Playing golf strategically is critical to better scores. Like chess, it pays to think ahead. Don’t just hit it as far as you can off the tee, aim for the spot that will give you the best angle from the fairway for your next shot. Don’t shoot for the pin every time, sometimes it’s better to play it safe to the center of the green. These are just two of the ways you’ll score on these holes that demand strategic play.
Hole 1
Bonnie Briar Country Club
#8 // par 4 // 408 yards
What looks like a straightforward par four is anything but, according to head pro Joe Condomitti. The best angle to the green will come from a drive placed in a small fairway landing area on the left. It may look safer to hit to the center or right side, but that will leave a near-impossible shot to the green. To drive the ball where you want it to go, Condomitti says, tee it high and forward in your stance and don’t sway when you swing.
Hole 2
GlenArbor Golf Club
#7 // par 3 // 197 yards
The hole plays less downhill than it appears from the tee box, so don’t under-club. It’s essential to reach the green and even better to land beneath the cup since putts from above may not stop unless they go in the hole.
Hole 3
Century Country Club
#3 // par 4 // 356 yards
A new tee box and recontoured fairway bring knee-high fescue into play on your drive, so choose your line carefully. If your tendency is to fade (or worse), consider playing a shorter club off the tee to stay out of trouble.
Hole 4
Westchester Country Club South
#3 // par 5 // 492 yards
This long, fun hole makes you think twice about the strategy for your second shot. The green sits at the bottom of a steep curve in the fairway, so if you dare, you can aim for the top and hope your ball runs down onto the green for an eagle try. The green’s pretty small, though, so it may pay to settle for reaching it in regulation.
Hole 5
Fenway Golf Club
#16 // par 4 // 417 yards
This downhill dogleg right can be an easy par as long as your drive stays far left. Your second shot will play significantly shorter than it measures, so make your club choice accordingly.
Hole 6
Tamarack Country Club
#7 // par 3 // 187 yards
Few golf holes are more exciting than a Redan, a one-shot hole with big, sweeping green contours where you seldom, if ever, aim directly at the pin. Head pro Mike Ballo says, “What makes our Redan great is that you can play it so many ways. You can play a high fade into the hill to land soft. You can play a low hook to run with the slope. You can land it in front of the green and roll it on. There’s really no ‘right’ way to play the hole. It gives every type of player a chance to score.” His swing thought: “Make a very aggressive swing. The most important thing is to hit the ball in the middle of the club face.”
Hole 7
Knollwood Country Club
#15 // par 4 // 390 yards
You will make two strategic decisions on this uphill par four. Off the tee, everyone but the biggest hitters should aim for the bunkers left off the fairway, so their second shot is not blocked by trees on the right. Then add extra yards to your second shot, which will be blind into a punchbowl green.
Hole 8
Sleepy Hollow Country Club
#15 // par 4 // 388 yards
Director of Golf AJ Sikula says success on this seemingly easy par four comes down to your tee shot. “The cross bunker reaches into the middle of the fairway from the left, so you have to choose to either lay up to it, bomb over it, or send it into a tiny landing area on the right. A challenging green with two (not just one!) front-to-back ridges requires a precise approach.
Hole 9
Hudson National Golf Club
#14 // par 5 // 565 yards
The recent renovation made this testy par five even harder. The green has been tucked even further behind the lake, so forget about reaching it in two shots. The safe play for your third shot is to the left edge of the green.
Hole 10
Anglebrook Golf Club
#6 // par 4 // 318 yards
Short doesn’t always mean easy, especially when a hole plays uphill to a blind green that’s steeply contoured, which defines this gem. The key to par is keeping your approach shot below the hole, which in turn means hitting your drive to your preferred wedge distance. It also pays to take time to check the pin position so you can judge your approach distance accordingly.
Hole 11
Westchester Hills Golf Club
#15 // par 4 // 425 yards
Who doesn’t love a downhill drive from an elevated tee? As inviting as this fairway looks from on high, note the bunker and other troubles on the right side of the landing area when you take aim. Depending on your drive, you’ll then choose whether to lay up to the creek that crosses the fairway or go for the green.
Hole 12
Sunningdale Country Club
#7 // par 5 // 485 yards
It’s a steep climb to the putting surface and the three-tier green makes club selection on the approach a critical decision. The green mimics the famous “Road Hole” at St. Andrews in Scotland with a bunker protecting the green middle left and two bunkers behind to simulate the road.
Hole 13
Pelham Country Club
#17 // par 4 // 405 yards
There’s a narrow alley to success along the left side of the fairway on this dogleg right par four. Pulling a drive too far in that direction, though, can leave you with a long approach shot out of the rough (or worse), so accuracy off the tee is paramount.
Hole 14
Scarsdale Golf Club
#8 // par 4 // 465 yards
A tender touch with a hybrid can bring a par on this long par four. Head pro Michael Docktor says it’s possible to run the ball onto the green from the right side of the fairway or fly the bunker from the left side. “The main thing about hitting a hybrid, he says, “is to feel like you’re sweeping the ball off the ground with a level swing and high follow-through.”
Hole 15
Wykagyl Country Club
#11 // par 3 // 161 yards
“This is a beautifully intimidating hole,” according to Patrick Schwarze, first assistant pro at the club. “It plays 10 yards less than the distance downhill, but that can change with the wind. The green is really small, so aim for the middle and commit to your swing.”
Hole 16
Leewood Golf Club
#12 // par 4 // 442 yards
The strategy for your second shot on this classic hole is determined largely by how long and straight you drove the ball off the tee. In good position? You’ll have around 200 yards to the green. Not so hot? You might want to lay up to the water that crosses the fairway to leave yourself a wedge to the green.
Hole 17
Quaker Ridge Golf Club
#5 // par 3 // 151 yards
This par three is beautiful and deadly, especially if the pin is in the near section of the green only a step away from the hazard. Since the pond in front of the green is definitely in play, keeping your tee shot below the hole requires a surgeon’s precision.
Hole 18
Winged Foot Golf Club East
#12 // par 5 // 546 yards
AW Tillinghast aptly named this hole “Long John,” although there’s much more required to make par than smacking a massive drive. Before you pull your longest fairway wood for your second shot, give great thought to the distance you want for your third. The front of the green is protected by a wicked bunker, so you may not want a half-wedge in if you’re not comfortable with less than a full swing.
Strategic Scorecard
