Page 20 - Westchester Magazine - 2020 Golf Guide

BRAINGAME | Best 18 Holes
fearless play sets up a long but doable second shot into the green. The other option is to lay up right of the bunker and plan on making your birdie with your wedge after a conserva- tive second shot. Either way, your approach shot has to stay away from the hazard on the left and the bunkers on the right that guard the narrow opening to the green.
of the fairway, and there is a fairly generous landing area. If you hit it too far toward the green, you’re left with an awkward pitch because the green is above you, and you can’t see the cup, which makes distance control with a half-swing very difficult. I like to keep the ball to the right-center of the fairway, because you get a flatter lie and avoid the fairway bunkers on the left.”
6 Brae Burn Country Club
Hole 8 • 190 yards • par 3
The 8th hole at Brae Burn is pretty — pretty deadly, that is. It features a forced carry over water to the green; there are bunkers on both sides; and the green slopes heav- ily front to back, so any ball long leaves you
with an impossible downhill recovery shot. Asked about the hole, head pro Nick Yaun says, “There’s nothing but trouble on this hole. Quite a few members lay up, and that’s not just the short hitters. If you’re a little wild, it’s not a bad play. It leaves you a good chance for a three, or at worst a four, and avoids the penalty strokes that kill your score.”
7 Salem Golf Club Hole 14 • 595 yards • par 5
Scoring a par on the longest hole at Salem all boils down to one thing: the tree on the cor- ner. The quandary on your second shot is, do you go short of it and try to cut left or right ofit,ordoyoutrytogooverit?Theideaisto hit your second to a place where you can still
5
Whipporwill Club
Hole 13 • 320 yards • par 4
Think backward from green to tee on the testy 13th hole at Whipporwill, says head pro Jim Wahl. “The most important thing off the tee is to leave yourself with a full wedge or sand wedge into the green,” he advises. “It’s about a 200-yard shot to the upper part
Whipporwill Club, Hole 13
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