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There’s no hole more daunting than the long 18 at Yulga Disc Golf Course. All three tee locations offer a chal lenging length to the amateur disc golfer, making a score of three nearly impossible.

There’s no hole more daunting than the long 18 at Yulga Disc Golf Course. All three tee locations offer a chal lenging length to the amateur disc golfer, making a score of three nearly impossible. However, with some strategic set-up shots, you can minimize your score and gain strokes on your opponent while they rack up the extraneous shots.

The two main threats on 18 are its length and the amount of trees on each side of the narrow fairway. If your disc ends up in the trees, the hole plays much longer and it’s sometimes tough to get out, and stay out of the woods in only two or three tosses.

The key to a smooth finish at Yulga starts on the 18 tee. A straight shot is essential as fly ing off left will cause trouble in a thick group of trees, and sailing right will put your disc in thickets of various vegeta tions, if you can find it.

The best angle to approach on your first shot is a right-to-left draw, avoiding the two or three smaller trees lining the right side of the fairway. If you really get hold of a great disc off the tee, the best you can hope for is a straight, yet long, shot at the basket from the top of the hump, about halfway through the hole. However, hitting the hump in one stroke requires a beast of a toss, and this is one area that leads to accumulating strokes simply because of its length.

If you do end up in the woods off the tee, it’s best to chalk up your losses and get back out to the fairway while getting as much distance as you can. Trying to play through the woods on a lucky toss could end up disastrous, racking up countless extra strokes and possibly sending your disc backwards with a loud “THUNK!”

Once you reach the hump with the downed tree, or the halfway point of the hole, it’s time to eye up the basket, which has lately been placed on the right side of the fair way. (It’s alternately nuzzled into the left side of the fairway from time to time.)

For many, this is a long set-up shot and another point on the hole when a three or four turns into a five or six. Skilled players with good distance on their shots will be able to shoot for within 5 or 10 feet of the basket from the hump. Beginners will be lucky to get within striking distance after three more shots from the hump. Another challenge awaits players at the basket level: a final group of trees. Obstacles lay at every nook, turn and cranny on the 18th.

The true hot-dogs will ide ally shoot for the hump in one shot, and lay up to the basket on their second, enabling them a shot at the elusive three.

However, one tree, or just not enough “oomph” on a disc will leave you shooting for four or five. A straight and conservative disc on 18 can save a round and sometimes enable you to gain strokes on your opponent simply by playing the hole a little safer and smarter.