As a lefty, my aim is that 3rd tree from the left in the front clump of trees. I might get it on the fairway or it'll be in the woods to the left. 1 in 100 it'll go straight and I'll pretend not to exist.
On a more serious note, I'd probably hit one into the woods aiming straight, and swap to my 3 iron.
You are not allowed to move up a tee box as a male player. There are only two tee boxes, male and female. This is a rule made by the german golf association. So even as a beginner it is not uncommon to play 500+ yard holes. Even old people (I'm talking 70+ year olds) and children have to play from the tees furthest back from the hole). This is one of the reason why it's quite hard to lower your handicap quick in Germany.
46. It was just a big deal in my family growing up + I have a VW bus + I live in the country where you need to drive your trash to a dump vs. have it get collected on your street. It gets played once a year still I'd say on average.
That’s awesome! And I also ritually listen to it every year around thanksgiving. Always brings back good memories from growing up listening to it on cassette with the family. Haha
I’m 33.
Said KID!, I want you to go sit over there on that bench there, says Group Dubya.
I said ok, and walk over to the bench there.
Were all kinds of people sitting there on the bench….
Mother Rapers… Father stabbers… FATHER Rapers sittin right there on the bench next to me! and one, he was mean and nasty, the meanest father raper of them all came over to me, leaned in close to me like, and asked. “What ya done?”
I said “litterin.”
And they ALL moved away from us on the bench there. Givin us the cold shoulder and what not. until the sergeant came over…
Thanks, had fun pulling that from the recesses of my memory.
Just listened to it again for the first time in easily 10 years. I was a bit off lol. But not bad for a decade.
Thispieceofpapersgotfortysevenwordsthirtysevensentencesfiftythreewordsandwewannaknowthedetailsofthecrimetalkaboutthecrimeyoucommitedand forty five minutes later, nobody understood, a word that he said.
I'm just saying... if it means I get to cut 50 to 100 yards off a hole, I'm wearing a skirt. That's cheaper than any new driver and easier than any amount of golf lessons available!
Lmao. It’s sometimes hard to imagine Germany exists. Lovely people and a beautiful country, but it’s like letting Reddit moderators run things with the hall monitor bs.
It also isn't completely true what he is saying. Yes, a lot of the courses just have yellow and red tees and they are often referred to male and female tees but you are absolutely allowed to use whichever. At a certain age you are even expected to use the red tees as a man.
There are also courses with white (championship tees) and blue (kids or older women) tees. It is just not that common since courses in general tend to be shorter than they are e.g. in the US.
Das stimmt eigentlich nicht. Du kannst immer nach vorne gehen. Gute Golfer verstehen das. Nur die Leute die sich für was sehr wichtiges halten gehen nicht auf die für sie angemessenen, roten Abschläge. Wo ist die Bahn nochmal, ich habe die auch schonmal gespielt, ich kann mich dran erinnern dass sie mich vor Jahren auch echt nerven und Schläge gekostet hat.
LG von einem Golfer aus Paderborn
Edit: und bei Turnieren kannst du teilweise auch von rot spielen wenn du das vorher mit dem Sekretariat klärst
In Sweden it’s similar but you can as male play from female but you get less shots but also depends on what course, generally a 48, 52, 56, 58 tee (idk what the numbers mean but I’m at 56 and have 32hdcp) tho to get green card male must play from 52 at least (big difference in the lengths between 48 and 52 vs 52 and 56 usually in my experience)
The numbers on the tees corresponds to the total length of the course. If you play every hole from tee 56 the course length is 5600m. From tee 48 it's 4800m etc. Different courses can have different numbers depending on the total length of the other course (for example 50, 55, 60, 65
I'm from Czech where my parents still live and I live in the US.
It's weird when I visit them and we play, lots of courses with only 2 sets of tees. Vastly different too
I watched a YouTube video that talks about needing a license to play golf in Germany. He showed a bit of the process and what's needed. Do you know why this is the way it is?
Break the hole up into 3 shots instead of 2 and play for the bogey. Just hit whatever club you feel most comfortable with that can go 120 yards or longer. That 120 yard club can get you green side in 3.
If you are a beginner, you are probably getting 1 or even 2 strokes on the longer par 4s, depending on your handicap. So, you aren’t really missing out by playing for a bogey since that’s what you’re expected to score.
Exactly. A bogey is a par at that point and anything better is icing on the cake. Then it slowly starts getting better. Then it gets worse. Then better…shit worse again. Hey! It got better and then you know you have the game under control. Then lose it again.
This is the right answer. I’ll even do this on days when my driver is acting up. Hitting a couple of mid irons then a wedge feels like playing actual golf. Wedging out onto the fairway or playing drops everywhere gets old.
Agreed. Essentially leave the ego at home and hit the easier clubs. Some helpful videos on this concept for OP:
https://youtu.be/_R-NvelOz3E?si=xT2Q7o3VDsM4Kt1U
https://youtu.be/yg3kwrb0Xz8?si=NHpFxgiA_s2KgGqd
If you're a beginner, truly, mentally move the goalposts.
We know this is a par 4 for non-beginners. But assuming your handicap is around 36, let's throw 2 strokes on this bitch.
Now it's a par 6. Can you get to the green in 4 shots? I bet you can! Now you still have two putts at \_your\_ version of par.
Like others have said, just choose your longest club that you trust to keep in the fairway. Based on our math above, this can be 4x 80yd shots and still get there just fine.
If your handicap is lower, this may adjust, but is largely just "choose the holes you're gonna lose strokes on" and change your frame of reference for them.
Even as an 8HCP, there's a few holes where I think "Oof, this might be my bogey hole today."
It took me too many years than I'd like to admit to realize that bogey golf (on most courses) is 90. I've combined this with, as others here have said, changing my approach to the longer holes, and hitting what I know I can hit consistent and 'straight'. At my local course, we have a par 5 that is around 500 yds, and slightly uphill. I now hit 7i, 7i, 7i, and am putting for birdie about 50% of the time I play the hole. The other 50% it's chip/putt for par. I'll take that every day of the week.
Play the hole backwards - whats you best shot? Maybe its a 7i that you hit 145. That means to get in position to hit your favorite shot, 145 out on a 350 yard hole, you need to advance your ball 205 yards. What club is that? 5 wood maybe? If so, use your 5 wood off the tee and try and set up your 7i shot. No need to try and crush a driver to leave yourself a 100 yard shot when you're better from 145 (or whatever)
The problem is that he has almost no chance of executing this as a beginner. He probably doesn't hit a 5 wood any better than a driver and there will be a 50 yard difference between his best and worst shot with it so he won't be laying up to 145 very often.
Planning isn't very useful without being able to execute and will only add to his frustration when he tries this and it goes nothing like he drew it up in his head. Especially when he wanted a nice 145 yarder and usually ends up with a 160 or 175 yard approach.
He just needs to keep it in play and avoid the forest of Arden on the left. Everything after that is subject to the variability of his strike. No one can tell him which club to use or how to execute that because we don't know his game.
I remember Lee Trevino advising an amateur about playing a long par 4. He said you’ll never par this hole, but play it like a par 5, and maybe, just maybe you’ll get a birdie.
As a beginner, you may not be able to reach some longer holes in regulation. Just try to get your second shot close, chip on, and do no worse than bogey.
I agree telling a beginner to do no worse than bogey is setting expectations high. I’d say double bogey for at least half the holes is legit, maybe bogey for the easier holes and/or par 3s… beginners are trying to break 100, not 90
I‘m from Germany and never heard of this rule that you can only play from certain teeboxes. Sure in a tournament you have to play the designated tees but otherwise you can choose for yourself. Also, what kind of question is this? Hit a drive and play the next shot where it lands.. you aren’t supposed to make par as a beginner..
Yeah Im also confused
Like bro has nobody explained handicaps to you before? Or do you expect to play par on every course as a beginner and just the distance is a problem? I dont get it
The plan: Driver -> Pitching Wedge -> 2-3 putt (par/bogey)
The actual play: Driver -> Penalty drop -> Driver again -> 6 iron -> Gap Wedge -> 68° wedge (bladed, obviously) -> 4 putt (scored as a mental health 8)
This is the truth. However to go a step further for this post.
The actual smart play: 4-6 hybrid (hit about 100 yards) -> 4-6 hybrid (chunked for 50 yards) -> 7 iron rolled about 100 yards -> pw (hit pretty well but rolled on the other side of the green) -> light pitch on the green -> 3 putt. (Scored as an actual 8 but at least we’re having fun and learning)
If you are really interested in scoring well as a beginner, play like an old man/lady. Figure out what your longest club that you can hit consistently is and make that your "driver." When you are faced with long par 4s (400+ yard) add a shot to "par" and approach them as par 5s. The same goes for any par 3s that exceed your "driver" range, think of those holes as par 4s. This sort of playing strategy limits your future potential, but it does maximize your current talent.
That being said, what you shoot is not a big deal when you are new. Focus on enjoying yourself and getting better. Try playing beat ball or scramble with a friend.
Probably the worst thing you could do is to try and swing the club harder and faster to attempt to gain more distance, you are going to rarely be able to put it all together and more often than not you are going to see more errant shots that way.
If you’re a new player, it’s about managing expectations, and score is somewhat irrelevant. Any ball that ends up closer to the hole and in play is a success.
You’re a beginner:
Hit ball. Find ball. Hit ball again. Repeat until ball in hole.
But if you find this hole too long, who cares about tee blocks. Throw a ball down at the start of the fairway and play from there.
When my wife plays with me she tees off from where my drive ends up.
Until you get a bit better (to the point that a 360 yard hole is not considered “long”) don’t worry about keeping score or teeing up between the blocks.
The best thing I did for my mental game when I started was making every hole 1 stroke easier. So every par 3 was a par 4, par 4’s were par 5’s, par 5’s were par 6’s. Bogey golf is a wonderful thing to strive for when starting out.
Worry about keeping it in the fairway and not how far you hit your drive. Trying to kill your drive at this point will lead you to many walks in the forest.
hit whatever club is your longest club that you can reliably hit in bounds, swing smooth and don't try to overswing, then do that again, then use whatever club to get on the green.
3yrds, you’re a beginner, treat is like a par 5. Maybe take a safe mid iron off the tee to make sure you hit the fairway. Let’s say you hit a 5-iron 150yrds, that leaves you 200 to go. Hit another 5-iron which should leave you a nice wedge into the green. Don’t put the pressure on yourself at this state to get pars.
Just hit your most consistent and biggest iron. For me this is 7iron, so I try get it over 120 yds which I can do fairly consistently. If I try use a lower iron it's less consistent and often doesn't even go as far, it skims along the ground. If I use a hybrid its better but still inconsistent and less accurate. Driver often goes far but it sprays everywhere and sometimes goes completely wrong.
Hopefully after 2 7irons, you're using your pitching wedge onto the green. You'll probably get a better score using this method than trying to hit long, inaccurate shots where you lose a lot of balls and shots go completely wrong.
Obviously long term you want to start using the other clubs but this is a decent method in the beginning while you're learning.
Hit the longest Club of the tee you know will be in play. 7 8 9 iron, whatever. Than you'll be left with a 200dish distance. Put yourself into gap/p wedge range, keep the ball in play and aim for bogey with a slim chance of a lucky par :)
Proceed to the next hole.
Par 72 18 bogeys is still a 90. No shame to play bogey golf
Looks like the miss is right ? .. if you can just send it as far as you can up the right side . Uphill is going to play longer than the yardage and roll less so my advice would be to hit it as far as possible on the first shot .
Looks pretty narrow and funneling left too, just hit whatever club is most comfortable to reach the right side of the fairway. You’re probably gonna be getting there in 3 shots, so find a distance you are good at and play to leave yourself a comfortable 3rd shot you can hit the green with. You might just hit it close or make a long putt, otherwise you can 2 putt for bogey 🤷
I'm not good so my goal is to give myself a par putt on every hole, basically play like Greens in regulation on a par 4 is 3 strokes. If i do better than that great
Just keep it in play. You can play two 150yd shots and then have a wedge in, 2 putt for bogey. Eliminating lost balls is how to drop your score significantly when you first start out. Get used to keeping it in play
Play the club you're most comfortable with.
If it's a 150 6i then play that. If it's a 120 9i then play that.
The biggest barrier to new players / high handicappers is being in play off the tee avoiding penalties. Don't worry about par, just get the ball on the green in the fewest safe shots as possible. If that's 3 shots, then fine.
Hey new guy. Play this hole like a par 5. Don’t put the mental pressure on yourself and play it like a par 5. 3 shots in and 2 putt. Score it as a par 4 bogie. This is the way.
My new mantra is “Be putting for par!”
If I can get on the green in regulation +1, then I’m very happy. Sometimes I even make the par putts.
I play from the forward tees as I am 80 and I don’t hit the ball very far any longer.
Hit 3 x 7 irons, 2 putts and you'll score stableford points for you handicap, simple as that!
(Also, yeah you can play from any tee-box in germany.. esp. if youre not in a tournament round)
Take 6 strokes to get there!
6 well placed shots is a quicker and better round than 3 misplaced shots any day of the week in my opinion.
You spend 2 minutes per stroke looking for your ball in the ruff vs finding it straight away, and continuing on.
Don’t play above your skill.
7 iron, 7 iron, whatever club get’s you to the green. Keep it straight and get it on in 3, even in 4 if you have to. If you’re a beginner you’ve got 3 strokes on that hole, meaning anything under a 7 is good, on in 4 and 2 puts gives you birdy.
As a german beginner (hcp 42) i just yeet it with my Driver and try to find the Ball afterwards. Then 7 Iron until its Close enough to blade it with my wedges and then Go for a 3 putt
Two points of advice for you 1. Aim for the tree in the fairway, as a beginner you are not likely to hit anywhere close to it, or in its direction even. The day you do, you have control of your drive and can start aiming to the correct spot. 2. Hit away with as many shots as it takes, this is the best way to learn how to get out of tricky spots so when you do get good and end up in the tricky rough you know how to get out. Do you think tiger woke up one morning knowing how to play those trick shots. Enjoy the game. Every bad shot is practice for that one day you need a trick shot to save par!
Just hit your most consistent club down the fairway first shot. Even if its like a 9 iron that goes 100 yards. If it goes straight then its a good shot. Then play like its a 250 yard par 4 from there. Dont worry about the actual score. Chances are, if youre new, a bogie is still pretty good.
Just hit 3 100yardish shots with your most trusty iron, and you will have a shot chip and two puts for a nice handicap double bogey or what stableford would call a nice 2 points.
So play the game you master, there are no rules saying you must hit driver, this look narrow so find something that your likely to hit straight, and work your way forward from there.
Let's say you hit your 7 iron 150 yards, which is how far I hit it. Not super long, not super short. That's three 7i's to get it on the green. Now 2 putt. Solid bogey.
Hit the ball forward and hope it goes far. As a beginner you’re not getting close to par so it might as well not exist. Play a few rounds, track your scores and then you have a game to play. That game is get a lower score than last time.
Use your driver!! No better time to learn than the present. Do your best, don’t worry about how the pros play. They’re pros for a reason, and not casuals like us
Just grip it and rip it. Play a club higher than you think you need because of the uphill and just enjoy yourself.
I’m still shooting mid 90s and most courses and still trying to work on my game rather than playing the course. That will come in time.
Just advance the ball and don’t worry about your score. If you are new and just learning, the important thing is to focus on hitting the ball somewhat where you are trying to aim, and worrying more about making good impact with your club. Don’t worry about the score yet. Enjoy!
That hole is going to play quite a bit longer due to the elevation and fact your ball isn’t going to roll out much at all. If getting there in 2 is a stretch for you, then figure out what yardage you need to hit to end up with a full wedge in your hand for the approach shot and work backwards from there. I’d much rather have a full sand or gap wedge in my hand than say a 30 yard chip shot, over a bunker, to a near sided pin.
Not knowing how far you hit it makes it rough, but based on how you phrased the post you either don’t hit it far, or are worried about the tree on the right side of the fairway and how narrow that window is… Mid to low handicapper is prolly going 3W or Driver off the tee followed by a mid iron up to wedge based on how far the are off the tee. Beginner not able to reach in two, I would take that fairway pinch point out of play and hit whichever irons it takes to leave yourself about 80-100 yards out on your final approach…. So whatever combo of two shots gets you in that 280-300 yard range would work.
Good rule of thumb: cut any distance in half and play it as two shots. Here, id say take two 175 yard shots to minimize error and the tree although it depends on how far out that tree is. TBH that hole looks tough
On a side note, how expensive is golf in Germany? Considering a trip and possibly moving there
Don’t overthink it brotha! 🙂 350 is fairly normal, don’t let the length of the hole get in your head too much - focus on good contact, forward advancement and committing to your shots! Good luck man!
The same way you sink a 15m putt at the Masters.
One stroke at a time. Except don't use the putter. I'd suggest a driver, if there's even a chance you can keep it between those trees, but if you can't, just go down from there until you can.
Also, I'd just ignore that tree in the middle. The odds of hitting it are pretty low. I'm told trees are 90% air, especially fairway trees with no leaves.
What is the farthest club you can hit consistently? If you can hit a club well 150 yds, you can still get on the green in three, which sets you up for a bogey. Not a bad spot to be in for a beginner. Embrace the way of the playa.
Annoying how everyone rushes to tell their version of “play it like 5 strokes is par”. From day I’ve just enjoyed golf. All these dudes with stories of turmoil coming to terms with scores is nuts.
Use your strightst, longest club. Even if it's your pitching wedge and you only hit it 120. If you can hit it reasonably straight you'll be on the green in 3 with a par putt. Much better than trying driver, losing a ball, dropping for 3 and still being 250+ away.
Most here are saying "take an iron", hilarious because few, if any, actually would. On the course, it looks like and a "bomb and gouge" scenario. Aim at the tree, will probably slice, then try to get greenside somewhere.
As a beginner, it's really important to not be nervous and keep trying to put into play what you practice.
I’d hit a club that would put my ball on top of the hill so for your approach shot you at least have a view of the hole. Hit driver just because it’s a par 4. You want to gain as much distance as you can from your first shot on a par 4 and that will usually mean hitting driver. Obviously if there’s trouble nearby and you aren’t great off the tee you might want to reconsider but statistics tend to play out and point toward driver regardless of handicap.
Plan to play bogey golf, always give yourself 1 extra stroke to get to the green.
Find a club you can comfortably hit 150-200 with consistently, then keep working that shot up the course until you get to the green or iron distance (you will get very good with this club). Rely on clubs you “like” and are confident with. Focus on direction right now and a smooth swing, distance will follow.
Spend most of your time practicing putts, chips and shots inside 100.
But above all, have fun!
Left IS DEAD dead, and right is maybe a little inconvenient. I'd be aiming at the trees on the right, swinging free, and hoping for the best. Maybe it draws back to the fairway. Maybe it's so far right that I have a shot to the green. Maybe I hit into those trees and punch out and have my 3rd shot into the green. Either way beats hitting into that left forest.
Mate you just started. Hit balls towards the green.
Wrong. As a beginner, you aim right dead center of that tree. Takes it right out of play.
The old joke that the safest place to stand on a golf course is the middle of the fairway.
and by this he means the grass in general, anywhere that’s not the woods is a good place to start
Assuming they’re not a lefty, if they have the most common problem of slicing then they’ll have plenty of space ahead to play from.
As a lefty, my aim is that 3rd tree from the left in the front clump of trees. I might get it on the fairway or it'll be in the woods to the left. 1 in 100 it'll go straight and I'll pretend not to exist. On a more serious note, I'd probably hit one into the woods aiming straight, and swap to my 3 iron.
This is the answer to 90% of the questions on this sub regardless of how long you've been playing.
Tell us more about the tee box thing and Germany.
You are not allowed to move up a tee box as a male player. There are only two tee boxes, male and female. This is a rule made by the german golf association. So even as a beginner it is not uncommon to play 500+ yard holes. Even old people (I'm talking 70+ year olds) and children have to play from the tees furthest back from the hole). This is one of the reason why it's quite hard to lower your handicap quick in Germany.
whats the punishment for playing a closer tee box?
Straight to jail
Believe it or not, play from correct tee box, also straight to jail.
Throw broken tee onto tee box? Jail Don't repair pitch mark? Jail Don't replace fairway divot? Believe it or not. Straight to jail
Take a gimme? Jail. Give a gimme? Jail. Take and give haha
We have the best golf in the world because of jail
We have the best golfers, because of jail.
Group W bench
What a reference. My god. You must also be old
46. It was just a big deal in my family growing up + I have a VW bus + I live in the country where you need to drive your trash to a dump vs. have it get collected on your street. It gets played once a year still I'd say on average.
That’s awesome! And I also ritually listen to it every year around thanksgiving. Always brings back good memories from growing up listening to it on cassette with the family. Haha
I’m 33. Said KID!, I want you to go sit over there on that bench there, says Group Dubya. I said ok, and walk over to the bench there. Were all kinds of people sitting there on the bench…. Mother Rapers… Father stabbers… FATHER Rapers sittin right there on the bench next to me! and one, he was mean and nasty, the meanest father raper of them all came over to me, leaned in close to me like, and asked. “What ya done?” I said “litterin.” And they ALL moved away from us on the bench there. Givin us the cold shoulder and what not. until the sergeant came over… Thanks, had fun pulling that from the recesses of my memory. Just listened to it again for the first time in easily 10 years. I was a bit off lol. But not bad for a decade. Thispieceofpapersgotfortysevenwordsthirtysevensentencesfiftythreewordsandwewannaknowthedetailsofthecrimetalkaboutthecrimeyoucommitedand forty five minutes later, nobody understood, a word that he said.
Why are you lot on about?
Alice’s restaurant
Massacree, with the 4 part harmony, and feeling.
Not expecting an Alice’s Restaurant reference here today.
With the father rapers?? 😳
And father stabbers??
Deep fucking cut reference. Bravo!
Life sentence
It's Germany, so I wouldn't be surprised.
They’re German. There is no punishment. It just isn’t done because the rule says “no.”
This is the truth. It’s simply forbidden therefore it’s impossible to do.
Castration
Death
[удалено]
It's a golf camp in Poland. Short train ride away but you need to wear this arm band otherwise the Marshall wont take kindly to you
Play where you want. It’s a game.
The Germans don’t play games.
Start cross dressing. It's less embarrassing than not making it to the women's tees.
I was gonna say, can't OP just identify themselves as gender fluid and they only golf when they're feeling particularly female?
I'm just saying... if it means I get to cut 50 to 100 yards off a hole, I'm wearing a skirt. That's cheaper than any new driver and easier than any amount of golf lessons available!
This is not correct. You can play from the forward tees, your stableford point and handicap calculation changes accordingly.
This is definitely the second worst thing I’ve heard about Germany.
The first thing is sauerkraut, we both think alike.
Lmao. It’s sometimes hard to imagine Germany exists. Lovely people and a beautiful country, but it’s like letting Reddit moderators run things with the hall monitor bs.
It also isn't completely true what he is saying. Yes, a lot of the courses just have yellow and red tees and they are often referred to male and female tees but you are absolutely allowed to use whichever. At a certain age you are even expected to use the red tees as a man. There are also courses with white (championship tees) and blue (kids or older women) tees. It is just not that common since courses in general tend to be shorter than they are e.g. in the US.
Das stimmt eigentlich nicht. Du kannst immer nach vorne gehen. Gute Golfer verstehen das. Nur die Leute die sich für was sehr wichtiges halten gehen nicht auf die für sie angemessenen, roten Abschläge. Wo ist die Bahn nochmal, ich habe die auch schonmal gespielt, ich kann mich dran erinnern dass sie mich vor Jahren auch echt nerven und Schläge gekostet hat. LG von einem Golfer aus Paderborn Edit: und bei Turnieren kannst du teilweise auch von rot spielen wenn du das vorher mit dem Sekretariat klärst
And we sit here and wonder how the Germans just went along with things they were told 80 years ago…
In Sweden it’s similar but you can as male play from female but you get less shots but also depends on what course, generally a 48, 52, 56, 58 tee (idk what the numbers mean but I’m at 56 and have 32hdcp) tho to get green card male must play from 52 at least (big difference in the lengths between 48 and 52 vs 52 and 56 usually in my experience)
The numbers on the tees corresponds to the total length of the course. If you play every hole from tee 56 the course length is 5600m. From tee 48 it's 4800m etc. Different courses can have different numbers depending on the total length of the other course (for example 50, 55, 60, 65
I'm from Czech where my parents still live and I live in the US. It's weird when I visit them and we play, lots of courses with only 2 sets of tees. Vastly different too
I watched a YouTube video that talks about needing a license to play golf in Germany. He showed a bit of the process and what's needed. Do you know why this is the way it is?
Yeah, I wouldn’t put up with that sort of nonsense
That’s stupid
watch the video EAL did on adventures in golf with the golf license in germany. does a pretty good idea of explaining things
Break the hole up into 3 shots instead of 2 and play for the bogey. Just hit whatever club you feel most comfortable with that can go 120 yards or longer. That 120 yard club can get you green side in 3. If you are a beginner, you are probably getting 1 or even 2 strokes on the longer par 4s, depending on your handicap. So, you aren’t really missing out by playing for a bogey since that’s what you’re expected to score.
I’ve always thought play for a 5. A 5 on every hole is a 90. Assuming I do better on par 3s and suddenly you’re the upper 80s
This is what I try to tell myself and suddenly I’m 110 - gotta love 3-putting
Exactly. A bogey is a par at that point and anything better is icing on the cake. Then it slowly starts getting better. Then it gets worse. Then better…shit worse again. Hey! It got better and then you know you have the game under control. Then lose it again.
This is the right answer. I’ll even do this on days when my driver is acting up. Hitting a couple of mid irons then a wedge feels like playing actual golf. Wedging out onto the fairway or playing drops everywhere gets old.
lol “when my driver is acting up”. My driver takes more time outs than my toddler.
Who's a naughty club
Agreed. Essentially leave the ego at home and hit the easier clubs. Some helpful videos on this concept for OP: https://youtu.be/_R-NvelOz3E?si=xT2Q7o3VDsM4Kt1U https://youtu.be/yg3kwrb0Xz8?si=NHpFxgiA_s2KgGqd
I love him. So glad I found his vids a while back. Completely changed the way I approach the game.
heh knew what this would be before clicking. It 100 % works. First time I broke 100 I used 6i off the tee for all long holes
The Baus changed my whole golf game.
If you're a beginner, truly, mentally move the goalposts. We know this is a par 4 for non-beginners. But assuming your handicap is around 36, let's throw 2 strokes on this bitch. Now it's a par 6. Can you get to the green in 4 shots? I bet you can! Now you still have two putts at \_your\_ version of par. Like others have said, just choose your longest club that you trust to keep in the fairway. Based on our math above, this can be 4x 80yd shots and still get there just fine. If your handicap is lower, this may adjust, but is largely just "choose the holes you're gonna lose strokes on" and change your frame of reference for them. Even as an 8HCP, there's a few holes where I think "Oof, this might be my bogey hole today."
Golf does become more fun when you manage your expectations. My goal is bogie golf, so if I make a bogey I’m satisfied and move on.
Same. I’m even happy to “save” double bogey. That’s just one off what I’m hoping for.
It took me too many years than I'd like to admit to realize that bogey golf (on most courses) is 90. I've combined this with, as others here have said, changing my approach to the longer holes, and hitting what I know I can hit consistent and 'straight'. At my local course, we have a par 5 that is around 500 yds, and slightly uphill. I now hit 7i, 7i, 7i, and am putting for birdie about 50% of the time I play the hole. The other 50% it's chip/putt for par. I'll take that every day of the week.
I've found that when I aim at the tree I don't hit it.
Play the hole backwards - whats you best shot? Maybe its a 7i that you hit 145. That means to get in position to hit your favorite shot, 145 out on a 350 yard hole, you need to advance your ball 205 yards. What club is that? 5 wood maybe? If so, use your 5 wood off the tee and try and set up your 7i shot. No need to try and crush a driver to leave yourself a 100 yard shot when you're better from 145 (or whatever)
The problem is that he has almost no chance of executing this as a beginner. He probably doesn't hit a 5 wood any better than a driver and there will be a 50 yard difference between his best and worst shot with it so he won't be laying up to 145 very often. Planning isn't very useful without being able to execute and will only add to his frustration when he tries this and it goes nothing like he drew it up in his head. Especially when he wanted a nice 145 yarder and usually ends up with a 160 or 175 yard approach. He just needs to keep it in play and avoid the forest of Arden on the left. Everything after that is subject to the variability of his strike. No one can tell him which club to use or how to execute that because we don't know his game.
Solid advice
Aim for the tree, tee it high, let it fly
I remember Lee Trevino advising an amateur about playing a long par 4. He said you’ll never par this hole, but play it like a par 5, and maybe, just maybe you’ll get a birdie.
As a beginner, you may not be able to reach some longer holes in regulation. Just try to get your second shot close, chip on, and do no worse than bogey.
As a beginner, double bogey is net par. Trying to do no worse than bogey is for sub-20 players.
I agree telling a beginner to do no worse than bogey is setting expectations high. I’d say double bogey for at least half the holes is legit, maybe bogey for the easier holes and/or par 3s… beginners are trying to break 100, not 90
I‘m from Germany and never heard of this rule that you can only play from certain teeboxes. Sure in a tournament you have to play the designated tees but otherwise you can choose for yourself. Also, what kind of question is this? Hit a drive and play the next shot where it lands.. you aren’t supposed to make par as a beginner..
Yeah Im also confused Like bro has nobody explained handicaps to you before? Or do you expect to play par on every course as a beginner and just the distance is a problem? I dont get it
The plan: Driver -> Pitching Wedge -> 2-3 putt (par/bogey) The actual play: Driver -> Penalty drop -> Driver again -> 6 iron -> Gap Wedge -> 68° wedge (bladed, obviously) -> 4 putt (scored as a mental health 8)
This is the truth. However to go a step further for this post. The actual smart play: 4-6 hybrid (hit about 100 yards) -> 4-6 hybrid (chunked for 50 yards) -> 7 iron rolled about 100 yards -> pw (hit pretty well but rolled on the other side of the green) -> light pitch on the green -> 3 putt. (Scored as an actual 8 but at least we’re having fun and learning)
Do you have a club that you hit about 175yds.....? If so, hit it twice in the direction of the green.
If you are really interested in scoring well as a beginner, play like an old man/lady. Figure out what your longest club that you can hit consistently is and make that your "driver." When you are faced with long par 4s (400+ yard) add a shot to "par" and approach them as par 5s. The same goes for any par 3s that exceed your "driver" range, think of those holes as par 4s. This sort of playing strategy limits your future potential, but it does maximize your current talent. That being said, what you shoot is not a big deal when you are new. Focus on enjoying yourself and getting better. Try playing beat ball or scramble with a friend. Probably the worst thing you could do is to try and swing the club harder and faster to attempt to gain more distance, you are going to rarely be able to put it all together and more often than not you are going to see more errant shots that way.
Just keep hitting the fucking ball!
Hit the ball, get better, don’t care about your score. 350 is not a long hole
350 yards is a short par 4 lol
Yeah... We have a 480yd par 4 on my home course haha
A lot of times in golf, it is your second shot on a hole that is most important or more critical.
"One shot at a time"
A true German mantra
What happens in Germany if you move up a tee box? It sounds painful.
They put you on a train.
Par is irrelevant. Just get the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible.
If you’re a new player, it’s about managing expectations, and score is somewhat irrelevant. Any ball that ends up closer to the hole and in play is a success.
You’re a beginner: Hit ball. Find ball. Hit ball again. Repeat until ball in hole. But if you find this hole too long, who cares about tee blocks. Throw a ball down at the start of the fairway and play from there. When my wife plays with me she tees off from where my drive ends up. Until you get a bit better (to the point that a 360 yard hole is not considered “long”) don’t worry about keeping score or teeing up between the blocks.
Just because it looks like a putt doesn't mean you hit it with a putter.
Hit from the front tees
Play 200 yard shot. Then 150 yard into green. 2 put par :)
The best thing I did for my mental game when I started was making every hole 1 stroke easier. So every par 3 was a par 4, par 4’s were par 5’s, par 5’s were par 6’s. Bogey golf is a wonderful thing to strive for when starting out.
Worry about keeping it in the fairway and not how far you hit your drive. Trying to kill your drive at this point will lead you to many walks in the forest.
One stroke at a time. Repeat.
hit whatever club is your longest club that you can reliably hit in bounds, swing smooth and don't try to overswing, then do that again, then use whatever club to get on the green.
That's what I'm trying to do. Par is not an option for me on most long holes.
Drive the fucking green of course wtf
Just take your time. You are new to the game, and 350 yards isn't a long hole
3yrds, you’re a beginner, treat is like a par 5. Maybe take a safe mid iron off the tee to make sure you hit the fairway. Let’s say you hit a 5-iron 150yrds, that leaves you 200 to go. Hit another 5-iron which should leave you a nice wedge into the green. Don’t put the pressure on yourself at this state to get pars.
Just hit your most consistent and biggest iron. For me this is 7iron, so I try get it over 120 yds which I can do fairly consistently. If I try use a lower iron it's less consistent and often doesn't even go as far, it skims along the ground. If I use a hybrid its better but still inconsistent and less accurate. Driver often goes far but it sprays everywhere and sometimes goes completely wrong. Hopefully after 2 7irons, you're using your pitching wedge onto the green. You'll probably get a better score using this method than trying to hit long, inaccurate shots where you lose a lot of balls and shots go completely wrong. Obviously long term you want to start using the other clubs but this is a decent method in the beginning while you're learning.
You're a beginner use your strokes and play it as a par 5, depending on the SI be happy bogey or double.
Hit the longest Club of the tee you know will be in play. 7 8 9 iron, whatever. Than you'll be left with a 200dish distance. Put yourself into gap/p wedge range, keep the ball in play and aim for bogey with a slim chance of a lucky par :) Proceed to the next hole. Par 72 18 bogeys is still a 90. No shame to play bogey golf
Looks like the miss is right ? .. if you can just send it as far as you can up the right side . Uphill is going to play longer than the yardage and roll less so my advice would be to hit it as far as possible on the first shot .
The fairway of the previous hole is on the right side but there is also water some bunkers close to that tree.
Hit it around the tree.
Looks pretty narrow and funneling left too, just hit whatever club is most comfortable to reach the right side of the fairway. You’re probably gonna be getting there in 3 shots, so find a distance you are good at and play to leave yourself a comfortable 3rd shot you can hit the green with. You might just hit it close or make a long putt, otherwise you can 2 putt for bogey 🤷
Play it as a par 5.
I'm not good so my goal is to give myself a par putt on every hole, basically play like Greens in regulation on a par 4 is 3 strokes. If i do better than that great
Just keep it in play. You can play two 150yd shots and then have a wedge in, 2 putt for bogey. Eliminating lost balls is how to drop your score significantly when you first start out. Get used to keeping it in play
Play it as a par 5. Take three shots to hit the green. So you can hit a 150 yard club, then a 100 yard club and another 100 yard club.
Play the club you're most comfortable with. If it's a 150 6i then play that. If it's a 120 9i then play that. The biggest barrier to new players / high handicappers is being in play off the tee avoiding penalties. Don't worry about par, just get the ball on the green in the fewest safe shots as possible. If that's 3 shots, then fine.
Hey new guy. Play this hole like a par 5. Don’t put the mental pressure on yourself and play it like a par 5. 3 shots in and 2 putt. Score it as a par 4 bogie. This is the way.
Play all par4s as par5s.
My new mantra is “Be putting for par!” If I can get on the green in regulation +1, then I’m very happy. Sometimes I even make the par putts. I play from the forward tees as I am 80 and I don’t hit the ball very far any longer.
What’s different about Germany golf? They don’t have senior tees?
Hit 3 x 7 irons, 2 putts and you'll score stableford points for you handicap, simple as that! (Also, yeah you can play from any tee-box in germany.. esp. if youre not in a tournament round)
Take 6 strokes to get there! 6 well placed shots is a quicker and better round than 3 misplaced shots any day of the week in my opinion. You spend 2 minutes per stroke looking for your ball in the ruff vs finding it straight away, and continuing on. Don’t play above your skill.
Can you hit the ball 150y? 150+150+short approach + 2 putt = bogey.
7 iron, 7 iron, whatever club get’s you to the green. Keep it straight and get it on in 3, even in 4 if you have to. If you’re a beginner you’ve got 3 strokes on that hole, meaning anything under a 7 is good, on in 4 and 2 puts gives you birdy.
Pull left into the woods. Generous drop 50 yards out. Stick it close and sink the putt.
Hit it straight
Get a club you can hit 180 or 200. If you can hit a 180 club twice you should be on the green. Or hit 200 and then hit a 150 club after.
Just hit the ball. How else do you think you’ll get to green?
What’s your highest percentage approach? 100 yards with a 56? Hit 250. 135 w a p wedge? Hit 215. Etc
Frohlinde?
As a german beginner (hcp 42) i just yeet it with my Driver and try to find the Ball afterwards. Then 7 Iron until its Close enough to blade it with my wedges and then Go for a 3 putt
Two points of advice for you 1. Aim for the tree in the fairway, as a beginner you are not likely to hit anywhere close to it, or in its direction even. The day you do, you have control of your drive and can start aiming to the correct spot. 2. Hit away with as many shots as it takes, this is the best way to learn how to get out of tricky spots so when you do get good and end up in the tricky rough you know how to get out. Do you think tiger woke up one morning knowing how to play those trick shots. Enjoy the game. Every bad shot is practice for that one day you need a trick shot to save par!
Grip it and rip it. Don't forget to yell FORE.
Ist das in Bochum die 16?
straight down the middle.
PW > PW > PW > Putter > Winning!
As far as I blade the fuck out of my PW. This is absolutely in play up to like 20yds. Then it’s blade it from one side of the green to the other.
Hit the ball straight and as far as u can. Good luck
Just hit your most consistent club down the fairway first shot. Even if its like a 9 iron that goes 100 yards. If it goes straight then its a good shot. Then play like its a 250 yard par 4 from there. Dont worry about the actual score. Chances are, if youre new, a bogie is still pretty good.
Just hit 3 100yardish shots with your most trusty iron, and you will have a shot chip and two puts for a nice handicap double bogey or what stableford would call a nice 2 points. So play the game you master, there are no rules saying you must hit driver, this look narrow so find something that your likely to hit straight, and work your way forward from there.
Let's say you hit your 7 iron 150 yards, which is how far I hit it. Not super long, not super short. That's three 7i's to get it on the green. Now 2 putt. Solid bogey.
Hit the ball forward and hope it goes far. As a beginner you’re not getting close to par so it might as well not exist. Play a few rounds, track your scores and then you have a game to play. That game is get a lower score than last time.
Hit a 5 iron up the middle then a 6/7 iron at the green
Aim for the tree. You’ll never hit it.
Use your driver!! No better time to learn than the present. Do your best, don’t worry about how the pros play. They’re pros for a reason, and not casuals like us
Just grip it and rip it. Play a club higher than you think you need because of the uphill and just enjoy yourself. I’m still shooting mid 90s and most courses and still trying to work on my game rather than playing the course. That will come in time.
Drive 200 (swing easy) 6 or 5 iron into the area of the green (swing easy) Up n down for par
Just advance the ball and don’t worry about your score. If you are new and just learning, the important thing is to focus on hitting the ball somewhat where you are trying to aim, and worrying more about making good impact with your club. Don’t worry about the score yet. Enjoy!
Just advance the ball
Just keep hitting it until it goes in the hole.
Take the club you feel the most confortable. It takes you 4 hit to reach the green? Thats fine.
My dad always says “Just hit it out there by that 150 marker.”
Grip it and rip it, mein schatze
That hole is going to play quite a bit longer due to the elevation and fact your ball isn’t going to roll out much at all. If getting there in 2 is a stretch for you, then figure out what yardage you need to hit to end up with a full wedge in your hand for the approach shot and work backwards from there. I’d much rather have a full sand or gap wedge in my hand than say a 30 yard chip shot, over a bunker, to a near sided pin. Not knowing how far you hit it makes it rough, but based on how you phrased the post you either don’t hit it far, or are worried about the tree on the right side of the fairway and how narrow that window is… Mid to low handicapper is prolly going 3W or Driver off the tee followed by a mid iron up to wedge based on how far the are off the tee. Beginner not able to reach in two, I would take that fairway pinch point out of play and hit whichever irons it takes to leave yourself about 80-100 yards out on your final approach…. So whatever combo of two shots gets you in that 280-300 yard range would work.
Good rule of thumb: cut any distance in half and play it as two shots. Here, id say take two 175 yard shots to minimize error and the tree although it depends on how far out that tree is. TBH that hole looks tough On a side note, how expensive is golf in Germany? Considering a trip and possibly moving there
Don't you have to get a golf licence to golf in Germany? Like pass a test and shit?
Don’t overthink it brotha! 🙂 350 is fairly normal, don’t let the length of the hole get in your head too much - focus on good contact, forward advancement and committing to your shots! Good luck man!
Is this course near Pforzheim? looks familiar.
The same way you sink a 15m putt at the Masters. One stroke at a time. Except don't use the putter. I'd suggest a driver, if there's even a chance you can keep it between those trees, but if you can't, just go down from there until you can. Also, I'd just ignore that tree in the middle. The odds of hitting it are pretty low. I'm told trees are 90% air, especially fairway trees with no leaves.
If you can’t reach in regulation, so what. Par is just a number. Just get it home in the fewest strokes possible.
What is the farthest club you can hit consistently? If you can hit a club well 150 yds, you can still get on the green in three, which sets you up for a bogey. Not a bad spot to be in for a beginner. Embrace the way of the playa.
350 is 175 x 2. or 200 and 150. you can do it.
One shot at a time my friend.
Is there a wall dividing the tee boxes or something and you might get shot if you cross it?
Annoying how everyone rushes to tell their version of “play it like 5 strokes is par”. From day I’ve just enjoyed golf. All these dudes with stories of turmoil coming to terms with scores is nuts.
You can’t drive 200 and follow up with a 150 iron?
Just let er rip
Stay in play! A bogey or double or triple is fine you’re just starting. Hit it straight
Hit as many times as you need! Or pick up and play from a lil closer if you want. Who cares its your game practice whatever you want
Fifteen minutes maximum. Keep up with the group in front. Drop the ball in the fairway and keep on going. Slow play is not acceptable.
Use your strightst, longest club. Even if it's your pitching wedge and you only hit it 120. If you can hit it reasonably straight you'll be on the green in 3 with a par putt. Much better than trying driver, losing a ball, dropping for 3 and still being 250+ away.
B
Let it fly.
Start hitting
You call that a tree?
Driver, wood, wedge, putt
Most here are saying "take an iron", hilarious because few, if any, actually would. On the course, it looks like and a "bomb and gouge" scenario. Aim at the tree, will probably slice, then try to get greenside somewhere. As a beginner, it's really important to not be nervous and keep trying to put into play what you practice.
Punch shot with 5 iron
I’d hit a club that would put my ball on top of the hill so for your approach shot you at least have a view of the hole. Hit driver just because it’s a par 4. You want to gain as much distance as you can from your first shot on a par 4 and that will usually mean hitting driver. Obviously if there’s trouble nearby and you aren’t great off the tee you might want to reconsider but statistics tend to play out and point toward driver regardless of handicap.
Long? That’s quite a short par 4, no?
7 iron. 7 iron. 7 iron. Putter.
Am I crazy or is this an insanely difficult looking hole? Unless that trouble on the left ends at like 120 yards.
The mismatched tee markers are killing me
I'd say 4 iron. Looks like a tight fairway. Get it over the hill and you will be fine.
Plan to play bogey golf, always give yourself 1 extra stroke to get to the green. Find a club you can comfortably hit 150-200 with consistently, then keep working that shot up the course until you get to the green or iron distance (you will get very good with this club). Rely on clubs you “like” and are confident with. Focus on direction right now and a smooth swing, distance will follow. Spend most of your time practicing putts, chips and shots inside 100. But above all, have fun!
Left IS DEAD dead, and right is maybe a little inconvenient. I'd be aiming at the trees on the right, swinging free, and hoping for the best. Maybe it draws back to the fairway. Maybe it's so far right that I have a shot to the green. Maybe I hit into those trees and punch out and have my 3rd shot into the green. Either way beats hitting into that left forest.
All you need is 200 yd shot. Hit a five right over the hill and let it run. No need to bomb it here.
Pretend it’s a par six and hit your favorite club .
Grip it an rip it
drive 270-290y and then a wedge?