Par 3...lay up?

If you want the best score and you don't feel confident of hitting through the trees, I would layup. It is better to hit a shot you are confident with than a risky shot with no confience. The only other suggestion I can give you is stop sucking at golf and learn the hit good shots.

I try to not lay-up whenever possible. To me, laying up all the time is a mental handicap for the progression of your game. If you always lay-up you're never going to challenge yourself, and are never going to get better.

When I play with my friends, I ALWAYS take the risky shots - there is no penalty. If I'm playing with my girlfriends dad, yeah, I'll lay it up. I don't think your buddys would care.

160 yards isn't exactly an impossible feat either. With a little work, im positive that you can get it on there consistantly. It's always nice to hear an "OHHHH!" from some random people watching, especially when it's not because your ball almost hit them.

I used to have this problem too, here's my story.

310 yard par 4

The pin is located dog-leg left, and high on a hill. You can't see the pin from the tee box. I usually hit a soft 9 (straight), and a booming 6 (left and up the hill) to get on. I've always played this hole the same way, and have never been able to birdie. This is probably the hardest hole on the couse, because the green is VERY shallow, and you can't see the exact location of the pin, only that if it's right, or left. There're houses behind, so you can't just "slam and guess".

I had a bit to drink, and was feeling a little bit brave. I took a range ball out of my bag and told my self "**** it, I can get within chipping distance with my driver in one shot." I teed up, aimed straight at the trees and let loose. After the rest of the party teed off, we hoped in our carts. When we got arround the bend, I saw that my ball had landed 90% up the hill. Needless to say I took my trusty SW and ran it 2 ft from the hole. I tapped in for birdie, and in turn, changed my golf philosophy forever ^.^

Let me say that for me 160 yards would be a normal 5 iron, from the fairway. Playing from a tee with a "perfect lie" I'd probably get a bit more.

The trouble with this hole is that if you don't hit the green there is a strong likelihood that you'll be in serious trouble. The fairway ends where the little creek runs across and the trees begin. Between that point and the green there's uneven ground, pine needles, roots, etc. On either side, trees, saplings. If you miss the 20 yard gap through to the green, there's a good chance you'll hit trees and ricochet into an unplayable lie or lose the ball in the gulley where the creek is. If you can hit straight onto the green, there's no need to go over the trees.

Conceptually, I find it best to think of this as an "island" green 60 yards from the near bank. If you miss it, you're not necessarily in water, but you're very likely to lose a stroke one way or another. I've seen plenty of better golfers than me (who isn't?) take a 5 or worse on this hole. I know that there are also plenty who aren't fazed by having to hit a green from 160 yards straight off the tee.

It reminds me of another par 3, on a different course. This one is a mere 130 yards. BUT...it's a nasty bugger. The green is at the top of a steep hill, 30 or 40 yards up. There's only 20 or so yards or fairway between the top of the hill and the green. The hill itself is covered with long weeds, woodchuck holes, branches, etc., and it's hard just to get a foothold. On either side there's deep forest. On this hole there's no possibility of laying up or you'll likely hit it into the side of the hill or into a woodchuck hole. I play this hole with an 8 iron, and I have managed to hit the green, and even shot a par a few times. But it's very intimidating because if the tee shot isn't properly lofted and pretty straight, this hole is likely to be a train wreck.

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Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller

LOL! We don't have woodchucks in Hawaii. I could just immagine teeing off and you see this thing pop out of the gound, like some cartoon. This is probably the second-crazyest thing I've heard on these forums, other then crows that steal balls.

I guess we deserve "no animal interference" for having to pay 5 bucks for a box of cereal.

Whats behind the green?
If there is just grass then the percentage shot is a 7iron.
If you catch it 100% then you might be over the back, but probably not, unless the green is only 10yrds deep.
If you mishit it, which is likely for a 100+ player then you still have a chance at reaching the green.
The most common high handicapper mistake is clubbing yourself for the 100% shot, if you always hit the ball 100% you wouldnt be a high handicapper!

Behind the green is a steep grassy slope, about 10-15 yards, then bushes and brambles. But you might be right about the 7 iron; I'll give that a try next time I'm there.

This entire course is very unforgiving, even though it's only a par 62. It's carved out of a "wilderness" section of Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, and on many holes the rough is quite deep--easily deep enough to lose the ball. And often there is no possibility of hitting into an adjacent fairway; if you're that far off, the ball is in the woods and probably gone for good. On the back nine especially the terrain is very rugged.

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Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller

Billy Casper layed at the Par 3 3rd in every round of the '59 US Open and par'd every time, on the way to winning the comp'.

The lower the par the harder the course.
For example, on a par 5 you have maybe 2 bad shots that you can make up, e.g. a bad drive and a bad second still leaves you a chance with being on in regulation.
On a Par 4 you only have 1
On a par 3 you have none, if you miss the green you need to do something Opecial to make par.

Of course you do unless you lay up,

We have a par 3 215yds I hit a 3/4/5 iron depending on conditions but I usually just get to the front edge, if I hit a 2 iron or 5/3 wood I could get on easy but if I miss we have a drop of the back and very bad bunkers both sides...........

Thus I always hit the club that just gets me short or creaps on....................simple I score 3 quite alot and I score 4 alot too but I very very rarely score 5, from the bunkers or over the back 5 is easy.

I just have to make birdie somewhere else thats all.............................I know easier said than done.


Ian.

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Once you learn the swing, your next step is mastering golf psychology................

another possibility is to move 2 club lengths back from the tee box, choke up on a 5 or 7 wood and play to the back of the green.

The length of 2 clubs is not going to be enough to offset switching from a 5 iron to a 5 wood, at least it wouldnt for me...

I played 9 last night, and was faced with a similar situation - do I lay up, or go for the green (with trouble surrounding it). I had been playing 'smart golf' all day (I was +6 going in). I didn't think I had a club for the yardage (190 yards - I stop with a 19° hybrid, then go to driver), so I aimed at the right side, (pin was on the left) away from all the trouble.

Well. I hit a sprinklerhead on the fly, and my ball went OB. Absolutely cranked it, though.

Re-tee, and get on the green! My pitch mark was on the front edge (1") and the ball had rolled to the back of the green. I had actually tried to lay up, and got lucky.

But for the situation par 3, if you were worried about hitting it straight, I'd lay up, get on, two putt, and take my bogey.

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True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

You did not say which number hole this particular par 3 is, but if it is far enough into the sequence of this track, play the shot you have that day. By that I mean if you find you are hitting the ball reasonably well that day, and your confidence is high, then take a shot at this green. If for some reason your "A" game is not available to you that day, then take a safer, more confident route.

I can usually tell by the 2nd, or 3rd hole how I going to play the rest of my round. Based on those first 2 or 3 holes, I know if I can play aggressive, or if I need to put a little more thought into what I need to do to score well.

If you have time, drop a few balls and get some practice in on the particular hole....GJS