Welcome to the Course Caddy, a look at each and every hole in Golden Tee 2014. Over the next few months, we will spend each day looking at a different design, starting with Hole 1 on the first course and ending with the final hole on the final design.

We want—no, NEED—your help in this process!

How do you play a particular design? Share your thoughts on strategy and YouTube uploads in the comment section. Your feedback is integral in the complete understanding of the design.

All holes will then be available for reference on the Course Caddy page—a bookmark must for the entire encyclopedia! Enjoy.

Pelican Grove Hole No. 8

I beg of you: Do not sleep on this par-3. Don’t assume that it’ll be an easy birdie each time through, otherwise you could come away disappointed more times than you’d expect.

The eighth hole on Pelican Grove isn’t difficult by any means. There’s no bend in this hole, just a straightforward design with a few hazards in the way. And yet, more times than expected, you can be left with a longer putt here if you’re not careful/

For whatever reason, the ball doesn’t travel particularly well here. You know exactly what I mean if you’ve ever come up short and ended up in the sand.

Distance is key and spin is an enormous part of your round-to-round approach. If the hole is tucked near the bottom of the green, using bite should be an option. With a strong wind against you, you can even approach it with no spin at all if—and this is a big if—you feel comfortable that you won’t go long.

If it’s near the top just barely beyond the sand, then clubbing up and using backspin should be your go-to strategy. Because the green is slightly elevated, the spin on these shots will be more pronounced. 

Ending up with a putt is the name of the game, and yes, you should be able to do this the majority of the time. Play around with different spins with different setups into different winds, and see what works. And don’t go long… ever.

How do you attack this hole?