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The Adorable Oakmont Greens

Tue, Apr 10 2012 7:06 AM (47 replies)
  • jbenny11
    863 Posts
    Wed, Jun 16 2010 8:18 AM

    wtf only 3 eagles, when is bollie putting out his blueprint for oakmont!!!!!!!!! JB

  • iconian
    599 Posts
    Wed, Jun 16 2010 11:22 AM

    #17 i not a par5 and some of the holes with some yardage 5ft is like 30ft...u should be inside 2ft every time.

    thanks:)

  • Hackmore
    41 Posts
    Wed, Jun 16 2010 12:10 PM

    I followed your blueprint to the letter, (Iconian) except I restarted 18 times before I finally said F*** it and took a par on hole # 1. Everything was going along swimmingly until I got a bogey on the hole you should never bogey.

     

    Bottom line it helped and I did qualify, barely, (Right on the cut line). I will say one thing, Oakmont has made me a better putter.

  • YankeeJim
    25,827 Posts
    Wed, Jun 16 2010 12:18 PM

    Hackmore:
    I followed your blueprint to the letter, (Iconian) except I restarted 18 times before I finally said F*** it and took a par on hole # 1. Everything was going along swimmingly until I got a bogey on the hole you should never bogey.

    LOL-I did too and it was a big help except for the 9th hole advice. Never having tried just going for par I laid up per the hint, botched everything from there and took the first ever double bogey on that hole. I missed qualifying by 1 stroke.  :-(

    (It was a verrrrry long try because every time I didn't get inside 5 feet I had to go back to KIA to practice the wedges. )

  • jbenny11
    863 Posts
    Thu, Jun 17 2010 6:29 AM

    ok, i think i'm in the open at st. andys. now the fun part non stop abuse at the hands of oakmont. got a problem though, i printed out Icons playbook and got right to it. . hole #1 just says keep restarting until you birdie it. this is a little embarrassing, it did'nt really say how to birdie #1. i have restarted 250 times, is that too many? anyway Icon can you tell me "how" to birdie #1? thx. JB

  • lvietri
    3,326 Posts
    Sat, Jun 19 2010 12:02 AM

    JB .. you have to think like Icon ... that's "HIS" guide to playing Oakmont .. not yours.   You'll spend $50 bucks in balls just trying to get past the first hole using his guide.   Take your par and move on .. but restart if you don't birdie #2 ... :)

  • cjfelton
    79 Posts
    Sat, Jun 19 2010 5:52 AM

    First off, a lot of great advice here, and I'll add my two cents to the thread.  Mid and short irons and wedges have to be solid on Oakmont, or you will be constantly looking at really difficult two putts.  I leave the hybrid at the clubhouse and use 3 wedges - 54, 60 and 64.  Or if you love your hybrid, leave the 3W behind IF you have a 270+ driver and an iron set with a 210+ 3 iron. With that equipment setup there are only  3 holes you will use the 3W - the 2nd on the two par 5's and the tee shot on 17.  A 3 iron with topspin will still leave an easy approach on all 3 holes.  The three wedges give you all the options from 100 yards in to get close on punches, flops, pitches, and chips, which can save many of those putting headaches. You also have to think your way around this course.  Attack the holes where birdie is possible, and play for par on the holes where being aggressive and missing will cost you dearly.  This isn't like Kiawah where you just take aim and let it go. This may seem really elementary, but limit your bogeys here and you can post a qualifying score once you figure out:

    The Greens

    Somebody posted a putting tip on June 1st or 2nd that is solid gold, and holds true for both Oakmont and St. Andy's.  The tourney speed is right on 70% of the distance (length +/- elevation).  Reprased, take the distance with the flag at the hole, add or subtract the elevation, and multiply by .70.  For example, an 8 foot, 2" uphill putt should be hit 7+ feet, Yup, I keep a calculator at the ready and use it frequently to figure out putting distances.  Sounds rather geeky but it works - I just posted a 64 with 27 putts, and my average distance after my approach was 14 feet.  On the uphill putts give them a little extra juice, as the ball just dies at the hole on several greens when you are putting uphill.  On the short putts with break, go at them aggressively to take much of the break out of the equation.  You'll make far more this way than you will miss.

    On those nasty breaking putts (like being left of the hole on #9), I use the calculation at the hole to set the distance.  For instance, a common putt there is say maybe 32 feet, down two inches.  Then set the marker for the break.  You might have something now like 34 feet, uphill 3".  But, use the original and hit a 21 foot putt (32' - 2" x.7 = 21 feet).   This will take off a lot of that downhill speed as the putt breaks, and should leave a very makeable 2nd putt (using the distance calculation from where you set the marker is how you end up 20 feet below the hole and a near certain 3 putt or more).  Also, roughly double the amount of break you would apply on the other courses.

    My last suggestion is something that has been posted in the past and is very handy on every course but especially at Oakmont, and I'm sure many use this method.  I have the Redwood putter, and will frequently "club up".  Have a 30' putt? Use the 150' meter and pull back two increments.  25' putt?  The 90 foot meter two increments.  12 foot putt? The 90 foot meter one increment, and so forth.  This gets the ball moving quickly and takes out some break.  I rarely use the suggested meter unless the putt is less than 3 feet.  Search putting tips in the forums and you'll find lots of information on this technique.

    Hope this helps, and good luck taming the Beast.  Many will say all of that is way too complicated, just give us some greens we can putt on!  But for me all this works, and my Oakmont 3 putts are now nearly extinct.

     

  • borntobesting
    9,701 Posts
    Sun, Jun 20 2010 2:33 PM

    Like Iconian said The open qualifiers aren't for everyone. I have tried and will probably keep on trying( I am a glutton for punishment). But the best I have managed is an 85. I miss too fairways, miss too many greens and miss too many easy putts. But no way am I going to play TWO. I might do better now that I have ditched the G15 driver and went back to the Rapture pro driver but then again maybe I won't.

    I do know I made a 12 stroke improvement the first time I played The St. Andrews qualifer with the rapture driver from 84 to an even par 72. I had it to 3 under at one point but missed some easy par putts and also blew 2 or 3 very makeable birdie putts.

    Let's face it I probably won't qualify because I'm just a mid level pro who plays what I call yo-yo golf. one pretty good round followed by an awful round. But it's still fun and the best thing on the web.

  • Showtime29
    70 Posts
    Mon, Jun 21 2010 10:06 AM

    Ive always felt there are going to be two types of elite players at WGT...Those who use a mathematical approach to the game, where they find out each hitch of the swing is "x" and then factor each MPH for wind as Y and then you get your yardage.

    The other side is those who approach the game with a "feel" mentality, where they are using their knowledge of real golf to translate that into WGT skill. 

    Oakmont basically takes away the mathematical approach, IMO...there are just too many shots where creativity is your only ally, so you will need to take chances doing things that do not seem logical with respect to the rest of the game. Not saying this is the problem for most people, but I do find myself fighting the urge to hit shots that I know are just not receptive on the Oakmont greens.

    For example...on #2, if you happen to be above the hole, you have two choices of putts you wanna hit. Do you take a chance at birdie with a Swinging 6 footer that if you miss you are left with a swinging 15 footer back up the hill for par?  Or do you putt the ball sideways with "1"ft worth of power to leave yourself with an easy par putt?

    I've had to putt the ball sideways several times on Oakmont, and to be honest, I feel that is very realistic as opposed to the opposite.

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