Approach shots are too easy

[joesouthfla]

It may just be me, but I feel most holes on DG courses do not have challenging approach shots. If you have a half way decent drive the approach shot is almost always a gimmie.

[TempleOfDoom]

Go play Delaveaga. You'll quickly change your tune.

[John Rock]

It may just be me, but I feel most holes on DG courses do not have challenging approach shots. If you have a half way decent drive the approach shot is almost always a gimmie.


Not where I live. The wind will jack with any shot.

[CwAlbino]

it's all about the driving/putting

[drickanderson]

It may just be me, but I feel most holes on DG courses do not have challenging approach shots. If you have a half way decent drive the approach shot is almost always a gimmie.

I would agree on open courses, but the course we play at lunch time has a lot of trees around the baskets and really close. I'm not talking skinny little trees, with a few leaves. They're big bushy pine trees, and if you land behind one on your drive, it can be interesting trying to get close to the basket around them. Drive placement becomes crucial at that point, or you find yourself turning what should be an easy 2, into a 4 or more. It's even worse if there's wind, because you inherently have to expose one side of the disc to it when trying to throw around a tree like that.

Most times we'll just throw a scooby underneath if we're close enough.

[aothiom]

it's all about the driving/putting


verily, thy truth hath been spoketh.

[joesouthfla]

What % of the holes you play have challenging approach shots? I play mostly in Florida and most of the courses have very few holes that require much of an approach shot.

[toothyfish]

It's very course dependant. I play in NJ/PA and I can think of several courses that if you don't place your drive correctly each time, you'll be lucky to see the basket, let alone make an approach shot. These courses have many 400-600 ft par 4s in the woods.

[joegraham]

verily, thy truth hath been spoketh.

It didn't always used to be this way. Discs go a lot farther than they used to. This is the same arguement in the PGA tour. players hit a lot farther and it shortens up even these championship length courses. Parks where our courses are in are mostly limited, so we have put holes in where they will fit. There are a lot of courses on ball courses, and really long courses in some places that are par 4s, and 5s. These are trully challenges and you need every shot in your arsenal to get around par. Maybe it's time to lengthen pin positions or add more tees to those short courses you are playing. A par 4 hole should have an approach shot maybe 50 to 75% the length of your drive to make it a challenge to get it close to the basket for a gimmie. Otherwise, we're all playing par 3s. Executive pitch and putt courses.

[FredVegasDGC]

Go play Kereiakes Park in Bowling Green, Ky nothing but big, fat cedars that act like Velcro trees.

[Mike C]

Like others said it's really dependent on the course. Most I've played every hole is definitely deucable, but places like Moraine State Park and Portage Lakes are heads and shoulders above other courses in that respect. 500'+ true par 4's in the woods is where it's at.

It didn't always used to be this way. Discs go a lot farther than they used to.

I hear this argument thrown around a lot, but Rocs and Aviars have been around for about as long as I have (Maybe longer?), and I don't understand why a pro in 1988 couldn't throw those discs up to 400' like a pro can these days. Am I missing something? Yeah, something like a Nuke will definitely go further and fly a lower line, but 400' with a lot of the classics that were around 20 years ago isn't that hard IMO.

[keepDGobscure]

sounds like you can't/don't want to hit long putts

[Cgkdisc]

Switch to Super Class discs where you'll get lots of approach opportunities. ;)

[JustSayin']

I would agree on open courses, but the course we play at lunch time has a lot of trees around the baskets and really close. I'm not talking skinny little trees, with a few leaves. They're big bushy pine trees, and if you land behind one on your drive, it can be interesting trying to get close to the basket around them. Drive placement becomes crucial at that point, or you find yourself turning what should be an easy 2, into a 4 or more. It's even worse if there's wind, because you inherently have to expose one side of the disc to it when trying to throw around a tree like that.

Most times we'll just throw a scooby underneath if we're close enough.


You need to play more North Carolina golf.......

[drickanderson]

Switch to Super Class discs where you'll get lots of approach opportunities. ;)
Or move out here, where some of the holes are >500' because we have no elevation change.

Hole 9 at Red Ridge is 575', and even with a good rip to 400', you're left throwing 175' to the basket. The wind ALWAYS blows at that course (usually at 15-20mph), so it has a huge pucker factor, and taking a 3 on it is always a rewarding experience.

[New013]

On a lot holes in dg your drive is your approach. So if you're having short easy approaches then your drive sucked. You want to stop boring approaches... Turn them in to putts.

[InnocentCrook]

It may just be me, but I feel most holes on DG courses do not have challenging approach shots. If you have a half way decent drive the approach shot is almost always a gimmie.

Don't take this the wrong way... but please tell me you're basing this off of more than the two courses you have checked as "played" in your profile? If you've really only played two courses, this is just silly.

There's tons of courses out there that have challenging approach shots, you just have to find them.

[CwAlbino]

Don't take this the wrong way... but please tell me you're basing this off of more than the two courses you have checked as "played" in your profile? If you've really only played two courses, this is just silly.

There's tons of courses out there that have challenging approach shots, you just have to find them.

I've got over 50 courses, and the majority of the holes (I'd say at least 80%) that I've played are deucable. The majority of non-deuce holes come from a select few courses

[notBOB]

On a lot holes in dg your drive is your approach. So if you're having short easy approaches then your drive sucked. You want to stop boring approaches... Turn them in to putts.

precisely

[bradharris]

It's all about landing areas. On most holes, the par 3 mantra still lives and the landing area for a tee shot is the green. On these holes, any shot down the fairway should result in a relatively easy upshot. Some longer holes however are designed such that once you safely hit the landing area, you still have some sort of intricate approach shot required to reach the green. I think more and more courses are trying to introduce these kinds of holes.

[InnocentCrook]

...and the majority of the holes (I'd say at least 80%) that I've played are deucable. The majority of non-deuce holes come from a select few courses

I don't disagree at all. If you're complaining about boring approach shots, then either get close enough to putt (for the 80%), or play different courses. Challenging approaches are available.

I'm pretty lucky, I get to travel around to some place new every couple months because of my wife's job. I'm getting to play a lot of very different courses and I usually don't bother with a course if it isn't rated at least around 2.5. Plus, my "home" courses are Idlewild, Lincoln Ridge, and Mt. Airy, so maybe this skews my opinion a bit. :thmbup:

[Dadio]

People are generally throwing farther now, too. I started in the mid '80s and there were a few people cranking them out there, but not very many. The person throwing into the 400' range really stood out. Guy in Tri-Cities I played with shot 17th in the world in the mid '90s and was the only one in the area throwing that far. In contrast, I played w/ Martin a couple of days ago. He has played 2 years and got a good rip on a putter and put it that far. Resources like this site and advances in disc design have helped the sport advance by leaps and bounds.
As many here have said, look around, there are challenging courses out there. My home one in Tri-Cities wasn't, pretty std, but I didn't know that until got out and played more.

[SomeChump]

Interesting approaches come from many things....but mostly shanked drives. Trees early on in the hole can give even short holes difficulty approach shots.

It might help if you quit thinking of them as "easy approach shots" and consider them "long putts."

[Dadio]

Looks like you may need to road trip further north for more challenging courses. Looks like Orlando and Gainsville have some good ones. Check out reviews, ask around, pick a weekend and drag a couple of friends on a DG adventure. Worth it for a good course or 2(or 4 or 5). :-)

[basketcase15]

i know what hes saying tho, when u play everyday somethings the worst part or the everyday DG grind is laying it up for a par, but think this way, man i need to get my drives longer to drop it it for a bird!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats how i think at least

[Mike C]

You could also try throw rollers, forehands or backhands (Whichever you use least), left, pancake shots, thumbers and other random **** like that so you can diversify your skill set and get your mind more interested.

[Danger]

If I lived in Florida, I would also think DG is boring.

Well, I would think many many things are boring.

[basketcase15]

You could also try throw rollers, forehands or backhands (Whichever you use least), left, pancake shots, thumbers and other random **** like that so you can diversify your skill set and get your mind more interested.

this too!!!!

[BrotherDave]

Sounds like somebody has not played a Stan McDaniel design. ;|

I personally love(hate) late trouble like sentinel trees around the basket for this reason.

[wolito]

it's all about the driving/putting

It is true. Make that great drive and you could end up with a decent putt. Even if your drive is short or out off position, you are looking at a 150 foot approach which we should all be able to park with great frequency.

[DavidSauls]

I'll bet most of the 4+ rated courses have challenging approach shots.

But what do I know, I have the ability to create a challenging upshot just about anyplace.

[GoodDriveBadPutt]

I am also curious what courses you've played. It's a big world out there.

[TOURNEYPLAYER]

I think that on a fair course if you have a great drive you will have an easy approach. (assuming its a par 3) but if you have ever played in Charlotte you will know that placement is everything, you have to place your drive to even have an approach and then from there u still have work to do. i say venture out and challenge yourself on some new terrain.

[BullyBull]

Drive farther. Take approaches out of the game completely. DUH

[TOURNEYPLAYER]

I reiterate. in Charlotte you cant just throw longer drives. you have to place your shot. that is the only way to get a look at the basket. thats why they do it that way.

[BullyBull]

Im kidding. I like courses like that. Seperates the men from the boys when you have 275ft approaches through the woods.

[Craton]

I actually am in the same camp as the OP, although I might flush it out more than simply saying approach shots.

I find that 90% of holes or more offer you fairly open line that you can hit, and if you do, you're rewarded to landing next to the basket. What I'd like to really see is more holes that demand you to tee off to set up for your next shot, which could very well be another drive, or, even better, a tricky approach shot.

*NOTE: I'm NOT saying that these lines are easy to hit. I just feel that many invest so much difficulty into the teeshot, that there is not foresight in making a creative approach.*

There are a few holes that I think do this fairly well:
Hole 2 @ North Valley, Inver Grove Heights, MN (The new layout is exactly this)
Hole 4, 5, 6 @ Blue Ribbon Pines, East Bethel, MN (In the Majestic layout)


I just think it'd be fun to utilize mids for more than powering down off the teebox; I'd really like to find a course that would cause me to be challenged more at 120' than simply making an open shot that far away. Not that I CAN hit that shot, it's just fun to have to try different lines on second shots.

[Craton]

You could also try throw rollers, forehands or backhands (Whichever you use least), left, pancake shots, thumbers and other random **** like that so you can diversify your skill set and get your mind more interested.

:thmbup::thmbup::thmbup:

[billnchristy]

It's all about landing areas. On most holes, the par 3 mantra still lives and the landing area for a tee shot is the green. On these holes, any shot down the fairway should result in a relatively easy upshot. Some longer holes however are designed such that once you safely hit the landing area, you still have some sort of intricate approach shot required to reach the green. I think more and more courses are trying to introduce these kinds of holes.

I think this is why ball golf par and dg par cannot be the same.

(I know, I know, not this crap again...but it applies here, I promise).

Let's say you have a 350' hole through a 30' tree tunnel that has a landing zone 250-300' out where the gap widens to about 70' or so...a nice place for your fading disc to tuck in.

Your next shot is 50-100', lets say that hole pushes back right and maybe curves in a bit, making it a turnover s or a lefty backhand if you want to drive to the pin.

The upshot is easy and most people will putt a 3.

The perfect drive is not easy and will result in more 4s because you will fade early and end up with a pitchout situation.

In ball golf this would be a par 4 because you cannot reach the green in 1 shot (you get 2 from the green remember) BUT in disc golf those who play smart would 3 it almost every time and more skilled players would card some 2s but also some 4s. Idiots would probably get a 6.

In this case the drive and putt are still the most important parts, but the upshot is a necessity for most.

Is it a good hole...dunno, would have to play it, but it doesn't sound horrible...maybe too easy for smart people and too hard for dummies.

[TOURNEYPLAYER]

I actually am in the same camp as the OP, although I might flush it out more than simply saying approach shots.

*NOTE: I'm NOT saying that these lines are easy to hit. I just feel that many invest so much difficulty into the teeshot, that there is not foresight in making a creative approach.*

There are a few holes that I think do this fairly well:
Hole 4, @ Blue Ribbon Pines, East Bethel, MN (In the Majestic layout)



Hole 4 at Blue Ribbon Pines? isnt that a 440' straight tunnel shot with Pines along both sides only about 15ft wide fairway? there is no shot shaping. if you can throw 350ft straight you will three the hole. in the clash video Cale 2's it. (he is the only one that stays in the fairway though.)

[Cgkdisc]

Craton - There are a few holes that I think do this fairly well:
Hole 2 @ North Valley, Inver Grove Heights, MN (The new layout is exactly this)
It would be rare to not find a par 4 hole for the skill level it was designed for on a course I designed even Acorn (9 & 18). The Valley not only has hole 2 but 8, 11, 14, 15 as blue level par 4s (7 gold tee & 16 are borderline). The difference in throwing a mid-range the same distance from the tee versus the fairway is you can groove the tee shot. The approach is always from a slightly to largely different position each time you play it.

[TOURNEYPLAYER]

but can you groove a groove? thats the million dollar question Mr. Kennedy

[Cgkdisc]

I was feelin' groovy long before groovin' the Groove...

[Hegemony]

Is that when a sport was a sport?
Did dancing mean everything?
Were you young and improvin?

[Cgkdisc]

'Twas a time when hyzer was "Hi, Sir" and anhyzer was just saying "Hi" to a second dude. Ahhhh.... those times of yore before you're became your and they're became their or there. ;)

[joesouthfla]

Don't take this the wrong way... but please tell me you're basing this off of more than the two courses you have checked as "played" in your profile? If you've really only played two courses, this is just silly.

There's tons of courses out there that have challenging approach shots, you just have to find them.

This is based on 10-12 courses in Fl. And approx 12 courses in other states. Baskets need to be more guarded. Some of you have given specific hole examples, but seriously on a typical course you are lucky to find more then 4 holes that require much of an upshot to get it in the circle. What course out there is going to challenge my approach shot on 10 of the 18 holes?

[joesouthfla]

It's all about landing areas. On most holes, the par 3 mantra still lives and the landing area for a tee shot is the green. On these holes, any shot down the fairway should result in a relatively easy upshot. Some longer holes however are designed such that once you safely hit the landing area, you still have some sort of intricate approach shot required to reach the green. I think more and more courses are trying to introduce these kinds of holes.

Well put, yes landing areas! for example my home course has a hole that is wide open and boring. When they place it in the alternate position which is set back in the woods, you now need to drive to the narrow opening on the left or the wide opening on the right which requires a shot over water. Miss either openings and you have a very scary shot to get it close to the basket. I love thinking holes.

[Karl]

BnC,

Your...

"Let's say you have a 350' hole through a 30' tree tunnel that has a landing zone 250-300' out where the gap widens to about 70' or so...a nice place for your fading disc to tuck in.
Your next shot is 50-100', lets say that hole pushes back right and maybe curves in a bit, making it a turnover s or a lefty backhand if you want to drive to the pin.
The upshot is easy and most people will putt a 3.
The perfect drive is not easy and will result in more 4s because you will fade early and end up with a pitchout situation.
In ball golf this would be a par 4 because you cannot reach the green in 1 shot (you get 2 from the green remember) BUT in disc golf those who play smart would 3 it almost every time and more skilled players would card some 2s but also some 4s. Idiots would probably get a 6."

...has me saying that this IS a par-3 (albeit a really hard one) because - in 1 - you've "hit MY green" (which maybe different than yours). My green is about 100 foot in radius. If your drive gets inside that you're 'allowed' 2 putts for a par (1 and you birdie). And most any hole that you can 'get inside that circle' someone COULD (if wicked lucky) ace...and thus it's a par-3.

Just a different perspective I guess.

Karl

[denny ritner]

This is based on 10-12 courses in Fl. And approx 12 courses in other states. Baskets need to be more guarded. Some of you have given specific hole examples, but seriously on a typical course you are lucky to find more then 4 holes that require much of an upshot to get it in the circle. What course out there is going to challenge my approach shot on 10 of the 18 holes?

Joe, you need to get up to Suwannee. We've got 9 par 4's. The SSA is right around even par 62.

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=1853

[Steve West]

Hole 4 at Blue Ribbon Pines? isnt that a 440' straight tunnel shot with Pines along both sides only about 15ft wide fairway? there is no shot shaping. if you can throw 350ft straight you will three the hole. in the clash video Cale 2's it. (he is the only one that stays in the fairway though.)

Straight IS a shape. And a difficult one, too. Only Cale shaped his shot correctly.

[bholy08]

i really agree with the premise of this thread, at least in my local area...get a decent drive and the approach shot is fairly routine. very rarely do i have an approach of over 150 ft

[Thumber]

Toronto Island is one of the toughest courses out there. Even with drives over 400 you still need a great approach game to stave off 4's (or 5's and 6's). The rough is unbelievably brutal and shot placement is everything

Sounds like the OP just needs to get out and play more courses with real par 4's and 5's

[GripEnemyS2K]

It's very course dependant. I play in NJ/PA and I can think of several courses that if you don't place your drive correctly each time, you'll be lucky to see the basket, let alone make an approach shot. These courses have many 400-600 ft par 4s in the woods.

+1..

[CwAlbino]

It would be rare to not find a par 4 hole for the skill level it was designed for on a course I designed even Acorn (9 & 18). The Valley not only has hole 2 but 8, 11, 14, 15 as blue level par 4s (7 gold tee & 16 are borderline). The difference in throwing a mid-range the same distance from the tee versus the fairway is you can groove the tee shot. The approach is always from a slightly to largely different position each time you play it.

I would consider hole 2 a much harder hole than 8,11,14,15. I 3'd holes 8,11,14,15 last time I went there and would be angry if I didn't 3 them. Hole 2 I took a 4. I believe these were all gold level too, or at least long pin placement (ex: hole 8 pin up the hill from the big evergreen).

Hole 8 was just a grip an rip, then about 200'-225' hyzer upshot, drop-in. If it had been in the old pin placement, I would of had a relatively good run at a deuce. 15 I was in the rough but only about 50' short of the pin. That hole has a gap to hit up high (kind of a spike anhyzer) that after a few practice throws, I think I could park that hole.

[optidiscic]

It's very course dependant. I play in NJ/PA and I can think of several courses that if you don't place your drive correctly each time, you'll be lucky to see the basket, let alone make an approach shot. These courses have many 400-600 ft par 4s in the woods.

I am thinking of our rounds at Nockamixon and there is not 1 easy approach on that course......and from the tee only 4 baskets are visible but good luck getting to them :hfive:

[Cgkdisc]

CwAlbino - I 3'd holes 8,11,14,15 last time I went there and would be angry if I didn't 3 them
Is that really any different from being angry if you don't deuce many par 3 holes? Same thing with wanting to get the birdie 3 on par 4s. The tournament scoring on those holes indicates legit par 4s.

[Mando]

I am thinking of our rounds at Nockamixon and there is not 1 easy approach on that course......and from the tee only 4 baskets are visible but good luck getting to them :hfive:
Nockamixon. Is there a more blatanly under-rated course in the US ?
It absurd when you think about it.

[joesouthfla]

After reading all the posts I guess I'm wrong. Sounds like I need to get out of Florida more often.

[joesouthfla]

I reiterate. in Charlotte you cant just throw longer drives. you have to place your shot. that is the only way to get a look at the basket. thats why they do it that way.

I played Reny this summer. Kind of what got me thinking about it in the first place. In Florida maybe because of the geography you will only have 2 or 3 challenging approach shots per course. Once you get within a 150-200 feet of the basket your next shot will be in the circle.

[optidiscic]

I played Reny this summer. Kind of what got me thinking about it in the first place. In Florida maybe because of the geography you will only have 2 or 3 challenging approach shots per course. Once you get within a 150-200 feet of the basket your next shot will be in the circle.

those clearwater courses look interesting with water and low ceilings.....I have those on my wish list

[Icculus]

Go play Kereiakes Park in Bowling Green, Ky nothing but big, fat cedars that act like Velcro trees.

Exactly.

[`cjc]

I am thinking of our rounds at Nockamixon and there is not 1 easy approach on that course......and from the tee only 4 baskets are visible but good luck getting to them :hfive:

...depends on your skill level, too.

[deBebbler]

This is based on 10-12 courses in Fl. And approx 12 courses in other states.

Want some challenging upshots? Come play in Northern MI.

I have the ability to create a challenging upshot just about anyplace.


Yeah, I hear that.

[after a particularly awful drive]
"Ha! I'll bet the course designers themselves never even thought about how hard this approach would be!"

:hfive:

[Addison7]

It may just be me, but I feel most holes on DG courses do not have challenging approach shots. If you have a half way decent drive the approach shot is almost always a gimmie.

come play zephr cove dgc or turtle rock or bijou disc golf course they will definetly put you to the test espiaclly zephyr cove

[Karl]

Quote:
Originally Posted by FredVegasDGC
Go play Kereiakes Park in Bowling Green, Ky nothing but big, fat cedars that act like Velcro trees.

I played the BG Am a couple years ago and threw a 1000+ rated round there...using virtually ALL overhands. One just has to fit the tee shot(s) between the disc-eating cedars! "Approach shots" are NOT drives (they're second / third shots to a par 4 / 5). K has really no 4's. And I also don't think approach shots are shots after a really bad drive on a par 3.

Karl

[BogeyNoMore]

Ease of the upshot is really a function of:
1) Course design and difficulty:
Some courses are simply more forgiving of bad drives than others. Straying from the fairway into really tall grass doesn't have the same impact as having to snake your way out of jail or having to get out from a bunch of bushy, brushy crap.

Also, well guarded and carefully tucked baskets can really require pinpoint accuracy on upshots. It's one thing to place an upshot from 150-200' out fairly close to the basket for an easy putt when you have 360° of open space around the basket. Tuck the basket away and shrink that window down to a 90° arc or so, and landing within 15-20' of the basket doesn't necessarily result in an easy putt. You have to land in the right spot relatuve to what's surrounding the basket.

Trees with long, low hanging branches can slap down up that don't hold a low line.

2) Skill Level:
Some people are just so dialed in and consistent, they just know how to get their upshot to hit just where ther need it to to set up an easy putt, even on tougher holes. They know how to finesse their putters and mids through the gauntlet, and still have the right amount of distance to lay up nicely, where others cannot execute that line or overshoot the landing.

[Aim For The Chains]

I actually am in the same camp as the OP, although I might flush it out more than simply saying approach shots.

I find that 90% of holes or more offer you fairly open line that you can hit, and if you do, you're rewarded to landing next to the basket. What I'd like to really see is more holes that demand you to tee off to set up for your next shot, which could very well be another drive, or, even better, a tricky approach shot.

*NOTE: I'm NOT saying that these lines are easy to hit. I just feel that many invest so much difficulty into the teeshot, that there is not foresight in making a creative approach.*

There are a few holes that I think do this fairly well:
Hole 2 @ North Valley, Inver Grove Heights, MN (The new layout is exactly this)
Hole 4, 5, 6 @ Blue Ribbon Pines, East Bethel, MN (In the Majestic layout)


I just think it'd be fun to utilize mids for more than powering down off the teebox; I'd really like to find a course that would cause me to be challenged more at 120' than simply making an open shot that far away. Not that I CAN hit that shot, it's just fun to have to try different lines on second shots.

There are tons of holes like this in MN... From little Silverview to Brekke Park to Lakewood, bethel, acorn, oakwood or even Fort-Snelling (which for being very open still makes you shape shots) and tons of the smaller narrow wooded courses on the outskirts of the TC area not to even mention those in St. Cloud or up North.

You should be rewarded for a GOOD drive on most holes specially being par 3's and agree that some approaches are "too easy" but I hardly ever see people hitting these "easy" 50-150 straight open shots either. Not a fan of Pitch and Putt but if you throw a good drive then your approach should be just that, an approach. No other similar game punishes you for a good shot. Look at the recent CLASH videos posted on youtube where they are playing in heavily wooded courses-- even the pro's hit trees and if that was ALL our game was about I think many players would get discouraged before they even got good enough to tackle a course like those.

[dodgeball]

For a good par 3 hole, I think it should 'pinch' at about where most players would land their tee shots. This would be analogous to most par 4's in ball golf that have bunkers on either side of the fairway or a bend at about where most players will hit their tee shots. For disc golf this would mean at about 250-300' off the tee, u would have a gap to hit, big tree to get around or a bend in the fairway. From the 'pinch' then u would have another 50-100' at a pin tucked far enough behind trees so that there is a good line vs. bad lines to get at it. So with a good drive that gets through the pinch on a good line, u should have a look at birdie. Drives that don't make it through or end up on the wrong side, and then u need a good upshot for the easy par.

People who are offering legit par 4's as examples with holes that require good approaches, I don't think have it quite right. It should take the average players a couple of mid or driver shots to get to where they have an approach shot. Again, this would be analogous to a par 5 in ball golf. They'll have added length of course, but also more trouble spots at the right spots, so it offers good risk/reward.

[SmoothSailor]

It's very course dependant. I play in NJ/PA and I can think of several courses that if you don't place your drive correctly each time, you'll be lucky to see the basket, let alone make an approach shot. These courses have many 400-600 ft par 4s in the woods.

I can't speak for NJ or PA but in NE OH we have some course where if your drive isn't placed well, you dont have much in the way of getting up and down for par. On the other hand we have some courses, where you can putt off the tee,have a lackadasical approach and still can 3s.

Like most have touched on before me, its all about course placement and land available for use. Sure, some trees can be planted to make things more difficult, but that costs money some clubs or parks don't have or aren't willing to fork over for us... :|

[jongoff09]

A good way to make challenging approach shots on your home course is to play a safari round and make holes that would be challenging par 4s. I have played a "supercourse" layout of a course in my area that is very fun and has some legit par 4s where a well placed drive plus a well placed approach are needed to get a three.

I wish there was an 18 hole course near me with some par 4s.

[denny ritner]

I wish there was an 18 hole course near me with some par 4s.

Find some great land, make a good pitch, and I'll come your way and design it for only travel expenses. (about $1,000)

[Mind Expansi0n]

You've played two courses ....


It may just be me, but I feel most holes on DG courses do not have challenging approach shots. If you have a half way decent drive the approach shot is almost always a gimmie.

[sillybizz]

You've played two courses ....

You've played seven courses ....

[Mind Expansi0n]

And when did I make a sweeping comment about how courses are? Good try though sweetheart. :thmbup: PS - Can I still not talk to TimG or is that ok with you now? HAHAHAHAHA


You've played seven courses ....