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.

Shady Acres Hole No. 15

Things just got real. Well, they’ve been real, but now they’re really real.

Hole 15 serves as the first “make or break” moment down the stretch of this course and reaching the drivable par-4 comes with a fair amount of risk. The water, the shape of the green, the thin shoot with trees on both sides and the wind make this a difficult shot to master. It becomes especially difficult on certain setups.

Pin placement, more than anything, will dictate how you attack this hole.

If the pin is in either the left or right quadrant—we’ll call them that for the sake of identification—the plot thickens some. The rooms for landing it shrinks, and your aggressiveness should be tempered accordingly.

In terms of spin, Bite should become your friend here. Not just on the shots tucked on the left or right side, but in general. Controlled spin is what you want here, and even the less exaggerated backspin can lead you to greatness.

If the pin is in the front or back of the green—but the center portions—your strategy should change. Obviously missing short is not an option on pins near the front (SPLASSSSSSH) but you do have more flexibility with the tee shot and can be a bit more aggressive with how you play.

If the pin is in the back portion of the green, you have even more options. If the wind sets up right, no spin at all might be the play. Again, though, Bite is never a bad idea.

Of course, laying up here will work as well. You won’t want to, and nothing I say about water balls and such will likely make you lean in that direction, but it is an option.

The important thing here is to play it safe enough. A safe tee shot will lead to a birdie at the very least and more than an occasional eagle. That’s not too shabby.

Thoughts?