[12 piece bucket]

Bucket,

The combination of the your abilities and the golf course determine the optimal stategy. 30 under wins the Hope-- you better shoot at a lot of flags--Open you are trying to get the ball some place that you have a chance on your next shot. I'll give you some of my general rules for normal golf.

Hit the driver unless there is OB, water, dogleg,severe pinching, or a pin tucked over a trap with firm greens. Get as close as you can to the pin.

Second shots on par fours. Length of shot is first consideration. Trouble is second. There are some places you just can't hit it. Usually short side unless designer like Trent Jones Jr. Firmness and speed of greens is a huge factor. On really firm greens, you play for some skip and respect the edges because the short game is that much tougher. Generally, seven iron or so the guys are firing at a lot of pins. Wedges almost every flag regardless of trouble. Of course, this is all dictated by lie. Clean lie in fairway plus comfortable number (not in between clubs) = go. In the rough, play to the front. Anytime you find trouble, just get past the trouble in front of you and trust your short game. If you don't like the shot for whatever reason, you would play safer.

Tour players have such good short games that they can be very aggressive when a miss leaves the in traps or grass. Water or nasty traps or fall off areas give you pause.

Par threes are getting so long that you are usually just trying to get pin high and have a chance for bird.

Pros kill the par fives. Hit a good drive. Get it around the green. Get it up and down. No need to take great risks. Bad drive. Lay up in fairway. Hit good short iron. Make a little longer putt.

The easy courses play themselves. You really have to be "on" to have a chance. You have to shoot twenty under par. As the conditions get tougher, the players take fewer risks and play a more Nicklaus style. Experience, excellent short game, patience, etc. are much bigger factors on tougher courses. You can manage your "B" game around them and still have a chance.

The reality is that you need to make alot of birdies most weeks. Five a day. Most guys just don't make that many long putts. You have to hit at some flags. Any course will still have several holes you just try to get by. You have to learn which ones they are. On tour this designation is often determined by the hole location.

You have to take some chances. Your good shots have to be good.

All that said. You evaluate each shot as you stand over it and make the play that would give you the best score if you played from there 100 times. No crazy chances. Good, aggressive golf.

Man you need to write a book! Great stuff. What about shaping shots? Do you guys shape a lot of shots or pretty much stock stuff for the most part? Do must pros have mechanical thoughts when they play or do they just bust it?

Thanks again! You rock!