There are two types of golfers in the world: those intimidated by the length and obstacles associated with a Par 5 hole and others that see them as an increased margin for error. If you build out your on-course strategy correctly, you can achieve a scorecard that you are excited to look back at.
Before you step into the teeing area, the first thing you want to do is understand that you are not looking for an eagle. Hell, you don’t even have to have a very long drive. The average length of a par five in the United States is 513 yards, and the average drive of a 17-handicapper is 220 yards. So your first swing is not your most important swing of the hole.
Your second swing isn’t either, but it is getting closer. You may be playing from a fairway lie or the rough; I hope it didn’t find a hazard. Now is where you start to dial in the strategy for par fives. When you are choosing your next shot, you take a few things into account:
Can you reach the green?
Could you reach the green 9 out of 10 attempts?
How protected is the green with hazards and bunkers?
What is your favorite short iron?
What area gives you the best look at the green and flagstick?
For 90% of golfers, the first two questions are irrelevant because the distance and control are not there. So with a conservative approach, we get to the following questions. How guarded is the green? What would be the best angle to approach the green since you cannot reach it with your second swing? Take this information in, then move on to the club of choice. What club in your bag are you very confident in striking with accuracy? One that you know the yardage and consistently hit it to that mark.
Answering those questions will allow you to decide where you want the ball to land. Let’s build off those averages that we were talking about earlier. If the average par five is 513 yards and the average amateur hits 220 yards with their driver, leaving just 293 yards to find the dance floor with four swings for par. Are you starting to see how you can manage the score relatively easily?
Continuing on the averages, let’s say your 8-iron is your favorite club, and you know you can deliver a straight 130-yard ball almost every swing. That means your second swing should be enough to get you inside that range. With a minimum of 163 yards to get you to 8-iron range, grab a club that you believe you can hit around 175 yards. Go back to the part where you found the best angle to approach the green and set your eyes on a target in that direction.
The most important shot that you will take is your third swing because that is a shot that sets up your birdie par putt depending on whether you land on the green and hold. However, you can see that swing number two is where the strategy kicks into play.
If you focus heavily on building out strategy around your swings and focus on giving yourself a par putt, of any distance, on each hole, you will inevitably see a drop in your overall scores.
