Hole Breakdowns  ›  The Split Fairway
Hole breakdown #12

The Split Fairway: Choose the Side Before You Tee It

Two fairways, one question: which side gives you the shot you want in? Decide that first.

Hole type · Split fairway, par 4/5

“The one with two ways in, and only one good one.”

⬅ Left fairway: shorter, blocked approach
➡ Right fairway: longer, open look
● Smart target: the side that opens the green
✕ Common aim: whichever half looks wider
The mistake

Defaulting to whichever half looks wider off the tee, then finding out the approach from that side is blocked or short-sided to the pin.

The math

The two sides usually aren't equal. One leaves a clean, open look; the other trades a few easy yards for a tougher angle or a carry over trouble. Decide by the second shot, not the first.

The correct target

Work backward from the pin. Choose the side with the open approach, then aim at the fattest part of that half and take the club that keeps you on it.

Strokes saved

≈ 0.3-0.5 strokes per hole by playing the angle that opens the green.

“Which side gives me the shot I want in? Aim there.”

Strokes-saved figures are approximate, based on expected-value (strokes-gained) course management for a mid-handicap golfer (roughly 8-18). These are real ranges, not guarantees.

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The rest of the picture

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