5 Ways to Score Well on a Par 5

To an experienced golfer, the following statement is no secret: par fives are the best opportunity to post good scores during your round.

From the top professional down to the total beginner, every golfer should look at the par five holes as an opportunity to score.  Most golf courses include three or four par fives among the 18 holes on the course, meaning you only get a precious few chances to do some damage on these holes.  If you miss your chance to score well on the par fives, it is going to be difficult to post a good score overall for the day.

Unfortunately, many golfers go into the par fives with the wrong attitude.  They look at the yardage of the hole – often 500 yards or more – and they get intimidated by the thought of what could go wrong over that distance.

Of course, that is not how you should be thinking about a par five.  Instead, you should be focused on the chance to set up a short birdie putt.  Even a long par five can easily be handled with three quality shots – and you don’t have to be a long hitter to take advantage of this opportunity, either.  By playing smart and executing your game plan, there is no reason you can’t post great scores on each of the par fives during your next round.

That said, we’ve put together the following five tips to help you get the most out of your par five chances.

Scoring Tip #1 – Think Three

The ambitious golfer will stand on the tee of a par five and think about how they can reach the green in two shots to set up an eagle putt.  Of course, it would be great to knock it on in two, but that is not the only way to score well on this kind of hole.

Photo via Flickr

Instead, you can divide up the hole into three segments and then check those off one at a time.  For example, a 550-yard par five could be handled with a 250 drive, a 200 yard second shot, and a 100-yard wedge onto the putting surface.  Despite laying up rather than going for the green in two, this plan will still give you an excellent chance to walk away with a birdie.

Feel free to go for the green in two when the opportunity arrives, but always remember that there is nothing wrong with a layup and a great wedge.

Scoring Tip #2 – Play Conservatively

Making a birdie (or even an eagle) on a par five is great, but it is actually more important to make sure you avoid bogeys on these relatively easy holes.  If you get too aggressive in pursuit of your birdies on the par fives, you might find that you play yourself into trouble and wind up with a six or more on the hole.

It’s hard to recover from making a big mistake on a par five, because mistakes mean you’ve wasted one of the easiest holes on the course and you’ll still have to play the tougher threes and fours.

If there is a hazard or other trouble to deal with on a par five, play conservatively away from the trouble and do your best to secure a par at the worst.

Scoring Tip #3 – Position Yourself for the Pitch

When you encounter a relatively short par five, you will probably be able to push your ball up at least within short range of the green for the third shot.  However, simply reaching the area around the green in two does not do anything to guarantee you a birdie.

In order to turn your two good full swing shots into a birdie, you need to hit a good pitch and a good putt.  As far as that pitch is concerned, it’s going to be far easier to pitch the ball up close to the hole if you leave yourself in a good position after two shots.

Back in the fairway, take a look at the hole location that you are facing and then plan your second shot accordingly.  You always want to be pitching the ball from the wide side of the green, so try to miss left when the hole is on the right, and vice versa.  If you give yourself a relatively easy pitch shot for your third, you should be able to cash in birdies on a regular basis.

Scoring Tip #4 – Don’t Swing from the Heels

If there is one single mistake that is made more than any other on par fives, it is swinging too hard from the tee.

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The average golfer sees a hole that stretches out 500+ yards in front of them, and they immediately want to swing as hard as possible on that first shot.  Don’t fall into this trap.  Sure, you would like to blast a long drive, but it is even more important to be in the fairway.

Also, swinging extra hard from the tee is just asking for trouble in terms of hitting a ‘foul ball’ that winds up well off into the woods or another trouble spot.  Keep your driver swing under control and put a premium on accuracy on these long holes.

Scoring Tip #5 – Convert Your Putts

You can use great strategy and make great swings from tee to green, but it is all going to be wasted if you don’t convert your short birdie putts when you do manage to set them up.

Take your time to get a great read and commit yourself to making a quality stroke time after time.  You are never going to make every putt you look at, so don’t get too frustrated if you miss now and again.  As long as you are focused on the line and you trust your mechanics, you should make more than your fair share along the way.

Cover Photo via Flickr