Q&A: Sara Dickson, Director of Golf at Wilderness Country Club
Alex Elias
Wilderness Country Club - Hole 6 - Par-3 - 165
As a DOG at a club with an older membership, have you noticed that many members opt to putt—or even putt with a fairway wood—around the greens? Has this influenced your course management at all? Do you find yourself doing that as well? Could members at other clubs benefit from this approach? Do you think players are sometimes guilty of immediately reaching for a wedge when a putter might give them a higher chance of getting up and down?
Yes—absolutely. It’s very common to see players putt from well off the green or even use a fairway wood or hybrid around the putting surface.
From a strategy standpoint, a lower-running option often removes risk. On tight Bermuda grass—especially during the cooler winter months in Florida when lies can be firm and grainy—the margin for error with a higher-lofted wedge becomes very small. Taking the ball along the ground minimizes the chance of a thin or heavy strike and places more emphasis on speed control, which many players already practice extensively with the putter. When conditions and green contours allow, it is a safe and intelligent play.
This approach is not limited to older or recreational golfers, either. It is hard not to think of Rich Beem, who has long been known for using hybrids and utility clubs around the greens. A great example came during the Mayakoba Golf Classic, where he famously used a hybrid from off the green to set up a birdie under pressure. That moment reinforced that the “right” club is the one that yields the highest percentage, not necessarily the most traditional one.
Could members at other clubs benefit from this mindset? Without question. Many players are quick to reach for a wedge out of habit, even when a putter, hybrid, or fairway wood would statistically give them a better chance of getting the ball close and saving par. Encouraging players to assess lie, slope, grain, and landing area before choosing a club can lead to more up-and-downs and lower scores.
Very often, on the Par-5 5th, I hit driver, followed by a 6 or 7-iron, leaving a wedge in hand. On the very next hole, I usually hit 8 or 7-iron, often walking off the tee wishing I’d hit my tee shot as well as my lay-up on the previous hole. I believe this happens because the margin of error is smaller on the lay-up. Is there a lesson here? How can players learn from this and put less pressure on themselves?
There is indeed a lesson there, and your instinct about the margin of error is right on the mark. What you are describing is a classic example of how expectation, not difficulty alone, changes how we swing the club.
On the Par-5, the lay-up shot lives in a very different mental space. The target is wider, the consequences feel smaller, and the goal is simple: advance the ball to a good number. There is no scoreboard pressure attached to “hitting the lay-up green.” Because of that, players tend to swing freely, commit fully, and match speed to intent. The irony, of course, is that the strike and result are often better than on the following Par-3.
On the Par-3, the expectation flips. Now the goal becomes “hit the green,” which subtly tightens the window and raises the emotional stakes. Even if the shot is technically similar or easier than the lay-up, the perceived margin for error shrinks, and tension creeps in. Players start guiding the ball, decelerating, or over-steering the face, all in an effort to control the outcome.
So what is the takeaway?
The lesson is to separate intention from expectation.
Practically speaking, players can learn from this by reframing tee shots on par-3s to feel more like a lay-up:
Shift the goal from “hit the green” to “make a committed swing to a clear, conservative target.”
Pick a start line or quadrant of the green rather than the flag.
Match tempo to the lay-up swing you trust, rather than the “precision swing” you think the hole demands.
It can also help to acknowledge reality, just as you noted. The Par-3 shot often is more demanding than the lay-up, even if the club is similar. Accepting that difficulty, rather than fighting it, reduces internal pressure and allows the body to move more naturally.
In short, the best players are not swinging harder or more carefully on the Par-3. They are swinging with the same freedom they had on the lay-up. When players learn to bring that free-flowing, outcome-neutral mindset to tee shots, especially on Par-3s, consistency improves, and pressure fades.
