I love the weekly write ups... I did my own during practice rounds last week as I had missed 3 straights cut s and wound up with a top 20... so here are some anecdotes to add to williamwes626 on Holly Point.
1. If you have the timing down I would say play your hundred plus percent to launch one because the approach is uphill and will be close to 200 yards if you take it easy. I needed a three iron to comfortably clear the sand trap.
2. Once again a fairly long par four... I say that because to manage the tempo I am hitting everything 90 to 95%. Left a middle iron that I could not keep on the correct tier. The 30 foot putts have given me back my putting confidence.
3. This one will have a few people talking about their sauce. I played a high wedge into a nice headwind that stuck pin high on the fringe on the right... for some reason the contour the green did not bring it down to the cup and I had to chip up and tap in.
4. 500+ but open, so I went for it and cut with my six-year-old son calls a perfect perfect drive. Any head wind will make this a fairway wood approach. Wayward approach to avoid the front bunker... Couldn’t chase in home... To quote in PGA tour II for Genesis, This green has more rolls than a bakery.
5. The big bunker in the middle is a little bit more trouble than it’s worth to try to hit around... must you have a big tailwind in a big dog might be better to layup and pitch on from 100 then to deal with the bunker or the rough. Better to be on the correct tier of the green as there is a 3 1/2 foot ledge in the middle.
6. Hole is pretty open. Keep the drive-in play and you should have a lot of options trying to sneak on for eagle.
7. Pin 1 will give you plenty of runway to chase a hybrid on. Missed the ace by inches. Green Will play fast with the tail wind.
8. The hill on the left down into no man’s land is all out of bounds and if you hit the last 6 to 8 feet of Fairway You risk carrying down the chasm anyways. Don’t let the yardage deceive you though... it will take two hybrids to get to the green if you aren’t careful, and it is protected better than the President. It may look dangerous on the right side but the contour of the hill will filter everything back to the deeper pins. Best recovery came here with a SLOW drive that required a lay up, then stuck a SW to 3’.
9. This one seems straightforward too, but the front end of the green is so false it may as will be made of silicone. Plays very long from rough. Never scored better than bogey.
10. So you may as well mash here. Because the green is not going to allow many pitch and putts. Very steep, will run even slightly mishit balls off. Best to have a chance at a putt or chip. Good compensation for 9.
11. Even with a headwind this hole played a little bit shorter than I anticipated. Tried choking up on a five and ended up about 15 yards long. Another fast green with false edges like hippo.
12. Well this hole is majestic. what the front nine gave us in length the back nine is going to give us in tightness... no trees, but neither the drive nor the approach has much landing area. One of the cooler holes of the season
13. Also intense cliffhanger. Gut check if you’re having trouble with your tempo. this approach is where many of us are going to make or break our round. Missed my virgin alby by 6 feet. 3 can rapidly become 7.
14. Left looks bad, but right is deceptively treacherous and can add 30 yards to an already long hole. Gotta play to the correct side of the spine in the green... wrong side is trouble... right is trouble. The developer seems obsessed with spines across the fairway and greens here.
15. The green will give you the most trouble here. Drive is long but downhill and should get you in a position for a short iron. However too long or too short is going to leave you a long sweeping putt. Everything runs to the right so play some spin to control your landing.
16. Get creative. I tried a full on attack and kept it low out of the wind with some spin but still rolled through the green. 1-6 in play here.
17. More gut check... I don’t recall my tempo failing me on the back nine yet (Round 2 my luck run out and closed Double/single to spoil a run at my best 36 score). With a little tailwind I had an 89% driver and still cleared the second void... could get dicey if we face a headwind. Slightly downhill approach so club down and take a chance.
18. This drive could be a little trouble if you red fast. Another false front with some rolls, so plan accordingly
Overall, the OB on 8 and subsequent lay up cost me 3 strokes, but hit 12 fairways, so the opportunities to score well are available. The money will be made by the guys who can harness the wind on their approach shots and keep it under 20 feet. GIR was low as I “missed” 3 of the 4 par 3, even though I was chipping 5-6 yards or so.
Some of the pin position 2s are Cut in much more difficult locations. Missed a couple easy birdie tap ins. The Highwinds will wreak havoc in round one but I feel like it’ll be a little bit more difficult to go low in round two for average putters