[TripleH68]

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TripleH, Ottawa Park sounds like a lot of fun. It's not anywhere near me, but I took a look at the scorecard anyway. What do you usually do on the <300 yard par 4s? Hit driver and try to get it close to the green? Or lay up to a distance you like, i.e., 90 yards?

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That is a really bizarre course. 5000 yards, par 71? Almost every par-4 is under 300 yards, the longest topping out at like 324. Plus it says it was designed by Arthur Hills, which is interesting. This course would have be narrow as hell to compensate for the lack of length. Indeed it was no doubt designed back in the days of the mashie niblick and stymies and balls with feathers sticking out of them.

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Arthur hills did a redesign, which really involved repairing bunkers, etc. The bunkers are well placed and greens play with a lot of break, both evident and subtle. One of those places where local knowledge rules. There is a match play event there every summer.

Three of the seven short par-4s are reachable without much risk. Three are nearly impossible to hit because the fairway turns or elevation changes abruptly. Some examples:

2) 266 yards with deep bunker fronting a shallow green. About 40 feet downhill with OB fence behind the green. Plays into the prevailing wind. I usually hit an easy driver and go for the up and down.

3) 281 yards flat for 200 yards, then straight back up the hill. Woods down the left. I hit 4-iron.

6) 292 yards through a tunnel of trees with branches overhanging the fairway. The perfect tee shot is 210-yards down the left center.

8) 316 yards. Woods down the left, trees on the right. Fairway slopes right-to-left. Driver almost certainly runs into the woods.

9) 274 yards downhill. Let 'er rip.

etc.

This is the course everyone in town laughs about, but struggles with the course management required to shoot a good score. The greens are smaller so you need to be able to hit a soft flop shot and putt. The best parts of my game. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]