A few generalities first:
Note: this advice is written from the perspective of an average Legend player; from shorter tees there may be more shot options available! I started with the USGA Olympic info guide. then added commentary based on my experience on the WGT version.
- Stay out of the rough on drives! Birdies are very difficult if you're approaching from the short rough, nearly impossible from the deep stuff.
- Because of the combination of elevation changes, doglegs, trees, sloped landing areas and wind, pure distance may not be your friend on drives! Many of the par 4s can be reached with 3W & mid-iron, even from the tips. Choking down on your driver is also an option.
- Shaping shots can really be a help here, to avoid the cypress trees, and to deal with crosswinds and sloped fairways. Using these techniques will rob a few yards from your shot but allow you to set up for a successful approach from the short grass. To draw the ball right to left, aim further right than normal and hit well before the ding; use this shot to combat L-R wind, trees on left, or fairways sloping L-R in the landing area. To fade the ball left to right, reverse that procedure and aim left of desired target hitting late intentionally; use this shot to combat right side trees, R-L wind and fairways sloping R-L in the landing area.
(Attention! Please do not be a thread hijacking troll! This post relates to playing Olympic, not whether or not one can draw, fade, hook, or slice the ball on WGT. There are many other threads on these forums on shaping shots in WGT. I know what works for me, so let's keep the discussion about how to deal with the challenges of playing Olympic. Thank you!)
- be careful with back spin; a quickly rising drive or approach shot can find tree trouble in a hurry on many holes. Neutral or even top-spin can be a good option on many shots. In head winds or heavy crosswinds, use of topspin can reduce the amount your ball drifts off course if mishit slightly.
- Putting at Oly is much like at Oakmont, with severe breaks and where downhill putts can really get away from you. I use a formula to get distance control for putts, and it generally works well at Oly. However on any significant downhill putts (> 1 or 2 inches drop) I modify that '1.5 ft extra' that I use for most putts to avoid the 'never up, never in' issues. At Oly, I reduce that added amount, or even eliminate it entirely for really steep declines. The only exception is if the putt is longer than 5 - 10 feet and there is a strong (>10mph) headwind to slow the putt - then I use the full 1.5 extra feet. If you have a long downhill putt with a significant tail wind you will need to reduce power even further.
Now for a hole by hole overview:
FRONT 9
#1. Dogleg right, landing area has L-R slope. Allowing for wind, aim towards left side of fairway on drive. Approach will be downhill to the green. My rule of thumb is that normal ydg for a given club will increase by 1 yd for every yd of drop to the target area. You can bounce the ball on from the front fringe, but don't be long or right here, the ball will run out. Green is relatively flat except for front/right where it drops away from the pin.
#2 Landing area has a R-L slope, so aim for right side of fairway - land on the left side and it will run into the rough. Approach is uphill to a green which slopes severely from back right to left front. stopping the ball just short and left of pin will leave the easiest putt.
#3. Sharp downhill par 3 to a green which slopes from back to front. From the legend tees, I subtract 20 yds from listed ydg. Because your ball is dropping almost vertically at landing, avoid backspin - just adjust the ydg for drop and wind and give it a go. Off the green to right or way short will make for likely bogey.
#4. Dogleg left where landing area for your drive is downhill, to a L-R sloping fairway; Cypress trees near tee make it challenging. My strategy is to aim at right side fairway trap, as adjusted for wind, then hit it with full backspin to clear the cypresses on left side and just carry to the left side of the fairway; you need decent equipment to pull it off. Approach is uphill to a green with severe back/left - front.right slope, so take a half-club extra, and try to stop it just short right of pin.
#5. This plays opposite of 4th hole - dog right to R-L sloping fairway and downhill approach to green. The killer cypresses on right can ruin your day on the drive, so do NOT use backspin if your ball flight will be anywhere near them! About 50% topspin will get you under the overhanging branches. I take a bit (5% - 10%) off the driver to avoid running through the fairway on landing. Approach is slightly downhill to a green that slopes R-L, so pin-high stop to left of pin is golden.
#6. Slight dog left with fairway trap on left at max driver range, with R-L slope in landing area, so precision is key. If you lay off the drive to come up short of the trap, it's a long way to the green. For the approach, avoid being right of pin.
#7. It may be tempting to go for the green on this short par4, but there be dragons if you do! The only time I attempt to drive this hole is with a helping tail wind. Green is significantly elevated and there is plenty of trouble if direction is slightly off. Smart play is a 3W off tee, or even driver punch if there is significant headwind, to land it short of the bunkers in front of the green. This will leave you 50 - 80 yds short of the elevated green. The pin is maybe 2 yds beyond the edge of the upper tier of the green so do NOT be short, or your ball will roll way back down; for the same reason avoid backspin on the approach.
#8. Long par 3 to a green that slopes from back'/right to left/front. You want to avoid landing on the right side of the pin; a bit short left of the flag is fine.
#9. Another dogleg right with a R-L fairway slope in landing area. On the approach, avoid being right or long; the green slopes from back/right to front/left.
BACK NINE
#10. Dog right, downhill drive to slight L -R sloped landing zone (LZ). Approach to green that slopes from front right to back left.
#11. Slightly uphill drive to dog leg right, with L- R sloping LZ. Easy uphill approach to two-tiered green sloping up from front to back; pin is on lower tier, so avoid being too long.
#12. Straight-away drive to a L-R sloping LZ. Slight downhill approach to relatively flat green (for Oly) that slopes from L back to R front. Try to stay to short right side of pin on approach.
#13. Par 3 to well-protected front pin. Green is steeply sloped from back right to left front; a ball landed on right side of pin more than 8 ft away is a difficult 2 putt or near impossible par. Missing the green on the left may result in a lost ball, due to a lateral hazard area there. Pin high and to the left a bit is perfect.
#14. Left side trees near the tee can catch drives down that side. 3Wood off tee is a good choice here to leave a mid iron approach to a green that slopes R - L.
#15. Par 3 to slightly elevated green sloping from back right to front left. Green is surrounded by deep rough with no intermediate cut.
#16. Very LONG par 5 (670 yds from the champion tees), dog-legging left all the way with tall cypress trees lining the left side. Second shot can NOT be left on the left side of the fairway or shot to green will be blocked out by trees; play second shot to middle or right side of fairway. Approaches that miss left or long can run off due to closely mowed grass on that side; Green itself slopes back to front.
#17. 'Normal' par 5. Drive LZ is sloped L-R so avoid landing near the right side of fairway. Second shot (and 3rd shot if necessary) is uphill to a green sharply sloped from left to right and from back to front; an approach to just short right of pin is golden.
#18. A relatively short par 4, the drive is downhill, followed by an uphill approach. the run-up to the green is well-protected so think twice before going for it off the tee. A 260 yd tee shot (from the Legend tees) will leave an approach of about 70 yds, 25 feet uphill to the pin. The green slopes from back to front.