Indian Trails 6

6
Par 4, 246 yards

This hole is short but the steep uphill slope -- almost leaving a blind second shot if you hit it too short -- is intimidating. I go with 3-iron because I don't want to mess with the trees on the left, but I slice it and end up in the needles under one of those trees. If my 3-iron is slicing I'm in trouble--I'll hit it thick and short sometimes, but never left. It's my one slice avoider I can usually count on.

Then I make a bad club choice. The pin looks so far away--I can just see the flag over the hill--that I think I need to punch out with a 7-iron. I only take half a swing, but it's too much and the ball finds a knotty clump of trees behind the green to the right. I hunt it down and end up with a clear view of the green, but I blast my 8-iron too strong and off the back of the green.

Then I make another sketchy choice. I'm lying about 6 feet shy of the fringe on some really shaven fairway grass. The pin is near the front of the green so I don't want to loft it much. I almost want to putt it. I decide to do something I saw on a golf tip on TV once (never, ever, do anything you've seen on a golf tip on TV), and that is to use a 3-wood with a little half-putting, half-chipping stroke. The 3-wood gives you confidence you'll connect and gives you a shot that travels mostly on the ground. But mine keeps rolling, and rolling, all the way back to the fringe on the right side. Next time I either have to go 5-wood or use an all-putting stroke with the 3-wood. I had too much wrist. Sinking the putt would salvage a decent score, but the 7-footer drifts just past, and I have a double, 6.