all points on the fairway. So the 170y shot from the choke point is playing closer to a 190-200 club. The sand trap to the right of the green is at the bottom of the hill. Bunker shot has to go high and far. To the left is a severe uphill lie with trees blocking you from the green. If you can get it there, flying over the green is a safe miss. The green is decently sloped back to front.

Depending on how my driver is going, I will either swing a 3/4 driver or hit my 3hy which on the tee I can get out to about 210. My goal is to be on the left side of the fairway short of or around the choke point. Only one time did I hit a full driver past the choke point, and I got on the green in two with 150y left to the hole for a second shot. I've been in those right trees many times because left is dead.

I will usually play my second shot (if I can) to the end of the fairway. That 90y shot is more like 110-120, so I can swing a 90% PW and be on, or a full PW and be on the back. To me it's better than facing that bunker shot.

That hole is with out a doubt a tough one. Par looks good from what I see.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

#9 on our course has a fairly tight tee shot, but it opens up as you get closer to the hole. I used to regularly play this 5i/3w/w:

But my long irons have been crap lately, so now it's usually 5w/5w/w

I like the 5w / 5w / w on this one also. Maybe a 3 w for the second shot depending on the distance. I'd want to be at 85/90 yards for the wedge shot if possible. That is one shot I have. I'm always playing to number for the approach.

 

[Fourputt]

This is the par 5 sixth hole on my home course. The card length is 530 yards, and it's the #3 handicap hole.

The red line is the gonzo shot. I drew it 300 yards long just for reference but you can't hit a straight shot and expect it to be in play. The trees at the end of the lake are about 50 feet high and it's a 225 carry just to get to them. It takes a draw to even think about taking a line near that, and a very high draw with a massively long shot at that. Or a strong but controlled hook out to the right around the trees, then back into the fairway beyond the lake.

The green line is 235 from the tee, then 200 on the second leg, with 95 left for the third. You want to be as close to the left side of the fairway as possible off the tee to have a good angle for the second shot, but there is an irrigation ditch between the fairway and the lake to add a little more fun. The ditch runs the entire length of the hole except for a short 40 yard long section which was run through a culvert a few years ago in an effort to speed up play on the hole. At only 8-10 feet wide it doesn't look like much, but you'd be amazed at how many times it is hit into. You can comfortably lay back even farther off the tee, leaving an even better angle for the second, and playing to leave a 130-150 yard approach for your third. It all depends on your comfort zone with the clubs needed for the various shots.

In the 100 yard landing area, the fairway slopes left (green arrows) and balls can easily roll into the grove of trees, and those are blue spruces, completely impenetrable. Too long off the tee and you have a bad angle for the second, with no real shot at the green because of the trees at the end of the fairway and the big tree down near the green.

It isn't mandatory to lay up, but not doing so is more likely to be punished than rewarded.


Untitled-1 by Preeb, on Flickr

 

[Oregon Jack]

if it's short i don't see a point in doing it.