Jack Nicklaus on Playing a Double Dogleg

Golf Digest just put this strategy article by Jack Nicklaus on the site a couple of days ago. The fact that it's a guide to playing double dogleg holes is awesome enough -- but the hole he uses is the par-4 12th hole at Erin Hills, the site of this year's US Open. This is a chance to get a good strategy lesson from Jack, as well as a first look at the unfamiliar course.

Check out the article at Golf Digest first, then come back and click on the diagram below. It'll open a window. Right-click and choose "view image," and you'll be able to enlarge the graphic so you can read all of Jack's notes.


Of all the tips included in the diagram above, the one that stands out to me most is labeled Shorter is Better. Jack says that the green is so small that he can't imagine many situations where he'd want to chip from anywhere but the short grass in front of the green.

THE TIP: Before you hit your approach shot to the green, decide where you want to be if you miss the green. You don't want to shortside yourself, and that's a real possibility on a small green like this.

We're only a month away from the US Open, friends. I bet a lot of the players will be studying this diagram!