On the edge of 17: Five keys to tame golf’s toughest water holes

By Dave Allen

Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune of playing such renowned courses as Pebble Beach, Pinehurst No. 2, Whistling Straits (Straits Course) and THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Never have I been more nervous over a tee shot than I was on the famed “Island Green” 17^th at TPC Sawgrass, site of this week’s THE PLAYERS Championship.

I’m sure I’m not alone. Standing on the tee, it’s hard to see any of the putting surface. All you see is water. Lots and lots of water. And then there’s the history of the hole. It’s probably the most photographed and dramatic hole in golf, and the last thing you want to tell your buddies is that you stuck your first-ever tee shot on No. 17 in the water.

That’s exactly what I did. Well, I actually put three in the drink! And my career batting average on the hole is a not-so-robust .167 (1 for 6). I’m hitting below the Mendoza Line. So I’m not the one to be giving you advice on playing water holes. But I have gleaned some good intelligence over the years on how to hit to these island greens from some of the best teaching professionals in the country. Below is a “greatest hits” tip list for how to avoid the water and keep your ball dry on these daunting holes.

1 SMILE BACK AT THE HOLE

As you prepare to hit your tee shot, smile. Smiling relaxes the tension in your jaws and in your upper body, which helps your muscles fire faster. You’ll swing more freely and in control. Research has also shown that sticking your tongue out or resting it against the roof of your mouth can also help reduce tension in your jaw.

2 AIM AT THE DEEP CENTER OF THE GREEN

Never take dead aim at the flagstick. Always aim for the center of the green, regardless of where the pin is, and add about 5 yards to that center yardage. Thus, if you have 115 yards to the center of the green, play it as if it’s 120 yards.

3 TAKE ONE MORE CLUB

This plays into tip No. 2. By taking one more club (i.e., a 9-iron vs. a PW) and aiming to the deep center of the green, your tee shot will find the putting surface even if you mis-hit it slightly. When you’re nervous, it’s very rare that you hit the ball flush. Going up one more club will give you an extra cushion and boost of confidence.

4 COMPLETE YOUR BACKSWING

One of the very best tips I ever received was from European Ryder Cup stalwart Colin Montgomerie. If only I had heard it before I played TPC Sawgrass! We were sitting in the Green Room at the Golf Channel one morning and I asked him if he had any swing thoughts for when he was nervous. Monty, after all, is considered the greatest Ryder Cup player of all-time (20-9-7 overall record), so he knows a thing or two about playing well under pressure. His response? “Complete my backswing,” he said. Completing the backswing, he said, gave him more time to get the club down on the correct path instead of having to rush some in-swing compensation. It allowed him to make a deeper turn, rather than getting short and too choppy.

5 STICK YOUR FINISH

Rudy Duran, Tiger Woods’ childhood swing coach, said he used to make Tiger hold his finish until the ball landed. This is great advice for when you’re nervous. Chances are that if you can complete your swing in balance, the rest of your swing will be in balance, too. Stick the finish, and you’ll have a good rhythm and tempo to your swing and you’ll hit more greens.

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