Connect with us

Blog

Playing Par 5s: How to Own Them

Avatar photo

Published

on

Here’s the deal, golf lessons can be great. If you take them from a reputable club pro, you may learn a lot about swing mechanics, the plane of your swing, tempo, swing speed and even impact position. However, lessons don’t tell you how to look at a golf hole and assess the risk vs. reward. Simply put, lessons do not get into hole strategy.
 
So, when you are standing on the tee box on hole 16, a 487-yard par 5 with a 245-yard forced carry AND you are playing the round of your life…what do you do? Your golf buddies are saying things like “You didn’t come this far to lay up“ or “Don’t over think it, just rip driver”. They may be right, but without a plan you are basically throwing darts blind. Nothing hurts more than carding a snowman on a birdie hole and nothing will jack up your score as well as your mental game faster than indecision.
 
We all hate the dreaded “Big Number” and that’s why we are here for you. So, the next time you are in that spot, remember these 5 tips:
 

Five keys to owning par 5s:

 
– Don’t just automatically grab driver – Choose the right club off the tee
– Look at your lie – Assess what shot best suits your approach
– Take an extra club on your approach – 70% of approach shots come up short
– Know where to miss – Do not always go flag hunting
– Have a number in mind to lay up to in case you can’t go after it in two
 
Many weekend golfers hate par 5s because they are long and can seem daunting. The task: you are basically trying to get a 1 ½ inch ball into a 4-inch hole from 5 football fields away! But they also provide great opportunity if played properly. They are a golden goose for birdies and can turn an 81 into a 79 like that.
 

1. Select the Right Club on a Par 5

 

I know you heard me before, but this is a huge mistake I see all the time. You don’t always have to hit driver off the tee. You can hit a fairway wood or a hybrid. Shoot If I know I can not get home in two, I hit my 3 iron all day off the box and more times than not am sitting pretty for my approach while my buddies are ball hunting in the woods. Let’s be honest, it’s probably going to take three shots to reach the green any way unless you can bomb it 300+. So, use the club that gives you the best chance of finding the fairway.
 

ADVERTISEMENT

2. Look at Your Lie and Assess The Shot

 

This is the golden ticket to scoring on Par 5’s. Little known fact: The second shot is often the key to beating par 5s. You need to play a smart shot that puts you in the best position to card a 4. Start by looking at your lie; is it in the fairway or first cut, is it a flier lie or sitting down a little bit, is it side hill above or below your feet? All of these will 100% determine what club you can and should hit. Hitting a 3-wood off a downhill side hill lie in the intermediate rough is hard to do. I suggest you take your medicine and lay up to a good number, so you hit the GIR and have a look at bird.
 

3. Take an Extra Club

 
This one is huge. Most approach shots come up short. The average handicap for men is about a 15. The average swing speed is 93 mph and produces a 220 yard drive. Ask around, everyone thinks they hit the ball farther than they actually do. Here are some trackman averages for reference. Take an extra wrench and thank me later. You will hit more greens, score better and find yourself shooting lower scores.
 

4. Know Where to Miss

 

Now you hit your drive, you looked at your lie, you have the right club for your approach, time to go flag hunting, right? WRONG. You want to look at the green complex and pin placement. You want to see where the greenside bunkers are. Does the green slope down and away or is there a false front? Start taking note of the danger areas and take them out of play. These determinations will help you pick out a landing area for this shot. For the love of the game, do yourself a favor and stay away from trouble at all costs. Play smart and aim center green. Nobody hit it dead straight every time, well maybe the guys on tour, but even they miss a handful of times per round. This strategy of knowing where not to be, allows you to better understand where to be! It gives you the greatest chance of hitting the green even on a slight miss.
 

5. Know Your Ideal Lay Up Number

 

There is no shame in laying up on a par 5. More times than not, smart money says it’s the right move. That’s especially true if the flag is protected by water or a massive pot bunker. Sometimes golfers try to pull off a miracle shot on their second from 237 out in the rough under a tree. They end up in the drink and dropping hitting 4 and will likely post a double bogie when its all said and done. Had they just taken the 5 iron out and laid back to 120 in they would have stuck a 9 iron to 15 feet and a look at 4!
 
Now I am no PGA tour pro golfer. I am a 5.5 handicap and like the Alice in Wonderland quote “I give myself very good advice, but very seldom follow it” I will tell you, however, that on occasion I stumble onto a pearl and feel the need to pass it on. Use this simple five-step approach above when playing par 5s. It’s a practical golf lesson that can help you own par 5s no matter their length or difficulty. That, in turn, will cut strokes from your scores, lower your handicap and have you collecting the $$$ at the end of the round.


BONUS SCORING DRILL:

 

Here is Today’s Tip… Your Wedges.
 
Very few weekend warriors practice hitting wedges at less than full distances. Ironically, however, we face these shots all the time on the course. I know I do. The closer your approach shots the better your chance of draining putts. It’s funny, I always told myself that I was not a great putter. I started doing this drill below and low and behold my distance to the pin was tighter and I started making more putts. Turns out, I was not a bad putter at all, I just was hitting my approach shots to 40 feet. Here’s how I fixed it:
 
Pick three awkward distances — say 25, 50 and 75 yards… then hit five balls at each target. Now, don’t just grab the 60 for all these shots, actually select the club you would use in a round. Give yourself a point for each ball that lands within what you consider an acceptable distance — I use a 15-foot circle. Max score for this drill is 15 points. Whatever you score, try to beat that number the next day, with the perfect score of 15.
 
I guarantee if you do this a couple of days in a row, or even for just 15 minutes before your round, you will be stunned at the results on the course. Once you score 15, tighten up that proximity the next time. Pretty soon you will be sending those pitch shots inside a 5-foot circle and have you golf buddies jealous as your ex at your wedding.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Blog

One of the Greatest Putts in U.S. Open History?

JJ Spaun’s 64-Foot Walk-Off

Avatar photo

Published

on


When JJ Spaun stood over a 64-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, few could have predicted what would come next. The ball meandered across the slick green, trickling over every contour, picking up speed at the crest, and then—like it had GPS—dropped center cup. Spaun dropped his putter, raised his arms, and the crowd erupted. With that single stroke, he claimed his first major title in one of the most dramatic finishes in U.S. Open history.

But how does Spaun’s putt stack up against other legendary finishes in the tournament’s storied past? Let’s break down some of the most iconic moments and see where this one lands.


1. Payne Stewart – 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst

Perhaps the most iconic putt in U.S. Open history came from Payne Stewart, who nailed a 15-footer for par on the 18th to win by one over Phil Mickelson. The pose—fist pump and outstretched leg—has since been immortalized in a statue at Pinehurst. What made it legendary wasn’t just the putt—it was the context: Stewart’s final major before his tragic death just months later.

Verdict: Iconic and emotional. Spaun’s putt was longer, but Stewart’s was more poetic.


2. Tiger Woods – 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines

Woods drained a 12-foot birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate—while basically playing on one leg. That tournament went to sudden death after an 18-hole playoff, and Tiger prevailed. This was peak Tiger drama, pain and all.

ADVERTISEMENT

PING Hoofer

Verdict: Spaun’s putt was longer, but Tiger’s win was sheer willpower and mystique.


3. Jack Nicklaus – 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach

With a 1-iron shot that hit the flagstick on 17 and a crucial birdie putt on 18, Jack sealed a dominant win. His precision and timing under pressure showed why he’s the GOAT.

Verdict: Not a putt for the win, but a signature finishing statement from Jack. Spaun’s was more electric in terms of pure putter drama.


4. Ben Hogan – 1950 U.S. Open at Merion

Hogan’s 1-iron into the 18th fairway and the par to force a playoff—just 16 months after a near-fatal car crash—remain legendary. He won the playoff and completed one of golf’s great comeback stories.

Verdict: Larger-than-life comeback. Spaun’s putt had more flair, but Hogan’s win was heroic.


5. JJ Spaun – 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont

Let’s not underestimate what Spaun accomplished. The pressure was immense. He wasn’t the favorite. And on the most treacherous greens in golf, he buried a 64-foot bomb—a putt most players would be happy to lag to within 5 feet—to win the U.S. Open outright.

Verdict: For distance, surprise, and drama, Spaun’s putt may be the most shocking winning stroke in U.S. Open history.


Final Thoughts

JJ Spaun may not have the résumé of a Nicklaus or Woods, but for one Sunday afternoon in June 2025, he created a moment that will live in golf lore forever. Spaun’s putt was longer than Stewart’s, more unexpected than Tiger’s, and more dramatic than any final-hole finish in recent memory.

In terms of pure clutch putting? It might just be the greatest walk-off in U.S. Open history.


Continue Reading

Blog

The Zen of the Shank: Finding Inner Peace in Your Worst Shots

Find your inner peace even when you aren’t playing well.

Avatar photo

Published

on

By

Ah, the shank. That glorious, unpredictable misfire that sends your pristine golf ball screaming sideways, often directly into the unsuspecting shins of your playing partner, or perhaps, with a touch of poetic irony, into the very lake you’ve been trying to avoid all day. Most golfers, bless their earnest little hearts, view the shank as a catastrophic failure, a blight upon their scorecard, a testament to their inherent lack of coordination. They curse, they throw clubs, they contemplate a career in competitive thumb-wrestling. But not I. No, my friends, for I, Ty Webb, have found enlightenment in the humble shank.

You see, the shank is not a mistake; it’s a revelation. It’s the universe’s way of reminding you that control is an illusion, that perfection is a myth, and that sometimes, the most direct path to your goal is, in fact, a wildly indirect one. Think of it as a philosophical detour, a sudden, unexpected journey into the unknown. One moment, you’re aiming for the green, a paragon of precision and intent. The next, your ball is ricocheting off a tree, narrowly missing a squirrel, and landing, by some divine comedic intervention, closer to the hole than your perfectly struck drive ever would have. Is that not a miracle? Is that not a sign that the golf gods, much like life itself, have a wicked sense of humor?

ADVERTISEMENT

The key, my dear apprentices of the links, is acceptance. Embrace the shank. Welcome it with open arms, like a long-lost, slightly inebriated relative. When that familiar, sickening thwack echoes through the air, do not despair. Instead, take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Feel the gentle breeze on your face. And then, with a knowing smile, open them and observe the chaos you have wrought. Is it not beautiful in its own chaotic way? Is there not a certain freedom in relinquishing control, in allowing the ball to choose its own destiny, however bizarre that destiny may be?

Some say the shank is a sign of poor technique. I say it’s a sign of a vibrant, untamed spirit. A golfer who never shanks is a golfer who has never truly lived, never truly explored the outer limits of their own golfing absurdity. They are content with mediocrity, with predictable trajectories and mundane outcomes. But you, my enlightened few, you understand that the true joy of golf lies not in the score, but in the story. And what a story a good shank can tell.

So, the next time you feel that familiar tremor of a shank brewing, don’t fight it. Let it flow. Let it be. For in the heart of every shank lies a lesson, a laugh, and perhaps, just perhaps, a path to a lower score you never saw coming. After all, as the great philosopher Basho once said, “A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.” And a golf game without a shank? Well, that’s just not golf, is it?

Continue Reading

Blog

Meet The Canadian Open Qualifier Tied To ClickIt Golf!

“This week was incredible,” he said. “A dream come true.”

Avatar photo

Published

on

Josh Goldenberg doesn’t plan to quit his day job. But he had a great time dabbling in his old career.

ADVERTISEMENT

He gave up on pro golf, then qualified for his first PGA Tour event.

Read the full story here
https://golf.com/news/josh-goldenberg-rbc-canadian-open/?amp=1

Continue Reading

Trending

Click here to get all the latest golf news

Close