Par 5 go for it or not?

Need your opinions on this. the 17th at Crook is a 451 par 5 SI 17.
The first 350 yards is flat. with the last 100 yards been a steep down hill to the green. the hill is right to left with thick bushes on the right and thick bushes on the left. Normally i play this as a par 5 with my drive been to short to allow me to go for it. so i lay up to top of hill then use a wedge in. as normally if you go over the hill the ball runs left and into the bushes. Doing it this way im almost garanteed a boggy at worst.

Resently though with the good weather and better swing my drive is leaving me about 215 in. Now my 3 wood go's about 210. On the attemps i have had with 3 wood i have pushed my 3 wood right into the rubbish and not hit the green yet. So i either nr the hole or strugle to get a 6.

I know the safest play is to lay up but this now means driver/half a wedge/wedge to green.
but it seams a waste of a good drive to do this?

I know the safest play is to lay up but this now means driver/half a wedge/wedge to green.
but it seams a waste of a good drive to do this?

I have to adopt this policy on a few of our par 4's at my club, par fives are well out of reach in three for me.

Remember, Matt, that the game is about, 'how many', not how.

My advice Matt is to go with what you are comfortable with. A massive drive and a second into the woods is a waste, whereas a good drive and two irons onto the green isn't.  With your handicap hitting a 5 or 6 on a par 5 is a result, gambling between a 4 and a 7 isn't.

So I'd probably go for the green in that situation......

Best advice I've ever seen on here was "Don't get a bogey going for a birdie".  I think that pretty much sums it up. 

It does depend on how accurate you are with your fairway woods too Matt.  I'm confident enough with mine to go for it, knowing that if I do miss it won't be by much and will only be a chip on.  It's got to be what's right for you. 

You are indeed very good with your fairway woods, Chris, but you do not always leave a chip on if you miss the green. It is these ones you miss that have a bearing on your handicap not moving. Even the best players play the percentage.

Agreed John.  If it's a green that is surrounded by horrible rough, has a narrow entrance or other similar hazards then I will ensure I don't take enough club for me to get into trouble.  When it's a straight fly in and forgiving to miss the green, then I will have a punt.  Obviously the size of the green will affect that decision too. 

On Matts 17 th I would probably go with driver 5 or 7 wood (depending on whats in the bag) and then mop up with a wedge and 2 putts...

Sorted........

If it's a green that is surrounded by horrible rough, has a narrow entrance or other similar hazards then I will ensure I don't take enough club for me to get into trouble.  When it's a straight fly in and forgiving to miss the green, then I will have a punt.  Obviously the size of the green will affect that decision too.

So going for the green in 2 on the 2nd at the PGa doesn't fall into this category???

This is a good one Matt.

Do you hit your Driver into a position where "going for it" is always the option?

If the answer is no, why not play the hole as a 3shotter from the Tee. 5iron, 5iron, Wedge.

TheLyth

Don't let them all in on my secrets, Lyth. That is the way I play now.

Wednesday had a par 4 hole with a large lake to drive over, way beyond me capabilities, so I took 8 iron off the tee safe, a rescue into another large hitting area and a nice little 9 iron onto the green.

Matt,

Would you recommend playing at Crook, it's a course I've considered playing a few times but never actually got round to playing it?

Hi Matt,

Have to say I may be a bit saddistic but I like hilly courses. I don't start work until 4pm so I'm available almost everyday. Weekends are a problem as it's the only time I see the missus, and she wouldn't be too happy if I went golfing. Although she works every other Saturday so I could play on one of those Saturdays.

If you fancy a game Monday to Thursday (Tuesday and Wednesday probably best tho' gimme a shout Matt. I don't mind travelling anywhere in the north east as you'll see from my courses played!

 Intersting one this as it depends what (or who) you're playing. Medal is all about %ages to me though I usually will go for it if it's 4 ironable, maybe a 3 if breeze against.

 Matchplay is different: if you're playing someone you know on a Par 5, giving them a shot and it's fairly easy ie they may drive,  5 wood and wedge over the lake then you're going to have to think about a birdie to half so you are under pressure to go for it. It's a gamble but if you're on in two that really puts the pressure on them, if you miss then you'll probably have lost the hole anyway.

 This could be related to handicap/sss thread as I do feel that some stroke indexes are absolutely ridiculous, the par 5 10th at Aldwark manor for example is SI 1, I know there's a lake there but you've got to say it's an easy par. I've seen a lot of par 5 holes that are rated 1 to 3 and they're easy meat for the average golfer so when you're giving a shot away it feels like you're p*ssing into the wind

Come down and play the Wellington at my club, Patrick, not one par five will you get on in two shots. I cannot get on them in three shots.

 I don't doubt it John. My point is that a handicap system is supposed to create a level playing field but I really do think that par 5's that are getable in two definately disadvantage the lower handicapper so they should be way down the SI. There will always be exceptions but I hope I've put my point accross. Lets have more par 5's where the lengh is nearer 600yds than 500yds or there is a severe dogleg that rewards an accurate shot and crucifies a poor one.

Comment by Ian Poulter in the press this morning.

As I see it, there are two issues that need to be considered when lengthening a course to daft proportions. Craft and guile should be a part of the game, as well as pace of play, and should not be ignored in the chase to provide ever longer courses - it does not necessarily make for better entertainment. On top of that, what about the spectators? Make it too much of a slog and it becomes a bore. And that is no good for anybody.

He was stating that the leaderboard at the USPGA is littered with the longest hitters as 3 of the par fives are over 600 yards, thus depriving the majority of the field the ability to reach these par fives in two shots which is where the professionals are looking to pick up shots.

When I could play the game par fives were the holes that I was most likely to pick up shots, now unfortunately they are a guaranteed dropped shot at best.

 I agree with what he's saying but that's from a different perspective. I do agree that featureless long par 5's are a drag but at least they do give the low handicapper an advantage as I find higher handicappers in general find it harder to hit a long ball off the fairway (no doubt 'll get slated for that) which can mean they can't reach in three, tho they have had help with the event of hybrids. 

 I was talking about a matchplay situation ie if I'm standing on a tee and giving my opponent a stroke it would be ok if he had to at least have to take a risk with one of the shots on that hole ie needing to hit a perfect drive or an approach shot of 180yds where there are penalties if the shots are not good.

You must have made a right mess of feint!!!!!!

I think I remember the hole Matt, 16th fairway on your right and 18th fairway on your left. From what I recall there's a tree on the right middle of the fairway about 230-240 yards down too with a funny looking wall/bridge in front of the green also, or it might have been a ditch. I remember going for the green in 2 after a short drive and just coming up short, it is a short par 5 though. My tip would be to make sure you're on the green in 3 shots, play it like a long par 4. If you do that then you'll make par, but you'll also have your 1 putt birdies too. A small green to hit if I remember right.

Paul