The Miss You Can Live With

A guy like J. Tiwana will probably try to drive the green on a par 4 like this. With a tailwind gusting, it’s the ideal setup for it.

You’d want a high enough launch — enough to clear the trees early. You can reach a similar apex with different launch angles, but the descent changes. The ground’s firm on this day, so a medium-high launch with a low descent lets the ball run once it lands. It’s got a real chance.

Also working in your favor — a front pin. Pin positions (front, middle, back) are usually marked by flag color.

To check the wind, I drop a few blades of grass from head height. Where does the wind take it? I’ll even ask the group, “Which way’s the wind?” You can tell right away who’s uptight — with the facts floating right there.

I’m up on this day, but I’m doing it my way — low, penetrating driver off the tee. I’m playing a 6-degree loft, low spin head PXG, sweeping it. I’m on fire, so there’s no need to change what’s working.

A driver on the fairway line would be too much — I’d end up in the creek. Instead, I try to tightrope a 3-wood along the dogleg left. On the previous hole, I hit a stinger cut, so I go for it again. 

I strike it well, but it goes long because it did not cut. Instead of fading back into the fairway, it pulls. In this case, that’s a good miss. A push, and I’d be in those trees Tiwana’s ball is flying over.

These hazards — they affect us subconsciously. You only learn your tendencies when you face them. That’s what we do on a miniature scale at The Park of Dreams. It’s far more effective than the range, which can start to emphasize the wrong things. It doesn’t translate nearly as well.

For the second shot I find myself in the rough with a few options. The ball’s sitting nicely — not too up. When it floats high on the grass, you can’t compress it, and I rely heavily on that for distance control. The grass is tall, but not enough to interfere much with contact — still, there’s always that chance.

A gap wedge could work, but I go with a 9-iron and a punchy follow-through. The leading edge cuts through grass better, and I can use the ground to compress. I can pop it up and have it descend like a wedge hit it. 

For alignment, I remember the last push. I glance up — trees on the right. End up there, and I’m posting at least a five. So I aim slightly left and live with the downhill putt.

To make sure I get there, I put a little extra on it — better to be long than twenty yards short with that rough guarding the front.

It works out. I’ve got a clean look at par after the chip from the fringe.

Back then, I didn’t have the framework — the intention was right, but the mechanics were far more flawed than they are today. You are always learning with this game.