Pinehurst Preparation

[hudy]

Making a 4 day trip to Pinehurst in August. Playing The Cradle, #8, #6, #4, #7 and Tobacco Road. Looking for some advice on different shots I may be facing. Hitting from the needles, hitting to their greens, is there a difference hitting on bermuda? Coming from Denver.

[Cwing]

Don’t over think it. It’s just golf. I went in 2018 and had a great time. Maybe brush up on your sand game.

[Old Tom Morris]

Chipping around the contoured greens on closely mowed tight lies. You will be faced with this shot all week. Develop shots you can go to to get up and down from this situation or the scores will get high very quickly.

[QC Heel]

If you are going to miss, miss in front.

[ND2005]

Advice from my caddie that shockingly paid off: when you're in the natural areas - just ignore the wiregrass and swing your normal swing.

 

[TitleistHOG]

Does anyone know when Pinehurst 2 and 4 punch and what the going rates are?

 

I might be in the area late July early August.

[ceejay81]

Learn to putt from off the greens and put that 60* wedge away. You'll find yourself in plenty of collection areas. Also, when putting on Bermuda, the "shiny" putts will be quicker. Those courses should be in fantastic condition for you.

[allparz]

Bermuda Fairways are the best there are - ball sits up perfectly - they will be perfect in August

3" of Bermuda rough is nasty - best to get ball back to fairway - Luckily there is no rough to speak of at Pinehurst

Very unreliable to putt from the fairway to the green (grainy, moves ball left right) - best to chip or use hybrid to get ball on green 1st

If on the pine needles close to green - you can treat like a Sand Shot - trying to pick clean rarely works, needles will kill contact

Donald Ross tip - Play to the center of the greens - putt to the corners.....

[davep043]

@allparz says:
"Very unreliable to putt from the fairway to the green (grainy, moves ball left right) - best to chip or use hybrid to get ball on green 1st"
I've found just the opposite, I prefer putting from off the green. The fairway grass is generally mowed very tight, and I've seen the ball roll pretty true and pretty quickly over it. To me, a lofted wedge for short shots is a last choice, only for emergencies. I don't use a hybrid in this manner, but it seems like a good option to using a putter.

[allparz]

"If you want to get it somewhere near the hole putting is an option - if you're trying to make them then you better be chipping...." paraphrasing Fayetteville NC native 4 time major winner Ray Floyd

[CactusGolf]

I lived in Greensboro, NC for roughly 10 years and made the trek down to Pinehurst & Tobacco Road multiple times.

 

Tobacco Road is a blast. The course isn't super long (maybe 6,600 from the back tees). It is visually intimidating off of the tees, BUT there is plenty of room out there past the hazards. For example, on the 1st hole (par 5), there are two massive mounds with an opening maybe 30 yards wide. Past that, the fairway opens to about 75 yards wide. A lot of the holes are like that. Visually intimidating tee shots, but plenty of landing area. I found it relatively easy to score on the course, if you can keep it in play off the tee. This might help you plan out your shots a little: https://www.gamegolf.com/player/CactusGolf/round/2330629 I'll try and post some pictures that I have from Tobacco Road.

 

I came from Milwaukee, so the transition took a while to get used to Bermuda. Sometimes the greens at Pinehurst can be a little difficult to hold, especially if they get dry. I played towards the middle of many of the greens rather than pin-hunting. That strategy worked out to me. I struggled the most with the wedges in Bermuda. With the pinestraw, plant your feet and the swing really is all arms. As soon as you try to drive with the legs, you'll slip everywhere. Chipping on Bermuda is difficult (wedges can get stuck if into the grain), so I learned to get comfortable with putting off the greens, using a 5-wood to putt with, and using 8-iron to bump and run quite a bit.

 

I played in a Carolina Golf Association event on Number 8 and enjoyed it. I don't remember the course being especially long, but I do remember the approaches and pitching to the greens was definitely a challenge.

 

Number 2 was still my favorite. The finishing hole was a blast. You can probably spit from the green to the restaurant/bar patio. It makes those last putts and pitches a little shakey. Its been probably 3 years since I've played #2 and I still remember every hole.

[davep043]

The OP is a 12 handicap, and lives in Denver, coming to play in pretty different conditions. His plan should be to leave the ball on the green, and hope to have a realistic chance to make the ensuing putt.

And its fine for someone with Ray's talent to try to make 20 and 30 and 40-foot shots from off the green, but most humans will make one of those a month, or less. The goal for just about every golfer should be up and down from off the green.

[allparz]

Will have to disagree...

In Pinehurst in the middle of the summer, no one is putting from off the green from outside 15' - impossibleFrom short distances around the green it's best to chip, get the ball on the green 1stHealthy summertime Bermuda is unpredictable, from 3 inches off the green I would rather chip/pitch/hybrid But lets say we're going to Bandon Dunes

I not would recommend chipping/pitching from inside of 50' off the greenGround is firm/fast/predictable - best to Putt or use a hybrid and bump alongFirm ground with the typical bounce on your wedges is a disasterOP asked for shots you would hit given the environment - he didn't ask for a game evaluation and low risk strategy

[dlygrisse]

I would work on practicing soft pitches from off the elevated greens and putting from off the greens. Both shots are very handy at #2. You are going to miss greens there, prepare for it. And yes D. Ross was correct, it is often wise to shoot for the middle of the greens and putt towards the corners.

Keep in mind, no one single particular strategy is always correct, especially at #2, Every green is different, they all don't play as inverted saucers, although many do....but if you aren't used to putting from off the green it is a handy shot of have, and if you aren't prepared to pitch over some deep traps then you will have issues as well.

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