Hole Breakdowns  ›  The Tucked Pin
Hole breakdown #10

The Tucked Pin: Why Center of the Green Beats the Flag

A corner pin behind sand is a trap set for your ego. The middle of the green is the aggressive-smart play.

Hole type · Tucked pin behind a bunker

“The one where the flag is bait.”

⛱ Bunker guarding a corner pin
⛳ Pin tucked with almost no green behind
● Smart target: center / fat side of the green
✕ Common aim: fire straight at the flag
The mistake

Firing at a flag tucked in a corner behind a bunker, then short-siding yourself with almost no green to work with.

The math

The short-side up-and-down converts far less often than a lag putt from 25-30 feet. Aiming at the fat of the green scores better even though you're "farther" from the hole.

The correct target

The center of the green, or the safe fat side away from the trouble. Take your two-putt and move on; attack only when the pin is in the middle with room to miss.

Strokes saved

≈ 0.3-0.5 strokes per hole by never short-siding a tucked pin.

“Middle of the green is the aggressive-smart play.”

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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