white_tiger_137

Here's how it works: I'll put up a situation you might come across during a tournament. You tell everyone how you would play it, then post a different situation for the next person. Here's the first one:

You come into the last hole, a tough, 200 yard par 3, with OB left, with a one stroke lead. You have the honors. You know you can get there with a 3 iron but you have a tendancy to hook the ball. If you par, you're pretty much guaranteed a tie at worst. If you go OB, your opponent can bogey and force a playoff. There's no hazard to the right of the green. If you aim right, you might not par, opening the door for your opponent to birdie or par to win outright or force a playoff. Do you lay up, hoping you'll get up and down and your opponent won't birdie or par, or do you go for it, knowing that if you mess up, you just handed him the tournament?

P.S. This is a situation that really happened to someone I know.

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fitz-uk

I'd go for the sensible play, maybe take 1 club less and try to get up and down. I'm not normally one for taking the sensible option but at the end of the day make your opponent beat you. Don't lose the game because of a bad judgement call. It is better to be beaten than to lose.

Ok scenario #2

Par 5

You have gone past the green in two, 25 yards away from the green. In between you and the green is a medium sized tree 30 ft tall but wide enough to block your entire view of the green. In front of you is a small green side bunker. You cant play your usual chip shot because the tree is totally blocking you out.

Do you;

a) Play a bump and run underneath the branches hoping that the ball wont stop before the green. The upside is that this is a reasonably safe shot, the downside is that if you dont aim far enough away from the flag you bring the bunker into play, then hope that you can 2 putt or better from 30+ feet away to secure your par.

b) Open your sand iron and play a flop shot over the tree, straight over the bunker and aim at the flag. If you pull this off well you give yourself a chance at the birdie. If you skull it you are into the tree or worse through the green out the other side, if you dont give it enough juice you are in the bunker.

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DennisM

My solution to the tree trouble could go either way depending on my lie. With a good lie, I'd hit the flop shot. With a buried lie in the rough or a bare lie, I'd have to punch it into the trap, knowing I'm I pretty good bunker player and usually get up and down.

Since the scenario suggests missing the green 25 YARDS past, (not 25 FEET), I'm going to presume I would be in rough and lean towards #2.

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Deinner just arrived... I'll post a new problem later...

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blue3715

Off the tree, glance the rake, hit the cart path, deflect onto the green, roll into the hole (nothing but net).

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Ping G2 Driver, Callaway Steelhead III 4-wd and 7-wd.
Callaway X-18 Proseries 3i-PW.
Callaway X-Tour 52d gap wedge
Callaway X-Tour 58d lob/sand wedge
Odyssey Dual-force Rossie II (mallet head) putter.
Pro-V1x only (baby!)

Play at a private NJ g.c.

DennisM

ROFL... That was the answer to my problem... Just like Jeopardy, what's the question?

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white_tiger_137

You, sir, are the best person to ever walk the face of the earth. You also now have the honor of being the first person to get quoted in my sig!

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blue3715

I'd like to thank the academy, my agent, my family, and not least my caddy, who conveniently dropped my bag in my opponents back swing.

__________________
Ping G2 Driver, Callaway Steelhead III 4-wd and 7-wd.
Callaway X-18 Proseries 3i-PW.
Callaway X-Tour 52d gap wedge
Callaway X-Tour 58d lob/sand wedge
Odyssey Dual-force Rossie II (mallet head) putter.
Pro-V1x only (baby!)

Play at a private NJ g.c.

DennisM

Your drive on the 5th hole is in the right rough laying 15 feet behind a good sized tree directly between you and the green. The green is 150 yards away.

Because of the large overhang, you realize you can't go over the tree. You have to hook or fade around it.

Off the left rough is OB. To your right is water. Which way do you go?

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fitz-uk

If it was me, I would take a 4 iron and cut a punch shot underneath the tree. As long as the ball moves forward and stays in play thats good enough for me.

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blue3715

Take your medicine and punch out with a 6 or 7 iron. Try to get about 20 yards forward to leave you 130 or less. Don't be a hero. Take the 5, don't risk a 6 or 7.

__________________
Ping G2 Driver, Callaway Steelhead III 4-wd and 7-wd.
Callaway X-18 Proseries 3i-PW.
Callaway X-Tour 52d gap wedge
Callaway X-Tour 58d lob/sand wedge
Odyssey Dual-force Rossie II (mallet head) putter.
Pro-V1x only (baby!)

Play at a private NJ g.c.