Golf
Michael Collins, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

Looks might be deceiving at Quail Hollow

Golf

Everyone loves to talk about the "Green Mile" at the Wells Fargo Championship, and it is a great closing stretch, but this week's hole gives players and caddies fits, even though it looks simple.

The par-4 12th hole is right in front of you. At 456 yards, with a downhill tee shot, it shouldn't be that difficult, right?

Don't say right! While we're at it, maybe don't say left either!

Trees protect the left side of the entire hole, so you'd think it'd be okay to bail right with the tee shot; absolutely not. Missing left, either in or under the trees, is actually the best option. Some of the thickest rough on the course grows right of 12th fairway where many errant tee shots come to rest. Unfortunately bogeys are handed out like food samples at Costco to golfers whose tee ball ends up in the right rough.

Speaking with this week's caddie from Caddie Confidential, he confirmed that even though the left looks worse, it's not nearly as bad as the right rough.

Many guys will hit 3-wood off this tee to try and make sure they find the fairway. Looking at the fairway sprinkler heads, you can see the second shot will play a little uphill. If the weather is cool or damp, some guys will have to hit as much as 6- or 7-iron to the green.

The perfect play is to hit something that puts you on the right center of the fairway and leaving you between 145-170 yards to the hole. Spin control really matters because of the green complex.

Looking at the green, you can see it's two tiered. There are rules when attacking the hole locations.

The first rule is, when the hole is on the top tier of the green, do not go long. Chipping from behind the green is a stress no caddie wants his player to have.

Second rule: when the hole is front right or left, do not put your approach shot in the bunkers. The left bunker is especially nasty when the hole is on the left part of the green. Watch when the holes are front and back left. There will be a few under read breaks on those putts.

Yardage books provided by Mark Long -- TourSherpa@gmail.com. Copyright 2016 Tour Sherpa, Inc. All rights reserved.

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