Most golfers like playing on wide holes.
They feel much less pressure because they don't have to be as accurate.
Unlike narrow holes, which often demand pinpoint accuracy, wide holes allow for mistakes.
You can mis-hit one off the tee and you won't always be penalized.
With luck, you might still have a decent approach shot.
That's why many golfers attack wide-open holes in an effort to shave strokes off their scores and their golf handicaps.
But don't be fooled.
Wide-open holes can be touchy.
Their openness often fools golfers into missing obvious trouble spots.
That's why smart golfers never take these holes for granted.
They can hurt your scores and your golf handicap just as much as narrow ones.
In my golf instruction sessions, we teach students to view holes not as wide or narrow, but as "penal" or "non-penal.
" This approach encourages golfers to look for challenges on holes regardless of what they look like.
Forcing Players To Think Skilled golf course architects don't try to dictate the method of play.
Instead, they create holes that force players to think.
Often, they rely on strategic risk-reward hazards and on angles that tempt players into play toward the edges of the golf course.
For example, narrow holes place a premium on being "down the middle.
" But that's not always the best approach on wide hoes.
Sometimes, it's better playing close to a rough or a hazard with a driver.
On some holes, like doglegs, playing close to the edge cuts 20 yards to 30 yards off the hole.
Take the par 5 14th on the Old Course at St.
Andrews-among the most strategic holes in all of golf.
The hole supports multiple strategies and routes.
It rewards good choices and penalizes bad ones.
Golfers are challenged by the lay of the land, the wind, and their own capabilities.
To reach the flat plateau of what is called the "Elysian Fields," which gives golfers a chance to get to the green into two, golfers must risk a severe penalty-out of bounds down the right side.
The safer left side, on the other hand, brings into play a series of bunkers but is longer to the green.
Alister McKenzie, the great golf course architect, once observed a foursome playing the 14th.
He noted that each of the four golfers chose a different strategy for playing the hole.
He also noted that each golfer played the correct strategy given each player's capabilities.
When a hole is sufficiently wide enough, it maximizes the number of playing angles available on approach shots, increasing the value of well-positioned drives.
But wide holes can still penalize you severely for making mistakes.
The golf lesson here is to choose the strategy that offers the best risk-reward component and that fits your capabilities.
Reviewing the Options Now compare the 14th hole with the par 4 17th.
It temps players to drive their balls as far right as possible.
A ball positioned far to the right and close to the out-of-bounds line offers the best angle of approach.
It also minimizes the chances of finding the legendary "Road Bunker.
" The aggressive route is a blind shot over the corner of the Old Course Hotel.
It's not an easy shot to make, but it's much shorter to the green.
A safer shot down the right side means the player must deal with the Road Bunker on his second shot.
The hole also provides a third option-a drive to the left, a lay-up to the right, and a straightforward pitch.
Again, the choice of strategy depends on the situation, the risk-reward component, and the player's capabilities.
A lesser player would probably opt for the third option while a stronger play would probably go over the hotel.
Don't be fooled by wide holes.
They can hurt your score and your golf handicap just as much as narrow ones.
A good golf tip is to look at each hole closely.
See it not as narrow or wide, but as penal or non-penal.
This approach forces you see the challenges it provides-even the hidden ones.
Then, you can sample the various routes to the hole and pick the best one.
They feel much less pressure because they don't have to be as accurate.
Unlike narrow holes, which often demand pinpoint accuracy, wide holes allow for mistakes.
You can mis-hit one off the tee and you won't always be penalized.
With luck, you might still have a decent approach shot.
That's why many golfers attack wide-open holes in an effort to shave strokes off their scores and their golf handicaps.
But don't be fooled.
Wide-open holes can be touchy.
Their openness often fools golfers into missing obvious trouble spots.
That's why smart golfers never take these holes for granted.
They can hurt your scores and your golf handicap just as much as narrow ones.
In my golf instruction sessions, we teach students to view holes not as wide or narrow, but as "penal" or "non-penal.
" This approach encourages golfers to look for challenges on holes regardless of what they look like.
Forcing Players To Think Skilled golf course architects don't try to dictate the method of play.
Instead, they create holes that force players to think.
Often, they rely on strategic risk-reward hazards and on angles that tempt players into play toward the edges of the golf course.
For example, narrow holes place a premium on being "down the middle.
" But that's not always the best approach on wide hoes.
Sometimes, it's better playing close to a rough or a hazard with a driver.
On some holes, like doglegs, playing close to the edge cuts 20 yards to 30 yards off the hole.
Take the par 5 14th on the Old Course at St.
Andrews-among the most strategic holes in all of golf.
The hole supports multiple strategies and routes.
It rewards good choices and penalizes bad ones.
Golfers are challenged by the lay of the land, the wind, and their own capabilities.
To reach the flat plateau of what is called the "Elysian Fields," which gives golfers a chance to get to the green into two, golfers must risk a severe penalty-out of bounds down the right side.
The safer left side, on the other hand, brings into play a series of bunkers but is longer to the green.
Alister McKenzie, the great golf course architect, once observed a foursome playing the 14th.
He noted that each of the four golfers chose a different strategy for playing the hole.
He also noted that each golfer played the correct strategy given each player's capabilities.
When a hole is sufficiently wide enough, it maximizes the number of playing angles available on approach shots, increasing the value of well-positioned drives.
But wide holes can still penalize you severely for making mistakes.
The golf lesson here is to choose the strategy that offers the best risk-reward component and that fits your capabilities.
Reviewing the Options Now compare the 14th hole with the par 4 17th.
It temps players to drive their balls as far right as possible.
A ball positioned far to the right and close to the out-of-bounds line offers the best angle of approach.
It also minimizes the chances of finding the legendary "Road Bunker.
" The aggressive route is a blind shot over the corner of the Old Course Hotel.
It's not an easy shot to make, but it's much shorter to the green.
A safer shot down the right side means the player must deal with the Road Bunker on his second shot.
The hole also provides a third option-a drive to the left, a lay-up to the right, and a straightforward pitch.
Again, the choice of strategy depends on the situation, the risk-reward component, and the player's capabilities.
A lesser player would probably opt for the third option while a stronger play would probably go over the hotel.
Don't be fooled by wide holes.
They can hurt your score and your golf handicap just as much as narrow ones.
A good golf tip is to look at each hole closely.
See it not as narrow or wide, but as penal or non-penal.
This approach forces you see the challenges it provides-even the hidden ones.
Then, you can sample the various routes to the hole and pick the best one.
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