Dogleg
A dogleg is a hole with a pronounced bend in direction.
The dogleg is a hole that does not lead straight to the green but bends to the left or right. The name comes from the shape of a dog's leg. The bend usually lies in the landing zone of the tees. As a result the drive decides how short and open the second shot becomes. There are doglegs to the left, to the right and rarely double doglegs with two bends. The design forces you into a tactic instead of simply hitting straight ahead.
On the course that means: you choose between safe line and shortcut. An example: par 4 with dogleg to the left, the corner guarded by trees. If you hit straight, 160 metres remain around the corner. If your tee shot flies over the trees, only 100 metres remain. The shortcut saves half a stroke but often costs two when it fails. Your ball flight curve helps: a draw follows the dogleg to the left, a fade the one to the right.
A typical mistake is the automatic shortcut. Whoever makes the corner only in half of the cases plays worse scores in the long run than the safe way. Decide according to your feel on the day and the consequence of the error. If out of bounds or dense rough lie behind the corner, much speaks for the safe variant.
FAQ
Should I try the shortcut over the corner on the dogleg?
Only if the calculation works: if you make the corner in most cases, you save half a stroke to a full stroke. But if the attempt regularly fails in trees, out of bounds or dense rough, it costs you more than it brings. Decide according to your form on the day and according to what lurks behind the corner — the safe line onto the wide fairway is rarely the bad choice.
Which ball flight curve helps me on the dogleg?
A curve in the direction of the bend. On the dogleg to the left a draw fits, on the dogleg to the right a fade — that way the ball follows the hole instead of running straight into the rough. If you cannot consciously control a curve, simply play straight at the widest part of the fairway; that is the tactic that brings most golfers the best scores. You can find more on this under Draw / Fade.
Why does the bend usually lie exactly in my tee landing zone?
Because the course architect wants to force your decision exactly there. The bend sits where normal drives land — that turns the tee shot into a tactical question: stay safe short of the corner or attack over it. The shorter your tee shot, the longer the second shot around the corner becomes. That is intended and makes the dogleg the most demanding standard hole shape.