Lesson 4: Reading a Hole From the Tee
One of the most important skills in golf — and in understanding course design — is reading a hole from the tee before you hit. Great players take time on the tee to understand what the architect has created before they decide where to aim.
Reading a hole means identifying: where is the trouble? Where does the fairway widen and narrow? Which side is safer? What is the best position for my approach shot? What happens if my ball goes left, right, short, or long?
Architects design holes with sight lines in mind — the visual information a player receives from the tee position. Good design gives the player the information they need to make an informed decision. Deceptive design (which some architects use deliberately) hides information, creating surprises and sometimes frustrations.
When you learn to read a hole before you play it, you are thinking like both an architect and a strategist simultaneously.
Reading a hole from the tee means identifying trouble, ideal landing zones, and strategic options before hitting. This is the conversation between the player and the architect’s design.
Have you ever played a hole that surprised you — where something you didn’t see from the tee turned out to matter? What was it? Was it good design or bad design that surprised you?
Play three holes at your facility and before each one, stand on the tee for at least 60 seconds and study the hole. For each hole, write in your journal: (1) what is the shape (straight, dogleg, cape), (2) where is the trouble, (3) where is the ideal landing zone, (4) what line would you choose if you had to play the hole 10 times in a row. After playing each hole, write whether the hole played the way you expected.