No. 14, Par 5, 453 yards
Hole description: Even for the high handicapper who tees it up every weekend, this is your typical risk-reward hole. But the proper drive is needed to set up the daring second shot.

The hole bends to the right off the tee. A straight shot could catch the bunker guarding the extreme left side of the fairway, affecting your decision whether to go for the green in two. Any decent drive should leave you between 190 yards to 225 yards straight downhill to a green surrounded by five bunkers and a large pond on the right side to catch any errant approach shots.

“You want to hit a pretty good fade around the corner,” Laurel View head pro Ed Grant said. “Someone who has a new hybrid in his bag, or who hits long irons well, will go for the green and try to make that birdie. But you have to be precise with your second shot.”

There is a hill behind the green, leading to the 15th tee that will help stop any shots going too long. But trees line the entire left side of the hole, so hook any golf shots at your own risk.

If you choose to play safe, there is a small landing area at the bottom of the hill to get into position for your third shot, which actually plays a little bit uphill from that spot just to the left of the water.

Played like a pro: Grant, a former standout golfer from Hamden High School, hit hybrid off the tee to the left side of the fairway.

He had a little more than 200 yards left to the green and used his hybrid club again. His approach went left right next to the big bunker guarding the left side of the green.

He flipped a wedge shot to 18 feet, then two-putted for par.

Played like your average Joe: As you will see in the coming weeks, Average Joe’s game hasn’t improved since he last attempted to take on the pros.

The best part of this hole was my drive, a driver which found the left rough. I did out-drive Grant — barely — but would have been well behind with the hybrid club in my hands, if I had one.

Still, I chose the safe route and punched a 9-iron down the hill into the left rough under a tree branch.

My attempt to punch a 5-iron ended up being a nice low liner — for baseball, anyways — that came to rest on the slope next to the bunker on the left. I flipped my own wedge over the bunker to 15 feet and two-putted for bogey.

At least I didn’t hit one into the pond.

Joe Morelli will be playing the signature hole at several public courses from around the state this season. If you have a hole to suggest, or would like to participate, contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .