LaTourette Golf Course - Hole 10
It seems to be generally well known that Tiger’s Dad, Earl Woods, first took up golf at Dyker Beach while he was stationed at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. However, it was the 10th hole at LaTourette Golf Course in Staten Island that ultimately left the most lasting impact on Mr. Woods’ game.
The 10th hole is a straightaway par 5 measuring 519 yards from the back tees. There isn’t much trouble to be found, but a tee shot that is severely left will go out of bounds. A tee shot hit far to the right will land safely in the adjacent 18th fairway, though the second shot will likely be blocked out by a row of trees separating the 10th and 18th holes.
Prior to the 2002 US Open at Bethpage Black, Mr. Woods spoke with The New York Times and described one memorable experience playing the 10th hole. He said he “hit a big drive but it sliced over into the [18th] fairway,” whereas his elderly playing partner “blooped it down the middle.” He continued, “I was all over the place while she went bloop, bloop just short of the green. She chipped over a bunker to 6 inches for her par 5, then I two-putted for a 9. That's when I learned this game was all about accuracy over length.''
Mr. Woods stated that the 10th hole was where his “whole golf philosophy developed,” a philosophy he would later share with Tiger. He explained that “until [Tiger] was 13, he used a 3-wood or a 1-iron. I taught him the lesson I learned at LaTourette, that the best club off the tee is the one you can hit in the fairway.”
Tiger would most famously employ his Dad’s lesson at the 2006 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, where he hit his driver only once during all four rounds. The R&A would later describe Tiger’s performance as “an imperious display of strategic links golf” and a “masterclass in long and mid-iron play.” As Tiger (hopefully) returns to competition in the upcoming Open Championship at St. Andrews, pay attention to his club selection off the tee. To the extent he tends to lay up more often than other competitors, it’s interesting to think that his strategy might have its origins in New York City municipal golf.
