The courses we play often contributes to the type of disc golfers we become. The Tali course is no different producing players who are most likely a bit more cautious than others. Phrases such as “let me just pitch up” or “I’ll grab my putter for this tee shot” are often heard from a Tali-tweller.
In this article I’ll present a course analysis based on 2015 HAIX Tali Open results as well as my own experiences in the course. The style will be similar to my Disc Golf in Numbers blog. I will refer to the competition hole numbering in Figure 2, and not the numbering of the permanent course. The regular number for most holes is two less than the competition number. For example the competition Hole 8 is usually Hole 6.
Figure 1, Hole 1 is relatively easy to birdie with three accurate midrange shots. Hole 8 is perhaps the toughest hole in the course.
First I’ll present risk vs. reward profiles for each hole. For example Hole 1 in Figure 1 is a typical high risk – high reward hole. It’s a long and narrow par 5 with a slope towards the left-hand side OB. It’s very easy to slip away from the fairway, but three straight midrange shots and you should be putting for birdie. Alongside Hole 1 is Hole 8, which is a high risk – low reward hole. It is very long, very tight, has OB left and is considered a par 3. The only hole in Tali that I consider as a low risk – low reward hole would be Hole 17 in Figure 4, which is relatively easy to keep in-bounds but is too long for most players to birdie. The easiest holes are low risk – high reward type holes. For example the final island hole is a must get for the top players: it is 83 m long and has no obstructions.
I determined the hole profiles in Table 1 by a cluster analysis on two variables; birdie percentage and bogey percentage of the 2015 Tali Open men’s division. To get deeper insight I also looked how the numbers changed between three groups: players who finished in position 1-30, players finishing 31-60 and players finishing 61-90. The raw data for the Open division, Women, Masters and Grandmasters is in the end of this article.
Table 1, Clusters of holes based on their risk / reward factors (birdie/bogey percentages). Second column shows which holes belong to which cluster. Average birdie and bogey percentages are shown for these holes for the whole group, the top 30, the middle 30 and the last placed 30 players.
|
holes |
average bogey % (top 30, middle 30, last 30) |
average birdie % (top 30, middle 30, last 30) |
| low risk – high reward |
5, 11, 13, 21 |
11 % (6 %, 9%, 16%) |
37 % (50 %, 39 %, 23%) |
| high risk – low reward |
2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20 |
28 % (23 %, 28%, 32%) |
9 % (14 %, 7%, 5%) |
| risk – reward |
3, 6, 7, 15, 18, 19 |
19 % (12%, 17%, 27%) |
24 % (33 %, 22%, 15%) |
The first row in table 1 shows the easiest holes. Hole 5 in figure 2 is easiest hole on the course to play par or better, has no real hazards and is easy to birdie with a right fading shot. Hole 11 in the second leg of the course, plays slightly downhill, is short and open but has a steep drop right behind the basket. Hole 13 is a relatively easy par 4 which surprisingly no one eagled in 2015 in the open division, but had an unbelievable 63 % of birdies in the top 30 players. Hole 21 is a short island hole which is also easy to birdie especially for the top players and the middle field. Even though these holes are relatively easy the last 30 players in the open division still managed to have around 20 % of bogies in holes 11, 13 and 21, which means that Tali has very few “safe” holes. Hole 5 was the exception and had very few bogies throughout the weekend.
Figure 2, Hole 5 is the least risky hole in Tali. It’s not a “gimmy” hole, but the basket is approachable from most teeshots.
Probably the nastiest holes of Tali are presented in the second row of Table 1. These holes are quite difficult, offer few birdies and should favor conservative play:
- Hole 2, in Figure 4, is a par 4 and has a triple mando going into a tight left turning tunnel. Finding good placement on this hole requires a lot of luck as well as skill.
- Hole 4 (regular 2b) is a devilishly tight and protected par 4, although some trees and bushes have been trimmed for this year.
- It is quite surprising that hole 9 is in the high risk – low reward category. This hole demands a fairly long straight shot, but is difficult to birdie with an RHBH. The basket is protected from the right side by a bush and some trees.
- Hole 10 is incredibly tight and quite long, requires a tunnel shot and has OB both sides. OB rolls, and tree kicks to Vermo (neighboring horse racing track) are frequent events on Hole 8. An indicator of difficulty on Hole 8 is that the weakest third of the open division had 37 % of double bogies or worse.
- Hole 12 is a 110 m uphill shot which needs to fade right in the end. This makes it very difficult to birdie – success rate for the top 30 was only 9 %.
- Hole 14 should be an obvious safety fairway shot since there is OB all around the basket and the drop zone is fairly far from the basket.
- Hole 16 is one of the nicest looking holes in Tali but demands either a monster hyzer or a risky turn-over shot over an OB island.
- Hole 17 is basically a 131 meter tunnel shot, and hole 20 is a par 4 ending in an island green.
Figure 3, Hole 14 favors conservative play because of the OB and the relatively far DZ. This hole sees more birdie attempts in the final round when players take risks for position.
The final row of Table 1 presents the holes that are quite risky but most players should be able to birdie them:
- The additional Hole 3, in Figure 4, should be an easy shot, but has OB on the right side.
- Hole 6 is a tight but relatively safe and short finesse shot through a lot of trees.
- The basket on hole 7 is reachable by two controlled shots.
- Hole 15 is easy if you have the power for a monster RHBH hyzer shot.
- Hole 18 plays well with a decent forehand or a slow turning midrange shot.
- Hole 19 requires an accurate and floaty downhill shot through an early gap in the trees.
Figure 4, Map of the Tali Open course. Hole numbering is different from the regular setup.
Hole 15 (regular 13) was a separator hole in 2015 because it requires a lot of power and very few birdies were made in the lowest positioning third of the players. Holes 9 and 20 were also difficult to birdie for the weaker players but manageable for the top players. Holes 8 and 12 were very difficult to birdie for all the players and many players choose to lay-up in hole 14 because of the lurking OB. Hole 8 was definitely the most difficult hole with a 64 % of bogies or worse throughout the open division.
Overall Tali is a challenging course but not crushingly difficult. The challenge is created mostly by tight fairways with plenty of OB. Tali demands a variety of accurate shots and isn’t too favorable to power throwers. Players looking to finish high in Men’s Open division should play each round conservatively staying out of trouble as much as possible.
Table 2, Mens Open division percentages for different groups
| hole |
birdie % |
top 30 |
mid 30 |
low 30 |
par % |
top 30 |
mid 30 |
low 30 |
bogey % |
top 30 |
mid 30 |
low 30 |
worse % top |
worse % mid |
worse % low |
| 1 |
30 |
41(6% eagles) |
27 |
22 |
35 |
32 |
42 |
30 |
23 |
16 |
21 |
32 |
6 |
10 |
16 |
| 2 |
13 |
22 |
11 |
6 |
29 |
36 |
28 |
24 |
33 |
31 |
38 |
31 |
11 |
23 |
39 |
| 3 |
24 |
36(1% eagles) |
19 |
17 |
58 |
52 |
68 |
53 |
15 |
10 |
11 |
23 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
| 4 |
13 |
18 |
12 |
9 |
41 |
48 |
44 |
32 |
31 |
28 |
30 |
34 |
7 |
13 |
24 |
| 5 |
29 |
38 |
32 |
18 |
63 |
54 |
60 |
73 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| 6 |
20 |
24 |
26 |
10 |
56 |
63 |
51 |
54 |
20 |
12 |
19 |
30 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
| 7 |
21 |
29 |
21 |
13 |
49 |
52 |
50 |
43 |
24 |
17 |
24 |
32 |
2 |
4 |
11 |
| 8 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
33 |
46 |
31 |
23 |
38 |
38 |
43 |
33 |
13 |
24 |
41 |
| 9 |
12 |
20 |
6 |
11 |
60 |
64 |
72 |
44 |
23 |
14 |
19 |
34 |
1 |
3 |
10 |
| 10 |
9 |
14 |
10 |
3 |
34 |
39 |
42 |
22 |
33 |
31 |
29 |
38 |
16 |
19 |
37 |
| 11 |
32 |
44 |
32 |
20 |
56 |
51 |
57 |
59 |
11 |
4 |
9 |
19 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| 12 |
3 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
61 |
73 |
59 |
50 |
23 |
17 |
22 |
30 |
1 |
18 |
20 |
| 13 |
44 |
63 |
42 |
27 |
41 |
30 |
40 |
53 |
13 |
7 |
13 |
18 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
| 14 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
4 |
58 |
79 |
49 |
47 |
17 |
13 |
20 |
19 |
6 |
23 |
30 |
| 15 |
18 |
32 |
20 |
2 |
64 |
58 |
67 |
69 |
16 |
10 |
10 |
28 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
| 16 |
11 |
16 |
13 |
6 |
54 |
63 |
57 |
42 |
24 |
16 |
21 |
34 |
6 |
9 |
18 |
| 17 |
5 |
10 |
4 |
1 |
57 |
69 |
56 |
48 |
26 |
19 |
26 |
34 |
2 |
14 |
17 |
| 18 |
27 |
38 |
26 |
19 |
55 |
47 |
59 |
59 |
16 |
14 |
14 |
20 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| 19 |
25 |
34 |
18 |
23 |
57 |
58 |
60 |
52 |
16 |
8 |
19 |
20 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
| 20 |
11 |
23 |
8 |
3 |
26 |
36 |
27 |
14 |
30 |
22 |
37 |
32 |
19 |
29 |
50 |
| 21 |
43 |
56 |
49 |
26 |
39 |
37 |
39 |
42 |
12 |
7 |
9 |
20 |
1 |
3 |
12 |
Table 3, Women’s division percentages
| hole |
birdie % |
par % |
bogey % |
worse % |
| 1 |
0 |
39 |
25 |
35 |
| 2 |
10 |
16 |
24 |
51 |
| 3 |
4 |
51 |
35 |
10 |
| 4 |
2 |
12 |
45 |
41 |
| 5 |
20 |
69 |
12 |
0 |
| 6 |
8 |
49 |
31 |
12 |
| 7 |
6 |
22 |
43 |
29 |
| 8 |
0 |
10 |
53 |
37 |
| 9 |
2 |
51 |
31 |
16 |
| 10 |
0 |
8 |
39 |
53 |
| 11 |
12 |
63 |
18 |
8 |
| 12 |
0 |
33 |
49 |
18 |
| 13 |
10 |
57 |
18 |
16 |
| 14 |
2 |
49 |
27 |
22 |
| 15 |
0 |
55 |
31 |
14 |
| 16 |
0 |
25 |
49 |
25 |
| 17 |
0 |
33 |
41 |
25 |
| 18 |
6 |
71 |
12 |
12 |
| 19 |
4 |
55 |
33 |
8 |
| 20 |
0 |
14 |
24 |
63 |
| 21 |
12 |
49 |
35 |
4 |
Table 4, Masters and grandmasters percentages
| hole |
eagle % |
birdie % |
par % |
bogey % |
worse % |
| 1 |
2 |
18 |
46 |
23 |
12 |
| 2 |
0 |
11 |
25 |
31 |
33 |
| 3 |
0 |
17 |
62 |
15 |
7 |
| 4 |
0 |
5 |
42 |
34 |
19 |
| 5 |
0 |
24 |
64 |
12 |
0 |
| 6 |
0 |
14 |
58 |
26 |
2 |
| 7 |
0 |
14 |
43 |
33 |
10 |
| 8 |
0 |
0 |
27 |
49 |
24 |
| 9 |
0 |
9 |
64 |
24 |
3 |
| 10 |
0 |
2 |
39 |
34 |
25 |
| 11 |
0 |
35 |
56 |
8 |
1 |
| 12 |
0 |
2 |
51 |
38 |
10 |
| 13 |
0 |
34 |
43 |
15 |
8 |
| 14 |
0 |
7 |
64 |
13 |
16 |
| 15 |
0 |
7 |
60 |
26 |
8 |
| 16 |
0 |
4 |
38 |
43 |
14 |
| 17 |
0 |
0 |
45 |
39 |
16 |
| 18 |
0 |
13 |
63 |
21 |
3 |
| 19 |
0 |
23 |
53 |
21 |
4 |
| 20 |
0 |
3 |
23 |
45 |
29 |
| 21 |
0 |
35 |
48 |
11 |
6 |
Author: Miikka de Vocht
http://discgolfinnumbers.blogspot.fi/
