There's a nine-hole par 36 course fairly close by where I might play tomorrow. It's a good course for someone like me, because it doesn't attract a lot of high-powered impatient golfers. It's situated on an old farm, and the layout is pretty straightforward, nothing too tricky, and the course is immaculately maintained by the family that owns it. And it costs just $14 ($12 during the week) to go around as many times as you like!

But there's one hole that *is* tricky, I think mainly because they had to tuck a hole in this area where one really didn't belong.

It's a par 3 hole, about 160 yards. At about 110 yds, a line of trees and a gulley with a small stream cross the fairway. There's a gap in the line of trees where the cart path crosses the gulley, so you get a clear shot at the green. But the gap is only about 20 yds wide. On the other side of the gulley there are pine trees and a carpet of needles, and a very small stretch of fairway in front of the green. There's also fairway from the tee area to the gulley. There's a slight slope up from the gulley to the green.

So there it is...a simple par 3. But not so simple, because if you don't hit the ball straight through the gap, there's a very good chance you're going to land in an unplayable lie or lose it altogether. I've always played for the green on this hole, and maybe I've hit it once or twice. Occasionally I'll end up in a place where I can chip on. More likely I'll take a penalty.

I guess I already know the answer, but would it make more sense to lay up just short of the gulley and try to pitch it on from about 60 yds? It seems like a shame not to go for the green, but that gap seems really small when I'm lining up my shot, and if I'm off to either side I'm in bad bad shape.

What would you folks do?