Delo’s Divots: After finding the long grass off the fairway,
somewhere between the tee shot and the arrival to the ball do we
think we have turned into Superman. Rough is named appropriately.
Therefore, most of the time you should not try to be a hero and
simply get the ball back in play.
After finding the long grass off the fairway, somewhere between the tee shot and the arrival to the ball do we think we have turned into Superman. Rough is named appropriately. Therefore, most of the time you should not try to be a hero and simply get the ball back in play.
If you are 150 yards away and your ball is sitting down in the rough, don’t think for a moment that you can still hit that 5-iron that you would have hit from the same distace on the fairway. The long grass will grab your club and get between the club and the ball, causing it to de-loft and not get up in the air. In those situations, disregard the distance and look at hitting a high-lofted club — 7-iron or higher, depending upon how bad the lie is — and putting it back in play.
Often times you are tempted to hit a rescue club that is designed to hit out of rough as well. Some of that is true. However, once again, you must be the judge as to the lie and what club you can use.
With the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach only a month or so away, you will see firsthand what I am talking about. You will see a lot of pitching wedges being hit from 200 yards away because that is the only club they can get the ball out of the U.S. Open hay with.
Hopefully your local course is not as penal as that, but the principle still applies. Don’t be a hero and just get the ball back in play and onto the fairway. It will keep your score away from those big, big numbers.
