The 20th Hole

COURSE MANAGEMENT

Course management is an important part of golf and can play a large role in a golfer’s score. By playing smart and using good strategy on the course, you will be able to play more consistently and avoid major mistakes. Here are a few tips for playing smart and using a solid strategy on the course.

DRIVING – Hitting the fairway is critical, and doing so puts you in good position for success. Distance is also very important; however, if you hit the ball 300 yards but are in the trees, it really won’t help much. Focus on picking a target in the fairway, make a smooth swing, and use about 85% of your full power. Swing with enough power to give yourself sufficient distance, but still stay in control of your swing. This should help you to hit the ball with more accuracy and consistency.

APPROACH SHOTS – When the pin is located on the far left or far right of the green, you need to be careful. These pins are known as “sucker pins” and you could end up short-siding yourself. For instance, imagine the pin is all the way to the left side of the green. If you aim directly at the flag but happen to pull it left, you will end up in the rough to the left side of the green. This will leave you with a very difficult chip or pitch and you will not have much green to work with. This situation is called short-siding and makes getting up and down much more difficult.
A good solution to this is to aim for the middle of the green. If you do end up hitting the middle of the green, you are now putting. If you happen to hit the ball to the left of your middle of the green target, you will be closer to the pin. If you hit it on the right side of the green, you will still be putting. If you hit the ball to the right of the green in the rough, you will have much more green to work with for an easier chip or pitch. Overall, aiming for the middle of the green on every approach shot should help you reduce your score.

FAST GREENS – If you are playing a course with super fast greens, a good strategy is to try and leave the ball below the hole with your approach shots. When deciding between clubs to hit, choose the one that will leave you either pin high with the hole or short of it. This way, if you do end up short, you will have either an uphill chip, pitch, or putt that you can be more aggressive with. If you end up past the hole, this could leave you with a more difficult downhill chip, pitch, or putt.

BAD LIES – If you miss the fairway with your tee shot and hit your ball into the rough, every now and then you will get an absolutely horrible lie. Many times in this situation, a golfer will attempt to use a fairway metal or long iron in order to go for the green. Usually, this leads to the ball going a short distance and ending up in the rough again. In this situation, it would be wise to take a lofted club such as a pitching wedge or nine iron and hit the ball back into the fairway. This way, you put the ball back in play and are only costing yourself one stroke.

PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS – You will always want to play to your strengths, play your own game, and don’t go out of your comfort zone. For instance, if you rely on accuracy as your strength, don’t try shots that you are not comfortable with. At times you may be tempted to go for a par five in two shots, although there could be a lot of danger ahead, such as water hazards or bunkers. Sometimes it is better to lay-up in the fairway to a specific distance you are comfortable with for your third shot to the green. This is a more conservative way to play, but can save you from putting up a big number on a hole.

RISK/REWARD – Many shots in golf involve risk and reward. The big question is always whether or not to go for it. For instance, if you hit the ball in the trees with your tee shot, you will have a decision to make. There may be a gap in the trees and if you hit it perfectly, you may be able to get to the green. However, if you mess up and drill another tree, there is no telling where the ball might end up, including a possible worse spot than where you started. Obviously, it is your own decision on whether or not to go for it.
For each questionable shot you have, you will want to make the best decision by first analyzing the situation. Sometimes it is a better idea to chip the ball out into the middle of the fairway, where you know you will only be costing yourself one stroke. It is definitely fun trying the shots with long odds, but it all depends on the situation and how you view the possible risk or reward.

SUMMARY

• Use 85% of your power for better accuracy and control with tee shots.

• Aim for the middle of the greens to keep from short-siding yourself.

• When playing on fast greens, try to leave the ball below the hole so you can be more aggressive with uphill putts.

• With terrible lies in the rough, take a lofted club and put the ball back in play.

• Play to your strengths and don’t go outside your comfort zone.

• Always assess the risk and reward of your shots.