VHL, The shown approach shot is in reference to the conversation, but I agree with you that the shot is makeable in general. My comments were from the viewpoint that if you decided to bag 4 wedges and no fairway wood, could you always make it over that ridge you mentioned, with a 3 iron as your longest club selection, under any windset of the moderate conditions? I agree that I would never pass up a potential look at eagle and better looks at birdie, so I would have to be able to make the illustrated shot with my 3 iron in order to consider the strategy of not bagging fairway wood.
The shot that I played was a couple yards right and short of where I would have liked to have landed it. Even with a touch more topspin, I'm not sure I could have got there with enough momentum to go over that ridge and get close to the hole. At least not consistently. Unfortunately I actually erased it yesterday because I had a 131 holed approach that I wanted to save instead and didn't think anybody else would want to see the shot. At least the screenshots provide some detail of how it looked.
As far as my shot preference, I like to use max backspin. I don't play as much shot variety as someone like Bollox. Ideally I like to land it on the upslope of the ridge preferably as close to the rough as possible if not in it. My best approach there actually landed in the first cut before tricking down and to the right a few inches from the cup. Its a tough shot to execute regardless and most times I 'm happy with it going mostly online and running a touch long, leaving a 8-15 yard come-back eagle putt.
I hope this further explains what I was thinking. Sometimes I'm not the sharpest pencil in the pack and may not communicate my thoughts with great accuracy. So to your point, yes I would play the shot left edge either landing on the upslope of the ridge or short and running it over.