Tee Box Decision Breakdown · Play Smarter Golf (8-15 HCP)

Tee Box Decision Breakdown

This is hole #1 at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club in Springfield, MO. This hole is a perfect risk to reward shot tee shot decision that needs to be thought about.

This hole only plays roughly 375 yards, so a short, relatively easy par 4.
The fairway is not the widest, but the rough is forgiving before you start flirting with the creek on the right and the OB on the left.
The circles are shot dispersions with different clubs. How they work is a separate issue, but the top circle is driver (300yds), 2nd is a wood or hybrid (250yds), and bottom is a longer iron (200-225yds).
This hole looks daunting from the tee, making you think that you should try to miss the bunker with a shot that ends up even with it. But this play actually is the hardest shot to pull off because the fairway width is the narrowest even with the fairway bunker.
The circles with the most room for error are circles #1 and #3 because of the wider fairway, and no risk of ending up in the bunker. WE ALL HATE FAIRWAY BUNKERS!

So, this hole either demands a smart layup tee shot around 150 yards to the center, or a confident driver up past the bunker to leave a short wedge shot onto the green. Hitting the fairway with 150 yards to the pin or the rough with 75 yards to the pin have a much less likelihood of making double then trying to hit the slim part of the fairway at 260 and ending up in the fairway bunker. These decisions either get your round off to a GREAT start, or one that will make you wish you had a mulligan in your back pocket.

Reflecting on yourself, which is the likely option for you when stepping up to a shot like this?

Analyze the hole, and act accordingly

Rip driver and hope you hit a good one

Hope you make good contact at all

1 vote

1 comment