Started at 68°, low humidity and a 3 mph breeze. I was unable to smooth out my tempo today, so some shots were a total disaster, while others were ok. I believe that a lot of this is caused by the shorter hole length which causes me to try to hit the ball further and forces me into situations where I'm lulled into hitting questionable shots. I've found that, for me, the course plays easier from the white tees as opposed to the green. I know that sounds like an excuse, but I firmly believe it to be true. Now all I have to do is find a resolution to the problem (mental and physical) and adjust my game accordingly. If it's not one thing it's another, but then, I suppose that is why we love this game!
Robert Palmer says:Example: #6, and Par 4, 349 yds from the white, but only 265 from the green. I am capable of driving the green from the shorter tees, but that creates the "risk" of hitting the drive into the gunch on the right, the water runoff ditch also on the right, or hooking it into the tree line of the left (no escape there unless you waste a shot by punching out). The 7th hole is a straight away par 5, with yardage ranging from 473 (white) to 390 (green). A slight miss right of left will funnel back into the fairway, but only the longest hitters can get to the uphill green in two, if they can avoid the oak tree on the right and avoid the unseen bunker on their shot uphill. In my opinion, the shorter tees create a situation where it teases you to make the riskier shot due to the shorter yardage. It is hard for me to resist the temptation. These are just two examples, but there are many more available.
9/10/23
