Moral Dilemma!

I've got a moral dillemma I'd like to share with you all.

Let me setup the problem.

The first hole on the Priors course at Stapleford Abbotts GC is a par 5 (470 yds, SI 5) hole.  The white and yellow tees are right next to the car park.  Right in front of the tee box is a reservoir.  A rough circle in shape and about 95 yards across.

I normally hit a driver from the tee, then hit a mid iron to layup short of the pond that guards the front of the green.  The green is a good size but is narrow, and from the fairway its a wide green but only about 15 yards wide.  There are mounds behind the green so if you go too far through the green you could have a nasty downhill chip.

To me the gamble is not worth the risk, so I layup with my second shot and rely on hitting the green with my third shot.  If I get this on the green and two putt then I walk away with a par.  I'm happy as I get a shot on this hole.

For those of you who have played here this is a lovely opening hole.

So the scene is set, so here is my problem.

They have moved the white and yellow tees to the ladies tee box, which has the reservoir behind it.  The hole from the ladies tee is only 359 yards long, which is a par 4 to me!

My normal drive ends up between 200 and 230 yards, so if I hit my driver I'd be able to go for the green in two.

But for the last four rounds I've played this hole I've taken an iron from the tee and laid up with my second shot, just like I would do when playing from the men's tee.

The reason I do this is because I've never had a birdie on this hole and I feel it would be wrong to try and get a birdie when we are using the ladie's tee box.

They also have a short par 5 hole (15th), which from the front tees is really only a par 4, but I always play this hole from the back tees (they have two sets of tees for this hole).

So what would you do?  Would you take advantage of this hole being shortened?

Russ

I don't think there is a great dilemma here.  One of the joys of golf is that the conditions and course set up are different every time you play.  In the winter there are a number of things that can make playing harder, cold and windy weather, less run on the fariways, iced up greens but there are also things that are easier, bouncing balls off frozen ponds, greens that are easier to hold a ball on, slower putting surfaces and sometimes shortened holes.  I would go for the green in two if you can make it.

The only dilemma is whether a good score on a winter set up course should be handicap tracked.  There I think the answer is no as the SSS for the course will be judged on the summer set up.  So get the best score you can on a winter set up and enjoy it but wait to the spring to improove your handicap.

Russ

Having played the Priors alot, I have to say that during the summer months, if you can get a little fade going on the first, over the direction pole, that should give you enough spin to get down the fairway a fair bit and leave a long iron/rescue into the green. with the mounds behind if you go long it will take out a bit of sting and either leave you on the far side of the mounds to leave a fairly easy lob over to be near the pin, or just give a little tickle with the flat stick to get on and down the mound. During the winter however, i go your way, layup, due to the lack of role.

My honest answer to the moral dilemma...

Always go for the birdie, if it doesnt come off, there are plenty of other holes to make shots up on, and if it does, from a psycological point of view, you are on to a winner.

had an 81 round there with a 10 on the SI 1 hole.

go for it mate.

Go for it, I would go for it from the normal tee's

No dilemma at all (mainly because I have no morals).  If you can get there in two (at 359 yards you should be able to), go for it in two.  If you miss you should be close enough to chip on and that's no different to laying up. 

I think you're taking the right approach in summer though. 

After reading all the replies to my post and being astounded by the total lack of golfing morals from you all...    lol

I decided that on today's round I would go for it.

So I took out my driver and swung away.

I must have been a bit cold because my tee shot went too high.

Pacing out the yardage I had hit my driver 200 yards, this left 163 yards to the centre of the green according to my GPS.

160 is normally a six iron for me and seeing as the ball was on the fairway, just!  And it was on a slight downhill lie, with the green lower than the ball I decided a six it would be.

Well I hit the ball well but it was five yards short of making the pond!  SPLASH!!!!

So I took my drop, which left me with 63 yards to the hole, and landed my shot on the green, about ten feet from the hole.

My first putt lipped the hole and left me with a two footer for a six!

So much for going for it...   lol

If I had just took a five iron from the tee and layed up with my second I could have had a five.

After my round I went back to the first tee and played two balls.

One landed on the fairway and one was just off it, but nearer the hole.

I put one on the green and one was just short, between the pond and the green.

So would you believe it!  I three putted the one on the green and took a chip and two putts with the other ball, so I hit a par with both balls.

Well that's the way it is when playing golf.

Russ

Russ, I have played your first hole many times, probably more than you at the moment, as you have not been a member very long there. Being the first hole, it brings first hole pressures, of the OOB on the right hand corner, which is the only route for a very long drive to enable a second shot to the green. I have hit this green in two a number of times, but the drive has to be long.

The winter tee being the other side of the pond makes it always a two shotter as it is short par 4 from there.

I like the Priors, it is a nice interesting course with some excellent holes, 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 17th and the card breaker itself the famous 18th.