The Preserve · Hole 3
Back
85
Forward
65
The shortest hole on the Preserve and one of the most deceptive short holes in golf. At 85 yards you are thinking gap wedge or even a full lob wedge — and then the wind takes over. The green is sharply sloped with aggressive side-to-side movement, and the surrounding fescue is penal. Simple distance is easy; putting the ball in the right spot on a tilted green in a crosswind is genuinely hard.
Shot-by-Shot Strategy
Tee Shot
Do not let the yardage fool you. In a strong wind, even this 85-yard hole may call for a 9-iron or even 8-iron played with a low punch trajectory. Trajectory control is everything — a high lob wedge into a crosswind is a coin flip on where it lands. Play a bump-and-run style shot when possible, releasing the ball to the hole.
Putting
The sharp slopes make short putts treacherous. A 4-footer from above the hole can easily slide 8 feet past if misread. Treat every putt with the same deliberateness you would give a 15-footer on a championship course. Below the hole only — always.
⚠Gotchas — What Kills Your Score
- •This is statistically one of the most three-putted holes on the Preserve precisely because players get casual at 85 yards. Stay focused.
- •A lob wedge in crosswinds above 20 mph is near-uncontrollable. Have a low-flight option ready.
- •The fescue around this green is particularly punishing — a mis-hit that runs off the edge can leave you a near-impossible recovery.
Wind Intelligence
Because the hole is so short, wind speed feels proportionally enormous. Even a moderate 15 mph crosswind can push a high wedge shot two club-widths offline. The key: flight the ball lower than feels natural. A half-swing 9-iron under the wind beats a full lob wedge every time.
Hazard Map
- ▲Severe green slopes — above-hole pins are danger zones
- ▲Fescue rough all sides