Golf Scene

I can`t tell you how many times I have watched an amateur turn an easy par 5 into a nightmare. It is almost like there is a set of unwritten rules in the amateur play book that state, ‘you HAVE to hit a driver’ and then ‘you HAVE to hit a 3 wood’ on ALL par 5s.

No exceptions, don`t think, don`t analyse, just hit a driver and a 3 wood.

I have seen guys hit a good drive and put themselves into a great position and then, as expected, out comes the 3 wood. Next thing you know they are deep in the desert, dodging snakes while looking for their ball and hoping to find it so that they can make a double instead of a quadruple.

Most par 5s are built for feast or famine. Water or bunkers generally guard the greens, which makes hitting the green virtually impossible. Remember, they are built to be a thinker’s hole. The architects designed them for the golfer to be smart and to make players work to get the best third shot possible.

If you are comfortable hitting an 8 or 9 iron, lay up to that yardage. If you are comfortable hitting a wedge, lay up to that yardage. You will have a better shot of hitting the green from your comfort zone compared to trying to drive the green in two or hitting a touchy half sand wedge to the green. Not to mention those big numbers that can come into play if you put it into the green-side hazards.

When driving, if you are not on a par 5 with an exceptionally large landing area, hit something that you know you are going to hit the fairway with like a long iron or 3 wood, whichever you are most comfortable with. Your goal is to just put the ball in play.

For the second shot, don`t even think of going for the green unless you have a realistic chance of reaching it by using a middle iron.

If you have to get there with a 3 wood, forget it. When laying up, play to the side of the fairway which will give you the best angle of attack on your third shot and keep in mind your lay-up yardage to be sure you stay in your comfort zone for the next shot.

If you are smart off the tee and lay up to your comfort zone, you will eliminate the big numbers that seem to creep up on many amateurs while playing par 5s.

Use your brain on the par 5s, not the ‘driver, 3-wood playbook’ that most amateurs use. Your score will go down and your enjoyment of the game will go up. What could be better?

*Check out www.theroyalgolfclub.com/academy/lessons-and-packages