#13 at Oyster Bay - Hole of the Week

Golf is a dreamer’s game. It is, by nature, a difficult sport, but that one great shot always portends a better future and brings us back.Few challenges embody the aspirational nature of the game like a well-designed, short par 4.Standing on the tee box, anything seems possible, even an ace (let a man dream), but along with the possibility of glory, ample danger typically lurks on the short two-shotter. All of which leads us to our Myrtle Beach golf hole of the week: No. 13 at Oyster Bay Golf Links.What to expect:13th Hole Par 4 Handicap - 14 Gold Tees – 330 Yards Blue Tees – 320 Yards White Tees – 276 yards Red Tees – 230 YardsThe 13th at Oyster Bay is beautiful from the tee box. Water runs the entire right side of the hole and a cavernous bunker fronts the green, providing contrast and a memorable look.Realistically, the 13th is long for a short hole, if that make sense. The bunker in front of the green means you must fly the ball almost all the way to the putting surface.A 270-yard carry isn’t doable for most of us, but (isn’t there always one?) if the tee is moved up the calculus changes.Playing the hole “safe” shouldn’t be an issue, but sometimes hitting a 180-yard tee shot isn’t as easy as it seems. Optimally, players want the ball to be on the middle-right portion of the fairway, but there is a fairway bunker and the water looms. Neither the sand nor water should be an issue when playing conservatively, but golf isn’t a game of perfect.So what are you to do?If the tees are up and the hole is playing closer to 250 yards, take out the driver and give it a whack. If you are a long hitter and get a little lucky, glory or at least a birdie may await. Assuming you hit the ball straight, if you miss the green you end up in the greenside bunker.For golfers that are comfortable coming out of the sand, it would be just as easy to hit it close out of the bunker as it would be from 100 yards.So live a little and take an improbable crack at the 13th green at Oyster Bay.