- Wild Golf
- Posts
- The "Auto-Scoop" - A Shot You've Never Seen Before + An Island Green In the Desert
The "Auto-Scoop" - A Shot You've Never Seen Before + An Island Green In the Desert
Plus, Par 3 Scoring Average By Distance (Broken Down By Handicap)
Wild Golf
August 01, 2024
Happy Friday all- Olympics Golf is underway, and Hideki Matsuyama leads the Men’s competition after round 1 with an opening -8 score. It’s hard to believe it’s been 7 years since he rose to the world’s #2 golfer in 2017. Hideki fell all the way to #54 in the OWGR earlier this yes, but he’s had some shining moments. February-April were rock solid, with no finishes worse than 12th in four straight events and a win at the Genesis. A back injury in May derailed his momentum, but he’s finally getting back to form again. We need more stars performing their best on the biggest stages, so let’s hope he can contend this week and beyond.
In today’s newsletter…
✅ TIPS & DRILLS: When you’re short-sided to a tight pin, the “Auto Scoop” is the shot you never knew you needed.
✅ COURSES: An island green in the desert? And just a short drive from the Vegas strip!
✅ STATISTICS: Par 3s can be challenging, but just how difficult are they according to your handicap, tiered by distance? Check it out below.
✅ TRIVIA: Did you know a man once won an official LPGA event? Any guesses? Answer for a chance to win a Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor!
Let’s go!
TIPS & DRILLS
You’ve Gotta See This Shot - the “Auto Scoop”
PGA Tour Coach, Shauheen Nakhjavani demonstrates
To Recap…
When you’re faced with a short-sided shot or super-fast greens, the “Auto Scoop” is the shot you never knew you needed. This unconventional skill shot can be a strategic weapon when you need to hit a short flop that stops quickly. PGA Tour Coach, Shauheen Nakhjavani demonstrates how to pull it off:
-STEP 1: Set the ball 1-2” back from the center of your stance.
-STEP 2: Open your club face slightly.
-STEP 3: Preset the handle back with your trail wrist in flexion. In other words, angle the club handle toward your rear foot and keep your wrists locked in this position.
-STEP 4: Rotate your torso to turn back and through without changing your arm/wrist structure.
WHY IT WORKS: The traditional flop shot requires a ton of wrist action, which is very prone to error if you don’t make precise contact. Conversely, the “Auto-Scoop” requires no wrist action and instead relies on body turn with the club pre-set at the proper angle.
COURSES
A Lush Island Green Where You’d Least Expect
Just a short drive from the Vegas strip
Paiute Golf Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
Pete Dye strikes again! You didn’t think it was possible but he put an island green in the middle of the Las Vegas desert. Paiute Golf Resort has 3 unique courses on site - Snow Mountain, Sun Mountain and Wolf. The Sun Mountain course most recently hosted the Korn Ferry Tour’s MGM Resorts Championship in 2020 (won by Peter Uihlein), but the Wolf course is the most well-know, of the 3. At 7,600 yards, it is the longest course in all of Nevada, and given the windy desert terrain, it often plays even longer.
But you don’t visit Paiute for its length; you visit for the par 3s. One reviewer wrote, the par 3s on the Wolf course are “probably the most demanding and beautiful collection of par 3s I have ever played.” Of course, the 15th is the signature hole as it’s truly an oasis in the middle of the desert, a contoured island green surrounded by a small lake. The hole is modeled after Pete Dye’s 17th at TPC Sawgrass with a longer yardage and larger green. This hole alone is worth the price of admission, and it’s a fraction of what you’d pay to play Sawgrass (which is currently $500-$900).
Due to the distance from the Vegas strip and the city’s surrounding suburban neighborhoods, Paiute almost feels like you’re playing golf on the moon, albeit with an impeccably maintained grassy surface. All 3 courses at Paiute are worth the drive from Sin City- they have each qualified for the GolfPass “Golfers Choice Top 50” at least 5 of the last 10 years. That’s mind-blowing and no resort comes close to this feat. So the next time you hit the strip, carve out some time for the trip to Paiute.
Pro Tip: Play Paiute in the morning, as it can get quite windy in the afternoons. It’s not worth the risk of saving a few bucks on a twilight rate.
Rates: $249 - $289 during peak season, $109 - $159 off-peak for non-residents. But of course, it’s the desert, so you can play year round.
Check out this video from @brianoar
STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: Par 3 Scores By Hole Distance By Handicap
presented by…
The Stat: The PGA Tour score variance between 125-150 yard par 3s and the 225-250 yard par 3s is just 0.19 strokes. Comparatively, a 15+ Handicap’s variance between the same yardage tiers is 0.77 strokes. What’s more, on a traditional 18-hole course with four par 3s, a 15+ Handicap will lose a minimum of 4.56 strokes relative to par.
The Takeaway: Play the right set of tees! Even if you’re a long hitter but you have trouble breaking 90, there’s no reason you should be playing a par 3 that’s 200+ yards long (assuming there are shorter tee box options available). Golf is so much more fun when you have more scoring opportunities. Unless you’re on Tour or in local amateur events, don’t make the game any harder than it already is!
TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor
(1 winner chosen on 8/31/24 across all August trivia entries, 1,000 respondents minimum)
 |  |
Who is the only man to win an official LPGA event? |
LIKE THIS EDITION?
Forward it to a friend! —> —>
How did you like today's newsletter? |