Par 3s can make or break a round sometimes and the 8th hole on the Piper Nine is no exception. Stretching out to 194 from the back tees to an elevated green makes for an unsteady feeling for a lot of golfers standing on the tee box. Whether it is the 8th or 17th hole of the round, a big number here can damage a scorecard in a hurry. On this edition of Tee It Up Grand Strand we take a look at this great golf hole and talk about the best way to play it.
From the white tees (which most golfers play) the hole is 176 yards but plays longer due to the elevated green. The right side of the green is not visible from the tee due to the bunker that guards that part of the putting surface. Water runs the length of the hole and curls around behind the green. There is a lot going on visually on this hole for players to take in before even hitting a golf ball. Golfers need to get past all that and pull a club that will get them to the green. The elevated green makes this hole play a least one club longer than the yardage (barring any wind). This is a factor that many players don’t take into account and it inevitably hurts them and they come up short.
Even though the water runs behind the green there is about 20 yards of rough down the slope before reaching the water. Golfers should not worry about being long. Short it bad with the bunker looming. The center of the green is the aiming point for this hole. It does not matter where the flag is. The green is large without much slope. Tee ball is that find themselves on or near the center of the green will make for happy golfers back on the tee box!
Any golfer that walks back to their golf cart and is able to write a “3” or better on the scorecard will be very happy. This is a great par 3 providing a great challenge that certainly has the ability to make or break a round of golf and golfers should not take this hole lightly.
To make a tee time click on the “Tee Times” tab at the top of the page or call the golf shop at 800.356.5827 and anyone of our great staff members will be happy to assist.