Measuring between 414 yards (silver tees) and 322 yards (copper tees), Las Sendas Golf Club’s eighth hole features a slight dogleg left, challenging bunkers, and awesome views of Mount McDowell (aka “Red Mountain”).
Tee Shot: Carry the Fairway Bunkers?
Golfers have two basic tee shot strategies for hole eight: aim to the right of the fairway bunkers or go long (over the bunkers). Most people opt for the safer strategy and favor the fairway’s right side.
Longer hitters may try carrying the fairway bunkers to gain a shorter approach and better look at the green. However, going long off the tee presents multiple risks. Overestimating your abilities could leave you with a difficult second shot from a large fairway bunker. (Driving the ball at least 260 yards is necessary from the black tees.) On the other hand, going too long could cause you to miss the fairway and end up in the desert area.
Regardless of the strategy, driver is the most commonly used club from the tees on hole eight.
Planning Your Approach
Aggressive play on hole eight can certainly have its rewards—driving the fairway beyond the bunkers could put you about 50 yards closer to the green, leaving an approach of 100 to 120 yards. By contrast, the conservative golfer will likely be 160 to 170 yards out.
Reaching the green in regulation is possible in either situation, but the greenside bunker’s location poses a formidable challenge. Going too long could be even worse than finding sand, due to the penalty area on the green’s backside.
Found the bunker off the tee? Reaching the green in regulation just got harder!
Kidney Bean Green
Hole eight’s green is shaped like a kidney bean and slopes gradually from back to front. The green’s slope is steeper on the frontside, which probably explains why most birdies occur when there is a middle-back pin location.
Schedule Your Next Round
Las Sendas Golf Club is considered a top golf course in the Phoenix valley. Visit our golf page to learn about the course and book your next round.