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Chipping on green

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 10:47 AM

  BHenke2:

  The best example of this is using the fairway of #16 at Chambers for the approach on #2 at Chambers Bay. Is it possible to do this in real life? Probably. Do people play it this way on a regular basis in real life. No. But I bet the majority of top players here in the land of WGT play it that way every time. 

   

  I disagree simply because there's a downside to playing the approach from the left fairway. It's a blind shot and the way the green slopes the ball tends to roll away. Coming in from the upper fairway, a shot played properly will feed to the hole and makes eagle a very likely possibility, birdie almost automatic. The top players know that.

• Robert1893 7,722 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 10:54 AM

  YankeeJim:

  Coming in from the upper fairway, a shot played properly will feed to the hole and makes eagle a very likely possibility, birdie almost automatic. The top players know that.

  
  
  This!
  
  After I played it from the adjacent fairway once (a long time ago), I pretty much came to the same conclusion. Taking the traditional route, I have slightly mishit approach shots that have ended up close to the hole. 
  
  I just didn't see the advantage of the alternate way of playing the hole. In fact, last night I tried it again, just to see if I missing something. I still don't see any real advantage to hitting to the 16th fairway. 

• K7JBQ 1,468 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 11:09 AM

  I've played against several that took that approach to the hole, and never found they had any advantage over those us of that take the normal route. As mentioned the approach is easier from the upper fairway. The only advantage I can see would be taking the sand out of play, but unless you just hit the ding early that shouldn't be an issue.

• BHenke2 397 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 11:46 AM

  You asked for an example and I provided one. Whether or not the majority of top players use this route can't be verified but I have seen my fair share of Champions use the 16th fairway for their approach. This started with the OP calling the way someone chooses to play this game BS. I could care less how someone chooses to play against me because I am here to enjoy myself. If they want to chip on the greens by all means do it as I feel this puts me at an advantage. Last time I checked this is a computer game and not governed by the USGA or R & A.  I do agree that if someone pulled that in the real world by chipping on the green it would be the last time I ever played golf with them. But here in the land of make believe golf where people shoot 57's on a regular basis does it really matter. 

• Robert1893 7,722 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 12:56 PM

  BHenke2:

  I do agree that if someone pulled that in the real world by chipping on the green it would be the last time I ever played golf with them.

  
  
  So, then, you actually agree that chipping on the green is not in the spirit of the game of golf, yes?
  
  And your point about the example is that if people use such a shortcut then they don't have a right to complain about the other. Since I don't use that shortcut, do I still get to complain? ;-) 

  (I hope you understand that I'm just kidding!) 

• BHenke2 397 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 1:33 PM

  Robert1893:

  So, then, you actually agree that chipping on the green is not in the spirit of the game of golf, yes?

  In real golf it would be more of what in the heck are you doing and you realize you are damaging the greens rather than any spirit involved. 

   

  Robert1893:

  And your point about the example is that if people use such a shortcut then they don't have a right to complain about the other. Since I don't use that shortcut, do I still get to complain? ;-) 

  I will say this. If everyone who plays this game and also plays real golf uses their clubs exactly how they would use them down at the local course as they do in the land of WGT then by all means feel free to critique. However that means everything in relation to whether you would use a punch, pitch, chip, flop, etc. in exactly the same situation as you were playing real golf. I prefer to pitch around the WGT greens as that is what works best for me. However if I was playing Saturday morning at the local course and my ball wound up on the fringe I would more than likely chip or putt the ball and roll it towards the hole. But in the land of make believe golf I can use my 64 degree wedge and stop it dead in its tracks at 17 yards which I will never be able to do in the real world. 

  I just want people to enjoy themselves and have fun playing this game because I know I do. If it makes it more fun for someone to chip rather than putt have at it. 

• JFidanza 1,676 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 5:15 PM

  If the powers that be didn't want it, and IRL, it would be prohibited. But, alas, it's not. 

• Stobsbee 4,784 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 6:20 PM

  Robert1893:

  Second, I'm not sure what you mean about the driver. Can you provide an example of where the driver can cut corners on here that are unable to be duplicated in a real-world situation on that course?

  How about hitting a driver over the top of the tree on the 4th at Olympic. Do the pro's play that shot?  I didn't see much of the 2012 U.S. Open and can't find any clips of the Pro's driving on that hole on YouTube so I'm just curious.

   

• Robert1893 7,722 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 6:39 PM

  Stobsbee:

  How about hitting a driver over the top of the tree on the 4th at Olympic. Do the pro's play that shot?  I didn't see much of the 2012 U.S. Open and can't find any clips of the Pro's driving on that hole on YouTube so I'm just curious.

  
  
  I thought about that one as well. I don't know the answer either. 
  
  But to be fair, the club is being used the way it's intended in a conventional manner. The driver is being used as a driver off the tee, which is where typically uses a driver.
  
  The fact that one can hit over the tees is a function of the driver's characteristics that were determined by WGT and not the player using a club in a non-conventional manner. 

• Stobsbee 4,784 Posts

  Tue, Jan 23 2018 6:59 PM

  I agree, but, I refer you to the bolded part in my above post. It is an example of cutting a corner that (possibly) you would not be able to do in real life.

  The other hole that came to mind is BPB 9th. Do the Pro's play over/to left of the bunker, dependent on wind speed and direction or do they play the more conventional shot to the fairway to the right of the bunker?