FAQ - Guide for Swing Away Golf
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"Bring your attitude first, your golf game second!" SWING AWAY GOLF FAQ in progress by Darrell Wong (DKW 001) Contents i. Stuff for CJayC ii. Update history iii. Introduction 1. Overview 2. The Golfers 3. Equipment 4. Events 5. Course rundowns 6. Wagering in Normal Game 7. Codes i. Stuff for CjayC ------------------ Date completed: 5/3/03 Version: 1.0 E-mail: [email protected] ii. Update history ------------------ 1.0 - It begins! iii. Introduction ----------------- [Don't have one yet...I just had so much information about this game burning a hole in my hard drive that I had to send it in as is. Don't worry, I'll have this done eventually.] ============== |1. Overview | ============== At the start of the hole, you'll be at the tee box with the 1 wood (driver), unless it's a par 3, in which case your caddy will select what she/he thinks is an appropriate club. Your initial direction will be straight down the middle of the fairway. You can change direction by moving right or left and your club with L1 or R1. You'll see a line extending from the club; this "swing line" is an approximation of the flight the ball will make (without taking into account the wind, the height of the terrain, etc.). If you want to scope out where your ball will land, which is almost always a good idea, you can do so with the analog sticks (make sure you're using a controller which has them!). The right stick moves your perspective, which the left changes the angle of the view. You can return to ground level at any time by pressing triangle. The circle button brings up a topographic grid of the immediate area, a boon for your short game. L2 and R2 change your stance, allowing you to put draw (leftward curve) or fade (rightward curve) on the ball. Up and down allow you to aim higher or lower on the ball. High shots impart topsin, resulting in a lower trajectory and more roll; backspin does the opposite. All these adjustments, known as "shotmaking", take a certain amount distance off the shot, so it's important to compensate on the swing. The most common uses of shotmaking are getting past hazards and making the ball stop on the green. Picking a new club erases all your shotmaking adjustments. When you're ready to make your shot, press X to bring up the swing meter. Press X to begin the shot, a second time to set the distance, and a third to determine accuracy. Press triangle to remove the swing meter and go back to setting up the shot or to cancel the swing if its started. Note that you can cancel at *any time* prior to actually making the shot. If you hit the distance setting at exactly 100%, you'll hear a ring and see some sparks. Anything above that is overswing. A little overswing will have a negligible effect on distance, but half or more will really add some distance to the shot. The downside is that it speeds up the bar considerably. To get a clean shot, you need to time the final press with the bar in the "meet" area. On the drive (and only the drive), doing this will also cause a ring and sparks. If the bar's to the left, it results in a slice; stopping on the right results in a hook. The severity is determined by how off you were. In addition to inaccuracy, hooks and slices take quite a bit of distance off the ball, so avoid them whenever possible. And no matter what, don't ever let the ball go all the way to the bottom, or it's an automatic monster hook. Press square to do a chip shot; the distance meter will turn red and display a 50 regardless of what club you're using. You can chip with any club, although a wedge works the best. It's *much* easier to get a precise shot with a chip than a regular shot, making them ideal for when you're close to the hole and have plenty of room to run. Chips are subject to overswing, although the effect isn't that much. Shotmaking adjustments to chips are generally ineffective. At the start of your next shot, the process begins again. Your caddy will select an appropriate club for the remaining distance. If it's more than what you're capable of hitting, it'll be the 3 wood by default. You cannot use the driver for anything but the tee shot. When your remaining distance is less than about 100 yards (a full swing with your shortest club), the swing line is replaced by a dashed line which indicates direction only. Once you're on the green, all you have to do is aim and set the distance. All putts are straight and not subject to hook and slice. Up or down resets your position. Triangle switches the view to behind the hole (very useful for long putts). Square changes the putter setting between 30, 60, and 120. If you putt from off the green (which is a good idea in many situations), it's handled the same, except that you don't automatically get a topography grid and the back view isn't available. Also, the flagstick remains in the cup, making it a little harder to hole out. Your golfer's attributes go a long way toward determining the kind of shots you'll be able to make. The Distance attribute, obviously, determines the maximum distance of your shots. At 0, you can hit a beginner driver 210 yards. Each point you put into Distance increases this by 1.4 yards, up to a maximum of 350 for the full 100 points. However, the more Distance you have, the faster the swing bar moves. Accuracy slows down the swing bar and lessens the severity of mishits, but also decreases your overall distance (albeit considerably less than 1.4 yards). You should always maintain a good balance between Distance and Accuracy, never letting one get too far ahead of the other. Control is your shotmaking ability, how far you can make the ball curve and how fast you can make it spin. Recovery dictates the precision of your bunker and sand shots. If you're prone to mis-hits, it's an absolute must. In general, while you don't have to make your golfer perfectly balanced (although that's perfectly acceptable), you don't want any one attribute to get far higher or lower than the rest. Pinpoint accuracy isn't much use if you consistently need a wood to reach the green; perfect recovery isn't doesn't help you stay out of trouble in the first place. The only exception is starting out with high Control, and even then only if you want a real challenge. Call up the options menu by pushing select. Save Shot allows you to save the last shot made to memory; wait until the next shot comes up before doing so. Unplayable returns the ball to the point where you made the last shot and adds a penalty stroke; use this only if you have an absolutely impossible lie. Give up automatically ends the hole and gives you the worst score possible, +10. The only time this is useful is if you fail to make bogey in a point tournament, since anything worse than a bogey results in the same score. Quit ends the game and gives you the option of saving it. You can save any type of game *except* survival. When you restart the game, you'll be on the tee regardless of whether or not you made any shots before quitting. General tips - * Don't ever rush your shot, even if your opponent's all but begging you to. There's no end to the bad things that can happen with an errant shot. Be accurate, not fast. * Be careful if the wind is strong. Even an 11 mph wind will affect your shot a lot. Also remember that the longer the ball stays in the air, the more the wind affects it; adjust your aim accordingly. * Avoid out of bounds no matter what. Play conservatively if there's even the slightest chance of going over. * Learn when and how to lay up. In particular, if you need an accurate approach to a high or low green, leave more than 100 yards so you keep the swing line. ================== | 2. The golfers | ================== Seven golfers, which I refer to as the "basic seven", are available from the onset. The hidden three, Sam, Meg, and Steven, are selectable after you play their events (or with a code; see the "Codes" section below). Each has a number of events which he/she can't enter; these are indicated by white squares in the Trophy Room screen. Generally, "personal" events...those with an important story element for the person you're playing as...are unplayable. Additionally, since the Survival events are segregrated by gender, each golfer can only enter one of them. My descriptions for the computer-controlled players are only general tendencies. Some do better or worse depending on the event, course, opponent, etc. (Julie always seems to play Kelly tough for some reason.) The golfers and caddies speak only if the Narration option is on. Furthermore, only computer-controlled golfers will make comments between holes and at the end of the tournament. RYAN Default type: Balanced Unplayable events: Pine Tree Open, Miracle Cup Personality: Completely straightforward and even-keeled, if not outright bland. Never shows much excitement no matter how he's doing. Fair amount of competitive drive, but not passionate about winning; "I won't lose to you again!" comments practically an afterthought. For some reason, he calls every failure to win "close" regardless even if he was completely blown out. CPU player: A par-o-matic. Almost never misses a fairway or makes bogey, but rarely makes birdie either (and NEVER eagle). Misses a lot of easy putts. Typically shoots +2 to -2. RACHEL Default type: Balanced Unplayable event: Angel Cup Personality: Confident, strong-willed, and short-tempered. Always thinks she can win even when she's losing badly. Hates to lose, gets very agitated when she's trailing. Calls herself the "Queen of the Fairways" and always has high expectations for herself. CPU player: A solid competitor who's good for at least a few birides every round. Long and accurate off the tee; better-than-average short game and putting. Can be prone to bad shots and bogeys, but generally does better than Ryan. +1 to -3 is typical. Tends to falter in the tougher tournaments. BILLY Default type: Good recovery Unplayable events: Jackpot Cup, Pine Tree Classic Personality: Cocky and completely self-confident; impossible to rattle. Makes all kinds of dumb excuses whenever he's behind. A real ladies' man; never misses the chance to hit on a cutie. Loves to fight and gamble almost as much as golf and takes great pride in "never losing". CPU player: Gets into trouble a lot, but usually adept at getting out of it as well. So-so short game and putting. Makes a spectacular play from time to time, like a chip-in from the sand, but not enough to compensate for his mistakes. Scores are comparable to Ryan's. JULIE Default type: Good recovery Unplayable event: Angel Tournament Personality: Southerner. Exudes femininity and always tries to look as womanly as possible. Gets irritable when she falls back. Weak-willed and rattles very easily; all but demands that her opponents go easy on her. CPU player: On the streaky side; can chip in for birdie one hole and miss an up and down for bogey the next. Average in most aspects. Likes to take risks; often can't make them pay off. Scores are comparable to Ryan's. JOE Default type: Power hitter Unplayable events: Black Sunday Open Match, Gold Rush Match Personality: A pathetic, irresponsible whiner. Makes wild accusations about "cheating" every time he falls behind. Will whine, beg, and even steal to get what he wants. As fervent a gambler as Billy, although he only rarely wins. Has the weird habit of ending almost every sentence with "right". CPU player opponent: Plenty of muscle, but not much else. Rarely makes more than half of the greens in regulation. Misjudges nearly all his first putts; more than two one-putts in a round is a rarity for him. Decent recovery hitter. Usually shoots between +3 and -1; improves a little in the big events. JAMES Default type: Power hitter Unplayable event: Gread Old Course Cup Personality: Egotistical, thin-skinned, and disdainful. Thinks he's the best golfer in the world no matter how his round actually goes. Whenever anyone's well ahead of him, he only admits that he's "found someone who can challenge him", never even considering the possibility that anyone can beat him (even after it happens). Will loudly berate an opponent for making a bad shot or even taking a while to make a shot. CPU player: Streaky. Can string together two or three birdies in a row and follow up with an equal number of bogeys. Strong drives and a good short game, but his putting is as unpredicatble as Joe's. TERRIBLE recovery hitting; can take a lot of shots just to get out of trouble. Needs the "mercy rule" more than anyone else. Can shoot anywhere from +5 (or worse) to -4 depending on how "on" his game is. Takes a beating in the big events. KELLY Default type: Accurate hitter Unplayable event: Pacific Open Personality: Quiet, calm, demure, and polite almost to the point of obsequiousness. Never brags, taunts, or swaggers. Looks up to other players for inspiration. Extremely emotional and breaks down into tears more than anyone else. Feels that she "has" to win for whatever reason. Limited reaction to just about everything (except holes-in-one and albatrosses). CPU player: Can be good or bad depending on the event. Usually (but not always) highly accurate with all her shots and rarely has to make a recovery. Scores range widely, from +3 to as good as -5. SAM Default type: Accurate hitter Unplayable events: Same as Ryan Personality: Ornery, mellow old coot. Full of strange wisdom, most of it of at best limited practical use. Sees himself as the mentor to everyone else and is always eager to take a rising star under his wing. Doesn't appear to have much passion for the game, although he's around all the way to the Master Emporium. Good-natured and doesn't mind losing at all. CPU player: Generally good all around, but not immune to blunders. More consistent than most of the other golfers. Usually shoots between -1 and -3; if he's a little lucky that day, -4 is not impossible. Barring a horrible error, he never shoots above par. MEG [To be completed.] STEVEN Default type: Power hitter Unplayable events: Same as Ryan Personality: Silent, steel-nerved assassin. Hardly talks at all on the course. Reactions, whether to good or bad results, are slow and muted. Proud champion who can back up his boasts. Loves a good challenge. CPU player: Long off the tee, rarely misses a fairway, and a superb putter. Can easily string six or more birdies in a row. A very difficult opponent. Caddies - Jessica: Soft-spoken woman with weird British accent. Spells everything out in excruciating detail. Molly: Mindless babbling moron. Astonishingly ill-informed and CONSTANTLY asks stupid questions ("Doesn't that make the ball hard to hit?" "Wouldn't this hole be easier if it was shorter?" "What happens if you miss that putt?") Courtney: High-spirited go getter who loves to see big shots and all but begs for them. Carol: Bland, monotonal, spells things out even more than Jessica. Peter: Perky boy type. Uses unusual terminology and often sounds like he has trouble putting his thoughts into words. Mike: High-strung martial arts motivator type. A little more demanding than the others. Really bad Japanese accent. ================ | 3. Equipment | ================ Equipment is rated in five categories, hook/slice ("H/S" on the screen), meet, distance, direction, and trajectory. Hook/slice is the degree to which an errant shot hooks or slices. The higher the rating, the more "forgiving" the club or ball is. Meet affects both the size of the meet area and how fast the bar moves. Distance is just that, the maximum distance you can get out of the club or ball. Direction and trajectory determine your shotmaking capability. Direction affects how much draw or fade you can put on the ball, while trajectory affects how much topspin or backspin you can produce (both also subject to your control rating, of course). Each the golfers has equipment not available in the golf shop, winnable in Normal Game. Sometimes beating them in a Story Game event will earn you this special equipment. (You can never get Super Lady's equipment this way.) Prizes (a.k.a. "other items"), which can also be won in both modes, have no gameplay value...they're just that, special prizes for you to collect. HS - Hook/Slice Me - Meet Ds - Distance Dr - Direction Tr - Trajectory Items marked with an asterisk can be obtained only by winning certain Story Game events. DRIVERS HS Me Ds Dr Tr WOODS HS Me Ds Dr Tr Beginner 4 4 2 4 2 Beginner 4 4 2 4 2 Standard 3 3 3 3 3 Standard 3 3 3 3 3 All Around 3 3 3 4 3 All Around 3 3 3 4 3 Long 3 2 4 3 4 Hard Hitter 1 2 5 3 3 Extra Long 2 2 4 4 3 Super Lady's 3 3 4 4 4 Hard Hitter* 1 2 5 3 3 Classic 3 2 3 5 3 Super Lady's 3 2 4 4 4 Classic 3 1 3 5 3 WEDGES HS Me Ds Dr Tr Beginner 4 4 2 4 2 IRONS HS Me Ds Dr Tr Standard 3 3 3 3 3 Beginner 4 4 2 4 2 All Around 3 2 3 4 3 Standard 3 3 3 3 3 High Spin 3 2 3 2 5 All Around 3 2 3 4 3 Easy Bunker* 4 3 2 3 4 Hard Hitter 1 2 5 3 3 Super Lady's 3 2 4 4 4 Super Lady's 3 2 4 4 4 Classic 3 1 3 5 3 Classic 3 1 3 5 3 SHOES Me Dr UTILITY CLUBS HS Me Ds Dr Tr Beginner 4 2 Mid-range* 3 4 3 3 4 Standard 4 3 Wood Type 3 2 4 4 4 All Around 3 3 Air Cushion* 3 4 BALLS HS Me Ds Dr Tr Super Lady's 2 4 Beginner 3 4 2 3 3 Classic 4 3 Standard 4 3 3 2 3 All Around 2 3 3 4 2 GLOVES Me Dr Double Core 3 2 4 2 3 Beginner 3 3 Triple Core* 2 2 4 2 4 Standard 3 4 High Spin* 3 3 3 3 3 Super Lady's 3 3 Super Lady's 2 4 4 4 4 Classic 4 3 Classic 2 2 3 5 3 PUTTERS (Hook/Slice only) Pin 3, Mallet 4, L Type 4, Generic 4, Super Lady's 2, Classic 2. BAGS (no stats) Beginner, Standard, Light, Super Lady's, Classic. Equipment notes - * Beginner equipment is good to start with, but at some point you'll want to switch to something with better distance. Standard is fine for most players; if you're accurate enough, all around is a good choice. The beginner iron is ideal for closest to the pin contests. * Hard hitter clubs have the most distance but terrible accuracy, and they're extremely unforgiving of mis-hits. I don't recommend them unless absolutely necessary (e.g. a short hitter in a long drive contest). * Super Lady's and Classic equipment can only be obtained by wagering items in Normal Mode. Most of it is superior to regular equipment, so if you can win them, definitely do so. * Picking the right ball can be difficult. Your best bets, if you don't have the Super Lady's, are All Around or Double Core. Classic is also fine if you need plenty of directional ability. * The best shoes are standard, classic, and air cushion. You won't get the latter for some time (the 6th World Tour tournament, to be exact), so go with standard if you want that little extra direction. * Bags don't affect your game, only your popularity. You'll win both the standard and light ones over the course of Story Mode anyway, so there's never any need to buy either. ============= | 4. Events | ============= There are a total of 40 "official" events in Story Game which award a trophy to the winner. The first row has amateur events (all except for Freshman's Cup) and the tournament pro events are in the final row; all others are professional events. MP - match play PT - point tournament LDC - long drive contest SDM - sudden death match S - survival CTPC - closest to the pin contest 1-1 Public Amateur Competition 1-5 Amateur Match (MP) 1-2 Int. Amateur Competition 1-6 Mid-Amateur Competition 1-3 The Pro Test 1-7 Amateur Open 1-4 Beginner's Competition 1-8 Freshman's Cup (PT) 2-1 Sam's Long Drive Contest (LDC) 2-5 Miracle Cup 2-2 International Junior Cup (SDM) 2-6 Pine Tree Classic (PT) 2-3 Tournament Pro Test 2-7 Jackpot Cup 2-4 Pine Tree Open (PT) 2-8 Angel Tournament 3-1 Black Sunday Open Match (MP) 3-5 Pacific Open 3-2 Gold Rush Match (MP) 3-6 Queen Classic Cup 3-3 Angel Cup 3-7 Kingdom Open 3-4 Great Old Course Cup 3-8 Monthly Tournament 4-1 Ootori Golf Tournament (CTPC) 4-5 Princess Survival (S) 4-2 Meg's Long Drive Contest (LDC) 4-6 Year-end Super Heroes (LDC) 4-3 Sudden Death Match (SDM) 4-7 Super Heroes (LDC) 4-4 Survival Open (S) 4-8 ??? 5-1 World Tour Golf 1st Match 5-5 World Tour Golf 5th Match 5-2 World Tour Golf 2nd Match 5-6 World Tour Golf 6th Match 5-3 World Tour Golf 3rd Match 5-7 Master Emporium 5-4 World Tour Golf 4th Match 5-8 Oldman's Open Non-trophy events: Practice, stroke play with an old man, all skins games, match play events not listed, all 2-ball foursome and best ball events. Required events, in the order you'll play them - 1. Public Amateur Competition 6. Meg's Long Drive Contest 2. Int. Amateur Competition 7. International Junior Cup 3. The Pro Test 8. Stroke play with an old man 4. Freshman's Cup 9. Tournament Pro Test 5. 3-way skins game 10. World Tour Golf matches * You meet new golfers in 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8. The last of the basic seven (either James or Kelly) shows up in a match play event sometime after 8. * 5 pits you against Joe and either Ryan or Rachel. If Joe wins the least amount of money, it's a win for you regardless of whether you or Ryan/Rachel has the most money. If you're playing as Joe, you square off agaisnt both R's, with Ryan being the man to beat. * 8 is a head-to-head stroke play game against Sam which takes place on one of three special courses (see Course Rundowns for details). * There is no trophy for 5 or 8. Additional event notes - Beginner's Competition and Amateur Open: You play alone. Mid-Amateur Competition: This event uses a special course; you play alone. Public Amateur Competition and International Amateur Competition: You must win both to qualify for The Pro Test. The Pro Test: Although you meet another golfer, you play this one alone. You need to shoot -1 or better to become a professional. (The golfer you meet will always shoot -1; no one else will do better than even par.) Miracle Cup: In addition to the player you're paired up with (Ryan), Steven is in this tournament. He always shoots -10, the best score. Playing this event does not make Steven selectable. Jackpot Cup: This event uses a special course. Angel Cup: An unnoteworthy event except that it's worth a whopping $12,000, second only to the Master Emporium. Tournament Pro Test: Unlike the previous Pro Test, you must finish with the best score to pass. If you win, you can start playing Tournament Pro events at the start of the next calendar year. Survival Open and Princess Survival: To win the event, you must complete at least 18 holes. It doesn't matter how many "EX" holes you complete. The holes are actual Create Course holes...i.e., completley random...and you cannot save in the middle of your game. Super Heroes and Year-end Super Heroes: You must be #1 in the popularity rankings to qualify for this. The year-end event is held every December; the other can show up any time. Master Emporium: You must have at least 30 World Tour points, the equivalent of three wins, to qualify. If you do, this event will be available in December. Oldman's Open: [to be done] Specific event tips: Regular match play, skins, 2-ball foursome, and best ball events: If you're striving to build the best golfer possible (and who isn't?), it's a good idea to pick these as soon as they appear. Unlike the "real" events, they might not be around again if you skip them the first time. All point tournaments: Point scoring was designed to reward aggressive play, so don't hold anything back. In particular, if you have any kind of gamble, especially one which can net you an eagle, you should go for it. All long drive contests: Your opponent will have a default yardage of 286. Since they never use overswing, if you can match that number, you should win easily. The exception is the desert contest, which takes place at hole with its infamous stone arch. You'll almost certainly have to check up, if not switch to the 3 wood. Make sure you hit it at least 286 yards, though. Mid-amateur Competition, Jackpot Cup, and Stroke play with an old man: These take place on special courses, which, due to the extremely bizarre terrain, are incredibly challenging. See "Course tips" below for more. Ootori Golf Tournament: Hard. The CPU golfers are *very* good at putting it close to the cup, and with five shots, your chances of beating any one of them are low. They tend to have trouble on the Classic and Seaside holes, however, so if you can wait until it moves there, you should be able to win. Even so, make sure you save your game beforehand. International Junior Cup: Your opponent is at the top of his game (or her game, in the case of Kelly). You will need to make *at least* three straight birdies to have any shot of winning. Don't be ashamed to save after each tie! Survival events: Indescribably painful. Trust me, the best way to win is to cheat. (See the Codes section for how to do it.) ====================== | 5. Course rundowns | ====================== There are six regular courses, three special courses, and the "all star" Master Emporium course, which takes three holes from each regular course. FOREST This is an easy course. The fairways are wide, the greens are very level with almost no undulations, recoveries from anywhere are easy, and hazards are sparse. As you might expect, trees are the biggest danger. 1: Completely straightforward. An easy birdie. 2: Favor the left side of the fairway so you don't have to worry about the tree next to the green. It's a big fairway, so don't be afraid to aim wide. 3: Straightforward; just shoot right at the cup. 4: If you're long enough to get it past the hill, put a strong draw on it so it lands on the left of the fairway. That takes the troublesome trees out of play and gives you a good second shot for an eagle chance. If you don't have the length, just put it as far left as possible and get the second shot close enough for a chip-and-putt birdie. 5: Aside from the huge pine tree about halfway down the fairway, this one's straightforward. If the wind's blowing right, use a gentle draw. 6: Going for the green on the second shot is a major gamble. If you're short, you're in the water; if you're long, you have a difficult downhill pitch from the rough. Don't even consider it unless you can comfortably reach the green with no higher than a 4-iron. Otherwise, hit it as far down the fairway as possible (the ball tends to roll toward the water on that part of the course, so allow plenty of room), then chip it close. 7: The narrowness of the green and steep slope in front make it a challenge to hit. Your best bet is to target the area just in front of the green, give the ball one or two degrees of backspin, than hit a full-power shot. If you miss, it's best to miss long; it's easier to get a chip-in going down than up. 8: Decision time! The right fairway is easier to hit, but the left gives you a better line to the green. If you go left, get it as far down the fairway as you can without overshooting into the rough, and make sure it lands in the middle so the trees don't mess up your second shot. If you go right, use a draw to keep it on a fairway and give the trees a *little* room. The greenside bunker will be in play for your second shot, so aim for the back and give it plenty of backspin. This is definitely the toughest hole on the course, so don't be disappointed with par. 9: Straightforward. Lay up a bit or go down a club if you have to. 10: A short, simple par 5, and the easiest to eagle. There's a slope in front of the green, but it's not steep enough to cause any real trouble. Running shots work great for reaching in two. 11: There's no avoiding the lake, so aim for the back of the green and be generous with the backspin. It's a big green, so don't worry about being a little long. Again, there's nothing wrong with par. 12: As with hole 2, avoid the right side of the fairway with those troublesome trees. For the second shot, disregard whatever number the elevation indicator gives you and use the same shot you'd use for level ground, if not a little stronger. The green slopes very steeply away from you, so a soft approach will always end up well short. 13: Your best bet is hitting it straight down the right side of the fairway. Shots anywhere else almost invariably drift right or skip down the center, and then that nasty little greenside bunker enters the picture. If you have 40 yards or less left, you can then chip to the green; hit at least 15% harder than usual because of the extreme uphill slope. Otherwise, use a regular backspin shot and try to keep it on the green. 14: Despite the undulating terrain and irregular fairway borders, this hole is pretty straightforward. Hit to the middle of the fairway no matter what. 15: This is the "super dogleg", as I like to call it. Use as much draw as you're capable of and get it as far down as possible. There's a good chance that the ball will get an uneven lie, so always check the direction arrow before lining up your approach shot. 16: When setting up your tee shot, check the area thoroughly and make sure your drive won't hit any smaller trees on the way down. You will almost certainly need backspin for your approach. 17: Straightforward. There's enough fairway in front of the green that you should be able to run it up. 18: Both the lake and the tree guarding the latter part of the fairway are trouble. If you're accurate enough, you can land it close to the lake and have a clear second shot. Alternatively, drive the bar far enough and you can hit under the tree without worries. Failing that, a topspin shot is a good way to stay clear. If none of these is an option, you'll just have to go completely around it and play for par. RESORT A little tougher than the Forest course, mainly because of all the bunkers, but still easy to post good scores on. 1: Straighforward. Hitting the elevated green with a running shot is difficult; it's better to stick it with a backspin shot. 2: There's a bunker protecting the right of the green, and the slope of the fairway's going to send your drive left anyway, so hit it left. Nothing special about the second shot; just get it close. 3: Get it as far down the fairway as you can no matter what, fading around the trees if need be. Because the green is elevated and protected by water, do whatever it takes to avoid leaving it short. 4: Unless you're sure you can clear the bunker, go right. There's plenty of fairway to hit even with the space taken by the bunker. 5: The trees on the left turn a mildly challenging long par 3 into a tough one. As always, draw if you're facing a rightward wind. 6: Straighforward; favor the left side for an easier chip to the green. 7: Golfers that are long *and* precise will score big here. The drive is easy; just get it as far down as possible. For the second shot, you have to hit to the left or right of the long bunker; use the pin placement and wind to decide. The green slopes very steeply toward you, so use a strong approach. 8: Aim for the center of the green no matter where the hole is. It's completely flat, so you have an easy birdie putt no matter where it lands. Miss the green, and you have a *very* difficult up and down. 9: Don't be too daring with your drive; keep it in the middle of the fairway and make sure you don't hit any trees. In fact, if you're a powerful hitter, it's a good idea to lay up so you can approach the extremely high green with a full power shot. Anywhere from 110-150 yards left is good. 10: A fairly short par 5. Because of the rough in front of the green, you'll have to bounce the ball up instead of running it up if you want to go for it in two. It's a good gamble because even if you don't make it, it's pretty easy to get up and down from the short rough. 11: Give the water PLENTY of room, especially if the wind is blowing left. There's a steep slope dropping into the water that goes quite a distance up the fairway, and if you're even a *little* off, you're taking a splash. If you have the length, drive directly to the green. 12: Drive over the big crossing bunker if you have the length; otherwise, just get it close. 13: The green is a considerable distance below the tee box, so be conservative with your shot. Go a club down, two if you have a strong tailwind. 14: Unless you have godlike control, landing your drive on any part of the twisty, razor-thin fairway after the dogleg is impossible, so play it safe and hit it to the end of the dogleg. *Or*...if you have a monster drive and cool nerves...go for the green. Even if it ends up in the rough (which it probably will), it's an easy enough recovery. 15: Not only are the many bunkers a threat, but a too-long drive will force you to hit a very difficult approach shot. Your best bet is to go far left and leave at least 100 yards. 16: Just another tough par 3. 17: Straightforward. All you need to do is keep it right, which is easy. 18: The easiest par 5. Fade around the trees to be in good position for the second shot. LAKE Not all that hard, but the undulating ground and sharp doglegs on many of the holes will flummox beginners. Accurate shooting and reading the terrain well are essential for top scores. 1: The fairway first slopes upward on the left, then on the right. Hit to whichever low point you can reach to keep your approach straight. 2: Despite the rolling terrain, this one's pretty simple. The green is absolutely wild, so try to stick the approach close. 3: A difficult par 3. Take special care to avoid the greenside bunker. 4: Favor the middle of the fairway. You have to hit far enough left to avoid that big tree, but not too far or else it'll take a long trip downhill. 5: If you're long *and* have a good tailwind, you might be able to drive the second fairway. Otherwise, hit a layup to the end of the first fairway (favor the left side because of the slope), hit a strong second shot to the second fairway, and pitch to the high green. 6: Your best bet is to hit to the arched "backboard" close to the green. The steep slope will catch the ball and keep it on the fairway, and from there you have a pretty easy pitch to the green. You can even go for the green if your recovery shooting is at least decent. 7: Nothing of note except two easy-to-hit-around bunkers. 8: The infamous waterfall hole. The green is extremely narrow and easy to miss. You need a backspin shot to even have a chance at it. 9: Unless you have absolutely laserlike accuracy, going for the green through the trees is much too risky to be worth it. Instead, hit to the end of the dogleg and pitch to the green. 10: Just about anyone will be able to drive the second island. The green is surrounded by water, so, as with the 6th hole on Forest, don't ever go for it if you need anything more than a 4-iron. It's an easy birdie if you play it safe; don't take the gamble unless it's a really good one. 11: Other than the trees at the bend of the gentle dogleg, this one's simple. Of course, favor the left of the fairway. 12: Cutting the dogleg is *very* dangerous due to the bunkers and rough. If you decide to go for it, aim as close to the hole as possible and use backspin liberally. 13: A par 3 with the green pretty much level with the tee. Easy. 14: Another decision, but this one's easy. Aim for the right fairway if at all possible, as the approach is MUCH easier than from the left. If you have to go left, keep the ball well away from the water. 15: Favor the left of the fairway so you don't end up on a troublesome slope. The green isn't too uneven, so use a normal approach. 16: 17: 18: DESERT The ubiquitous irregular fairways, obstructions, and tough pin placements require plenty of shotmaking ability. This is also one of the longer courses, so distance off the tee is also a must. 1: You'd be astonished at how easy it is to hit that tiny little bunker in the middle of the fairway. Aim carefully! A topspin shot works best for the approach to the huge uphill green. 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: CLASSIC In my opinion, the toughest regular course. The wind is absolutely howling no matter what, many drives are blind and/or hard to hit the fairway with, there's next to no flat land, and danger is everywhere. No matter how good you are, you won't be relaxing for even a moment. 1: Straightforward. Avoid the greenside bunker and you're in the clear. 2: Another uphill par 3. Hit firmly. 3: Don't even THINK of going for the second fairway unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE you can clear the bunker! If it ends up in ANY part of the bunker, you are *screwed*, Jack (you may even have to declare an unplayable lie). Both fairways slope toward the deadly bunker, so watch out! 4: Avoid the rocks with your drive; these can *really* mess you up, especially if you're stymied against one. Aim around the dangerous greenside pot bunkers with your approach. 5: Avoiding the creek is easy. Avoiding the big pot bunker right in front of the green isn't. Go up a club (and use backspin) if you must. Try not to land in the bunker behind the green, either. 6: As with the other doglegs, lay up if you have to, go for it if it's a good shot. It's actually advisable to go for it if you have the length, as you don't have to worry about all the bushes scattered on the fairway. Take great pains to avoid these; guaranteed bogey or worse if you find one. 7: Nothing of note except the colossal bunker guarding the green. The green is uphill, so don't be afraid to swing hard. 8: Hit a full-power drive and adjust for the wind a little more than usual because of the extended air time. If you can reach with the second, don't bother laying up (it'll probably just end up in the rough or sand); instead, aim for the slope in front of the green. Even if you don't make it, it'll land close, and it's a simple chip from there. 9: Avoid the bushes with the first shot and the huge C-shaped bunker with the second. 4 is a good score anytime. 10: Stay well clear of both trenches. If you have the length to drive the green, don't do it unless you're confident you can land it within 60 feet of the pin. The 120-foot putter settting is *very* difficult to control the length of and can easily result in a 3-putt. 11: If you can drive it over the canal, make sure you don't hit it too far. Why? Because all the ridges on that part of the fairway except the first are vertical walls, and you'll get stymied big time if you end up against one. (The first small hill, while steep, is okay.) If you're not that accurate, lay up to the canal. Birdies are more important than "manhood". 12: Decision time again! The fairway to the left of the canal is safer, but harder to hit a good second shot from. The right is riskier, but also has a clearer shot to the green. As with all the other "gambling" shots, take the right only if you're sure it won't end up in a very bad place (in this case, the canal). Be especially careful if the wind is to the left! With a good enough drive, it is possible to make the green in two. 13: A downhill par 3 which you should be well able to handle by now. 14: No matter what, don't be too long with your drive; 300 yards at the most. Put it in the thick bushes and there'll be absolute hell to pay. The green has another infamous pot bunker behind it, so be conservative with the approach. 15: A surprisingly straightforward hole for this late on the course. 16: Par 3 with a row of bunkers. You know what to do here. 17: Avoiding the little pond is no sweat. For the approach, check the pin placement and be sure to put the ball where you actually have a clear line at the green. Favor the back of the green if you have to. If you mess up and actually have to putt over fairway, or even rough, it's still possible; you just have to hit a *lot* harder than usual. 18: If you made it this far, this hole should be a piece of cake. Just be careful hitting around those bushes. SEASIDE A very long, very challenging course that loves to really punish errant shots. Beware especially the huge bunkers and gale-force winds. The wind here always blows in roughly the same direction, which I've noted. 1: [slight tail/right] The thing you really have to watch out for here is the vertical ridge about 370 yards out. If you have a strong tailwind, chances are likely your ball will end up stymied. Lay up, with a 3-wood if need be, in this case. Otherwise, just do your best to get a good drive. Don't worry if your shot drifts right; the slope will catch it. 2: [slight tail/right] The big danger here is the pair of trees guarding the dogleg. If your tee shot is too long, you'll have a tough time putting your second shot on the fairway *or* green. Aim carefully. There's a ridge here too, but it goes down instead of up, so don't worry about it. 3: [tail/right] The ball will spend a lot of time in the air, so aim VERY well to the left, into the ocean if need be. Also go down *at least* a club so you don't have to add backspin and give the wind more time to mess up your shot. You *must* stay out of the huge bunker on the right or it'll be a huge battle just to save par. Even overcompensating and missing the green to the left is preferable to finding the bunker. 4: [head/left] Aim at least at the right edge of the fairway. The "fish bunker", like all the other big bunkers, is nothing but trouble, so aim well away from it for your approach. 5: [right] A headache-inducing hole. Experience is the only thing that will help you here. Definitely consider laying up to the front of the fairway if you're not up to it. 6: [head/left] Unless you have ferocious power, you're not hitting it past the C-shaped bunker. It's best to hit a full-power shot with the swing line at least on the end of the bunker, maybe a little past; the ball will drop cleanly onto the fairway in the middle. If you want to play it safe, you can avoid it completely on the right, but this gives you a tougher second shot. Swing hard to make the green due to its elevation and the wind. 7: [left] Precise shots are required from tee to green. First off, lay up far enough from the big boulder separating the fairways so you can actually clear it. 300 yards is good; 320 only if you're a real pro. Get your second shot as far left as possible; take the light rough if you have to. If you've taken out the greenside bunker, you can chip to the green for a birdie chance. If not, you'll just have to go for it with a pitch. Don't overshoot the green or it's an almost guaranteed bogey. 8: [left] Big bunker in front, big bunker in back, paper-thin green...they don't get much harder than this. Just do your best. 9: [slight tail/left] The fairway narrows, but you shouldn't need to lay up here. A good birdie chance. 10: [head] Because of the headwind, only the most powerful hitters have any chance of reaching the bottom fairway off the tee. It's better to hit to the end of the first fairway (easy), then aim for the back of the green. Swing hard for the approach due to the wind. 11: [tail/right] Take your best aim and fire away. If you're a little off, the fairway slope will save you. Take your time lining up the approach. 12: [slight head/right] The wind and trees make the tee shot dicey. Use as much draw as possible and aim well into the trees; the wind will, with any luck, drop the ball right in the fairway. Treat the "seahorse bunker" like all the other huge bunkers. 13: [slight head/left] A surprisingly easy par 5. Aim a little off the fairway to put the ball in good position, then go for it from wherever you are. It's definitely possible to get an eagle here. 14: [right] Yet another difficult par 3. 15: [slight head/right] Aim to the left of the two tall trees close to the fairway. Don't worry about hitting them; the wind will prevent that. 16: [left] One more time for good measure. Par is good anytime. 17: [head] Go straight across the water if you have any sense. You'll be facing a strong headwind, but you should still have the distance to get across. From there, it's just a routine uphill pitch. If you *don't* have the distance...well, you're in trouble. Pray to make par. 18: [head/slight right] As with Resort #14, you have two options: 1) play it safe, or 2) go for the green. Check your driver distance and make your choice. ============================== | 6. Wagering in Normal Game | ============================== [To be completed] ============ | 7. Codes | ============ [To be completed] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FAQ in progress (C) 2003 by Darrell Wong All rights reserved