Pacific Dunes · Hole 13
Blue
504
White
424
Gold
354
Red
254
A reachable par 5 that offers the best birdie opportunity on the back nine — if you can navigate a series of strategic bunkers that guard the second shot landing area and the green approach. This hole rewards intelligent course management more than raw power. The player who knows which bunkers to carry and which to avoid will have a clear advantage over the player who simply tries to hit it as far as possible.
Shot-by-Shot Strategy
Tee Shot
Drive the ball to the right-center of the fairway, avoiding the bunker cluster on the left side at 230 yards. A controlled draw that starts right and feeds left is ideal. Long hitters who can carry 260 yards can aim over the left bunkers to set up the best second shot angle, but this requires precision that most players should not attempt. A straight drive to the right-center sets up the safest second shot.
Approach
From the right-center fairway, the second shot is a long iron or fairway wood to a landing area that is 60-70 yards short of the green. A layup to this zone avoids the front bunkers that guard the last third of the approach. Players attempting to reach the green in two must carry these bunkers — a carry of at least 220 yards in the air is required. The green is large and offers multiple pin positions from a solid layup, making the three-shot route genuinely competitive with the high-risk two-shot route.
Putting
The large green at 13 flows from back to front with gentle undulation throughout. Eagle putts require careful speed control — the green is faster than it looks from the layup zone. Birdie putts from a good third-shot position should be straightforward on the lower half of the green. The upper portion of the green is faster and more treacherous.
⚠Gotchas — What Kills Your Score
- •The bunkers at 230 yards on the left side are in perfect position to catch a slightly hooked driver.
- •The front bunkers on the green approach are the most penalizing on the hole — being in them is worse than having laid up.
- •The three-shot route is genuinely the smarter play for most handicap levels — don't feel pressure to go for it in two.
- •The green is faster at the back than it appears from the front — eagle putts are easy to run well past the hole.
Wind Intelligence
The southwest wind on this hole varies between a crosswind and a slight tailwind depending on the exact hole direction. A tailwind on the second shot makes reaching the green in two more tempting — and the front bunkers more dangerous, as the ball carries further and is harder to stop. In a crosswind, the second shot must be aimed further into the wind to account for drift near the green. The third shot (for layup players) is typically a full wedge in calm or tailwind conditions.
Hazard Map
- ▲Bunker cluster on the left at 230 yards from the tee
- ▲Front bunkers guarding the final approach to the green
- ▲Native rough on both sides of the fairway
- ▲Fast upper portion of the green creating difficult eagle putts