Have you ever found a “speed slot?”

A couple months ago, I played and stayed at the Four Seasons Resort in Carlsbad, CA. The golf course there is called Aviara and it’s absolutely beautiful as you might expect from a Four Seasons.

Why bring it up now?

I mentioned Aviara in an article I wrote and the publisher recently contacted me because they were attempting to fact check my mention of the “speed slot” on the 16th hole. I sent them the scan of that page from the yardage book:

But my drive was also proof because – after recovering from the giggles over the name “speed slot” – I tested that sneaky spot. We played from the whites and I used my 3-wood for better accuracy. As luck would have it, I put it exactly in the spot where I aimed, up the left side of the fairway. Now, without a speed slot, that shot probably would have been about 220, putting me at 152 out. My ball ended up just over 100 yards from the center of the green, meaning I hit my 3-wood about 270. Yes indeed, the speed slot not only exists, it works.

I know I’ve experienced other speed slots when my shots go further than they’re supposed to, but I had not seen one documented in a yardage book until Aviara. I also hadn’t heard it given a name before. Speed slot – I like it! Have you ever found a sneaky speed slot?

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