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St Andrews #14 ?Question?

• BPeterson8256 2,913 Posts

  Sat, Feb 18 2017 10:20 AM

  I am still very new to this game. As I try to improve, I am always looking for better ways to play. Having moved to the back tees, I find that I can't reach the fairway with my 2nd shot if it is playing into the wind at St Andrews #14. The right thing to do would be to lay up way back I am guessing. I wanted to try to get closer, so I played to the fairway to the left of 14. I am 99% sure that I didn't over play it, but it gave me the dreaded "Out Of Bounds". Is that a play that they don't have available in this game? ...or did I just take it that way too far? Any suggestions on the best way to play this in to the wind? (note: if you were in that fairway, and I hit you with my ball, I apologize.)

• Beryman 9,099 Posts

  Sat, Feb 18 2017 3:30 PM

  the fairway on the left is playable but a very thin playable area...playing straight and ending in the rough isn`t a bad place if you have learned to hit decent from the rough

   

• Robert1893 7,722 Posts

  Sat, Feb 18 2017 3:59 PM

  @BPeterson8256

  Laying up is certainly an option, even though it gives you a long approach and probably takes birdie off the table.
  
  But with your driver and 3 wood, you should be able to get over the bunkers and at least into the rough on the other side, even if you don't quite make it to the fairway. The rough on just the other side of those bunkers is not too bad. (See image below. I'm referring to where the aim marker is from that screen shot.)
  
  By the way, there's a bit of down slope just after the bigger bunker and to the right. If you put some top spin on your 3 wood, many times it will bounce through that rough. Regardless, that's not too tough of a third shot from around there. You should still be able to get it close, giving you a shot at birdie. 

   

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• Robert1893 7,722 Posts

  Sat, Feb 18 2017 4:34 PM

  As an addendum to the above, I just played a best of par 5 with high winds that someone set up in the country club I'm a member. The winds for the 14th hole were 25-27 MPH and were headwinds.
  
  So, even with my driver and 3 wood, I had to take my own advice and lay up. There's no way I would have been able to get over that bunker with those headwinds. I put my third shot on the green and 2 putted for a par.
  
  Sometimes, you just take what the course gives you and move on. Next time you play it, it's likely to have different conditions.  

• phred952 2,714 Posts

  Sat, Feb 18 2017 5:11 PM

  Robert1893:

  
  Sometimes, you just take what the course gives you and move on. Next time you play it, it's likely to have different conditions.  

  Well said Robert.  One thing I have found is that sometimes under Random Conditions (as opposed Advanced Options where conditions are set individually), high winds seem to show up more frequently.

• BPeterson8256 2,913 Posts

  Sat, Feb 18 2017 5:39 PM

  "Sometimes, you just take what the course gives you and move on. Next time you play it, it's likely to have different conditions."

   

  Thanks to all. You never know where the helpful tips will come from. For some reason, I never thought of specific placement in the rough.  Taking what the course gives you is always great advice too. I have the stubborn attitude of "Put a wedge in my hand, and I'll rule the world". And let's face it, everybody wants to rule the world. So I am always trying to get in that range on par 5's. My iron play needs work.

   

• alosso 21,072 Posts

  Sat, Feb 18 2017 10:24 PM

  BPeterson8256:

  I wanted to try to get closer, so I played to the fairway to the left of 14. I am 99% sure that I didn't over play it, but it gave me the dreaded "Out Of Bounds". Is that a play that they don't have available in this game? ...or did I just take it that way too far?

  What Beryman said!

  There are quite a few crucial spots on STA - only a small strip of the adjactent FWs is available. At #7, there is a similar side track in the left - also limited area. Same at OAK #4 - right hand side.

  In general, the mini-map shows the legal area - approximately!

  I'm guessing that the reason is how far out photographs are available to show the ball and avatar.

• borntobesting 9,706 Posts

  Sun, Feb 19 2017 4:07 AM

  If you play to the left fairway play the distance to land just over the rough. If you don't get  over the rough it isn't a hard shot and you bsically take the  OB out of the picture. I had to play that way a lot as a TM and the early part of my legend days as I didn't carry a 3 wood at that time.