Eagle Ridge equip strategy

[Hidepenny]

Hi all,

I've got an ambrose play coming in a couple of weeks time at eagle ridge, now a bit of background, i've never played in "comp" or anything that's "organised", people like playing with me coz i don't keep score and it's plenty stress free.

because this event is organised via my daughter's school, so as a "super" dad, i'd like to achieve something, and i've been working my swing and get consistent.

i'm a rather fit guy who exercises often but not a big hitter in other words muscles aren't conditioned to play golf, 7 iron on the old 695mb gets me about 140, and a 3 iron mb gets me 180ish. (my hip and back muscles do get sore after 18 hole as i don't play enough of it, but legs do hold up fine) so as part of the training, i'm going to driving range twice or thrice a week to condition those muscles to avoid fatigue on the day.

another fact is i always play with 7 clubs (driver, 3 iron/3 hybrid, 5,7,9, 52-10 and a putter), and i even managed to sell all my even numbered irons to another friend who was happy to play light as i do

in reality anything between 130-150, i'd use my 7 iron, and use 3 hybrid for long par 5, my driver gets me about 200-230m

looking at the course description, there's some 170m par 3 and 500m par 5 that are worrying me, for one, i have to hit my 5 iron real hard to get 170m (risking control)

and those par 5 i can never reach with 2 hits, the thing with the par 4s is i will have quite a few shots that are 50m in as well

worse yet, i haven't even got used to the 3w that i purchased not long ago (the courses i frequent, don't require any 3w at all, unless i use it as a driver replacement), but it'd seem like a good club to use in those par 5 as second shots or some tighter par 4, but i'm really not confident at all.

so with time closing in quick, what do you guys think? what approach should i take? should i add more clubs to my bag?

[mrbluu]

For a guy who doesn't keep score u already are over thinking this!!! Got out, have fun and belt the ball if u are going first and play safe if u are playing last.

If u want to work on anything, the putting and driving are pretty key. Just go have fun, there is only one team that can win.

[talbo]

Depends how much you care. If this is important to you (which I think is) then I'm not sure you want to be learning to hit additional clubs you're not familiar with during your first comp round.

[Dotty]

It's ambrose, so you will only be taking the best shot of the four players in the group, so it doesn't matter that you mishit a couple. I assume that you will also have a generous handicap (and those distances are better than this 10 marker).

Go out and enjoy.

I suggest being the first player to hit each shot, so think about playing for safety.
Aim to play the 170m par 3 to the safe part of the green. If you mishit it, it will either bend towards the hole or away to an area, that allows your team a better chip to the hole (if the other three miss the green).
On the par 5s and long par 4s, if you can't go for the green safely, then play to the layup area away from the water hazards and bunkers. This allows the other three players to risk attacking for the pin, knowing that you have given them the safety net, if they fail.

Don't leave your putts short of the hole, as they will never go in. Let the last putter in the group worry about leaving it close.

[3Puttpete]

Forget the 3 wood. If your driver goes 230 max, you're not hitting your second to greens on par 5s.


Depends how much you care. If this is important to you (which I think is) then I'm not sure you want to be learning to hit additional clubs you're not familiar with during your first comp round.

And this.

[jimandr]

I'm too lazy and skill challenged to multi-quote from other posters, but everybody has said something of value.

I see two things you have overlooked. Firstly, as Dotty said, it is an ambrose, so you aren't always playing your ball from your typical distance. Secondly, and this is related to the first, you are part of a team, in an event that is almost impossible to win. So your efforts aren't likely to influence the result one way or another. If your primary aim to to impress your playing partners, golfers are easily impressed. A few good shots will be enough. You don't have to play well on every shot.

However, to sort of answer the question, take as many clubs as you are allowed. In an ambrose you should be always trying to hit greens and going for flags. You shouldn't ever be playing safe, so if you need a 170 club, make sure you have one.

And if you play really well, the golfing bug will probably catch you hard. Don't resist it, but join a club and play regularly, then join our conversations about comp related subjects. It is fun talking about such things, we promise.

[wizard_of_oz]

170m par 4: use your 3 iron. You don't know how windy it will be, if head wind, you can just hit your usual 3 iron shot. If no wind, grip down an inch and swing it as you normally would. The shortened length will take off some distance.

500m par 5: Use driver 200m, 3 iron 180m, 9 iron 120m.

[Wardy101]

Being Ambrose wouldn't worry too much and have some fun. If it is a corporate day hopefully they have a beer buggy to bring around beers

[Hidepenny]

Thanks for some really good suggestion, I'll take them all in and work with the other players and have a ball. Apparently carts and beers included so its well and truly setup for a good time :)

Thanks again!

[oldracer]

Thanks for some really good suggestion, I'll take them all in and work with the other players and have a ball. Apparently carts and beers included so its well and truly setup for a good time :)

Thanks again!hopfully you wont care where they're going after 12, smack em n have fun

[spanner039]

Have Fun, beer cart!!! Can't go wrong.

Make sure you let us know the outcome

[Hidepenny]

Sure, will try to get some pics up.....look forward the course too.

[Coldtopper]

Once drank 18 cans in an Ambrose at ER for a pb! Great place for a hit and giggle enjoy the day and have fun!

[Wardy101]

Once drank 18 cans in an Ambrose at ER for a pb! Great place for a hit and giggle enjoy the day and have fun!

1 can a hole is bloody good going. How were you hitting them at the end?

[Coldtopper]

1 can a hole is bloody good going. How were you hitting them at the end? Not that bad I did enjoy a few in my day! I have seen an ozgolfer do 24 cans and break 80 bloody good golf imho!

[mrbluu]

Once drank 18 cans in an Ambrose at ER for a pb! Great place for a hit and giggle enjoy the day and have fun!

That's impressive CT!!!

[backintheswing]

Muldude knows this guy. A former member at Kooralbyn could drink a carton of Vb and shoot under par. He was hopeless when he didn't drink. Was a scratch golfer many yeas ago, so now like a +3 or so.

[Icestorm959]

Drunken Master style golf?

[Hidepenny]

Looks like that's another way I can impress the principle :)

[Godscountry]

Here is a tip, if you want to impress the Principal....spell his title correctly :)

[Hidepenny]

Here is a tip, if you want to impress the Principal....spell his title correctly :)

lol, thanks for pointing that out.




on the other hand, i played ringwood 70 par course today, for the first time we kept scores and i had a generous 91 (found 2 bunkers only), good putting did help to keep the score down.......

first 9 holes, i had only 41 out of 35.....but (excuse: played 4 rounds of 18 in the last 2 years) the back nine started crumbling down to a whopping 50....just couldn't get second shots right....(spraying left and right...made recovery really tough)...

[Coldtopper]

Muldude knows this guy. A former member at Kooralbyn could drink a carton of Vb and shoot under par. He was hopeless when he didn't drink. Was a scratch golfer many yeas ago, so now like a +3 or so. Thats impressive! Once played the Mt Isa Open with a lady who consumed 14 cans who didnt drink on par 3's. Some serious sippers in Qld!

[spanner039]

Also be nice to Sam the beer bitch

[Bruce]

The only thing you need at Eagle Ridge is a barf bag or maybe some dynamite.

[Hatchman]

The only thing you need at Eagle Ridge is a barf bag or maybe some dynamite.

Why no the love for Eagle Ridge?

[Coldtopper]

Life is too short to play golf at shiholes!

[spanner039]

Why no the love for Eagle Ridge?

Dont know?

Maybe Jamie Duries landscaping, the crappy white bridges, the fountains, the shity bunkers, the completely unnatural and overused mounding, the ordinary greens complexes, the fact that earlier this year Australias leading golfers stayed next door and decided to play mini golf instead.

Although i do know of a respected Ozgolfer that's a member there and seems to enjoy it, good on her.

[Hatchman]

I thought it was ok 15 years ago when I last played it, just curious as to what may have changed.

[Webster]

I thought it was ok 15 years ago when I last played it, just curious as to what may have changed.

It gets more disgusting every year.

[Bruce]

Jamie Durie is NOT a golf architect, so why is he allowed to do stuff on the course? I made a joke once that it looked like Jamie was the course architect and was gobsmacked to learn that he actually was.

It is narrow, cramped, straight and boring. Up and back, up and back with a couple of 'across' par 3s.

In a lot of places it looks like there was a clearance sale at a nursery and they grabbed a truckload of something that has nothing to add to a golf course and just planted them somewhere.

Everything that makes RM good is absent from ER. It is an abomination.

[wizard_of_oz]

Phwoar..

[PeteyD]

So you like it Bruce ;)

[Hidepenny]

Ok so heres a quick report.........I can summaires in 2 words...wow....and sh!t....
Wow it was top 3 hardest course....fairways were so narrow, bunkers everywhere and greens were unforgiving........
I was put into a group ot 3 instead of 4...fairways were also good (hard) for long drive which I managed to have only 1 and easily 250+ to 300m (but it was not where it was needed for the l one ngest drive hole) the rest I didnt even meet the fairways... we had 6 or 8 lip outs from putting too........
Although I must say it was a lot easier to find mishit balls then other courses. ...it was very *clear* in the bushes

Never played with such strong wind where a clean shot of 7 got pulled back to around 100m in the air on a par3 150m hole.

So in the end we scored 1 shot worse than the worst team. ....at +12......

It was definitely an eye opener.......


It simply made my local courses like child's play.


The other thing I've learnt was no equipment would be able to help you in the game. So no horing ever for me now.