Hole 9 at Mammoth Dunes

Hole 9 at Mammoth Dunes rewards a game plan built on control rather than raw power, so start your thinking from the tee. Rather than reaching for driver by habit, consider a club that puts you in the fairway with a clean look at the green — the wide, rolling fairways here are forgiving, but only if you avoid the native grasses and dunes framing the hole. A 3-wood or long iron that favors the safer side of the fairway will often serve you better than a driver hit into trouble, especially if the wind is up, which it frequently is on this exposed stretch of the course.

Once in position, your approach shot needs to account for the medium-sized green, which demands precision over distance. Take an extra club if you're between numbers, since coming up short can leave you in collection areas or bunkers that make up-and-down saves tricky. Flighting the ball a bit lower helps combat the wind and keeps your approach more predictable.

Around the green, be ready to use the ground game — Mammoth Dunes' firm, fast turf often rewards a bump-and-run over a high, spinny pitch, particularly if you miss on the correct side. Study the contours before putting or chipping, as subtle slopes can feed the ball away from the hole.

Above all, avoid short-siding yourself on this hole; the smart miss is almost always long or to the fat side of the green, giving you a much easier recovery than trying to get cute near a tucked pin.