BLACK MAMBA Bethpage’s 15th is scary, so proceed with caution.
Play it like a par 5 Many uphill 4s play closer to a par 5, so treat them that way. Hit a reliable club off the tee for position, then lay up to a comfortable distance. This makes it more likely you’ll be on in three and avoid a double bogey. Who knows, maybe you’ll stick your approach and walk away with a bonus par.
shots. Take one more club for every five metres of elevation change. If it’s 15 metres and there’s wind into me, I might really club up, hitting a 8-iron where I would usually pull a gap wedge. Factor in the best miss According to statistics from Arccos Golf, the average 15-handicap hits the green less than half the time from 90 metres to 120 metres – and that’s not
factoring in an uphill target. The odds are that you’re going to miss the green, so determine where you have the best chance to get up and down and factor that into your aim. Be smart and play away from the worst-case leave. – WITH DAVE ALLEN MIKE LABAUVE , a Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher, is director of LaBauve Golf at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale.
Take more club Don’t underestimate your approach
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 33
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator