Water · par 4 and 5 · twice a round
River Holes — Carrying the Diagonal River and Using the Bridge
A river runs diagonally across the fairway, with a narrow bridge down the middle. The angle means every line has a different carry.
What it is
Two holes in every round have a river crossing the fairway somewhere between 42% and 62% of the way to the green. It is never square to the hole: it runs at an angle of roughly 14 to 25 degrees, so one side of the fairway is a much shorter carry than the other. A narrow bridge crosses it on the line of the fairway.
The bridge
The bridge deck is the fastest surface in the game, rolling more than three times as far as fairway. A ball that lands on it usually runs straight across to the far bank. It is narrow, so treat it as a target rather than a safety net. Playing your next shot from the bridge costs a little distance and adds some spread.
What it costs
Finding the river costs one penalty stroke, and the ball is placed in a drop zone short of the water. Once a ball lands beyond the river it is safe, because rollout only carries it forward; a ball that lands short and runs on, however, is wet. Remember that cart paths do not cross the river.
How to play it
Before aiming, look at where the river meets each edge of the fairway. Carrying the far corner leaves a short approach; laying up short of the near corner is safe but long. When your timing is good that round, take on the longer carry. When it is not, choose a club that finishes well short of the water, because rollout on fairway can carry an under-hit shot into it.