Shortcut · once a round
The Portal — Using the Shortcut in Daily Holes
A small pad beside the fairway. Stop your ball on it and it reappears close to the green — but only if it comes to rest there.
What it is
One hole per round has a portal: a small round pad set just off the fairway line, a little over a third of the way to the green. If your ball comes to rest on it, the ball is carried forward to a fixed exit point about 85% of the way up the hole, leaving a short approach.
How it triggers
Only the ball’s final resting place counts. A ball that flies over the pad does nothing. The pad’s surface grabs the ball hard, so a shot that lands on it or rolls onto it slowly will usually stop there. A fast ball skidding across the edge can still run through.
When it is worth it
The portal sits far closer than a full drive, so going for it means a deliberately short tee shot. Miss it and you are left in the rough beside the fairway, a long way from the green. Hit it and you have converted a par 4 or 5 into a pitch and a putt. It is a gamble on precision, not on power.
How to play it
Choose the club whose carry lands just short of the pad and let the ball roll on, rather than flying the full distance and relying on the pad to stop it. Account for the wind, which matters more on a target this small. If your timing has been loose today, play the hole normally — the portal is optional.