COURSE CADDIES :: Sparkling Waters :: Hole 2 :: PAR 4

Golden Tee Course Caddies are back, and we’re examining all 90 holes in Golden Tee 2015. Each day we'll examine a different design until all five courses have been covered.

This year’s breakdowns now include video of each hole being played, although your feedback is most appreciated on these designs. How do you play? Share your strategy or Golden Tee Great Shots in the comments below.

All holes will then be available for reference on the Course Caddies page—a bookmark must for the entire encyclopedia! Enjoy, and stay tuned for plenty more.

 

Sparkling Waters No. 2


It gets interesting in short order on Sparkling Waters, and Hole 2 provides the first of many eagle opportunities in the round.  This, in many ways, is a vintage Golden Tee drivable par-4; it’s not overly complicated although it does require one quality, accurate shot in order to do well.

While there are ways to find the water—mainly by hitting the first grouping of trees tucked above the large pond—you’re able to attack this hole without much fear of finding the hazard. That changes the complexity of this design. More importantly, it means birdie should be your floor.

The most common way to attack this green is the traditional path. You can go from left to right around the trees with a fairway wood (or driver) using an A-1-type shot.

Please note: I used “type” above because it won’t be a full A-1. This, however, is the type of bend you want to use to get around these trees to hit the green.

Another fascinating and critical part of this shot is spin control. If you go around to the left, any spin—either bite or backspin—will send your ball shooting hard right, backspin more so than bite. Keep this in mind as you plan this shot. If you do, you should be in business.

There’s another way to attack this hole; one that you can an absolutely should try if you have access to Golden Tees. A high-teed 4 or 5-wood will get up and over the trees discussed earlier. If the setup calls for it, you can also try something like this. (Reminder: A high tee will nullify backspin and add some distance, so plan accordingly.)

 

However you attempt this hole, you should find regular success. Play for eagle, although don’t fret about settling for birdie. This is a favorable design you should do well on in most situations.

How do you play?