Have a new theory for my golf game

[ScottL]

Im about an 18 handicap. My average round is around 92ish. So I got to thinking, Im a 90s shooter, not a 70s, so why do I play each and every hole like a par golfer?

By that I mean, I still play a par 4 like a par 4, I go for the green in 2 and try and 2 putt. I should be trying to play it as a par 5, not a par 4.

If I bogey every single hole, I shoot 90 which is right up there with my better games. So my thought is this weekend when I go play, Im going to play every single hole as if it were a par 4, 5 and 6. So a "par round" would be a 90 for me. Im shooting to play "under par"...

anyone do something like this? How does it work for your mind? I think it might help me alot!!

My buddy is alot better than me, he is about a 10 handicap and I told him to give it a try, just add a stroke to the 9 hardest handicap holes and play the other 9 (handicap 10-18) normally...

we are going to try it out Sunday!!

[James_Black]

what happens when you duff a chip?
what happens when you hook/slice your drive OB?

if you strike the ball perfectly time after time that structure will work.
But in real life it doesn't work.

[clam fist]

A great deal of this game is mental. If it helps your game, try it. Let us know if it works.

[meenman]

I have to admit that I have used your theory in tournaments.

I have used it on 180+ yard par 3s where I have alot better shot of hitting the green with 2 gap wedges than i do trying to hit a hybrid the full distance (especially with serious hazards).

I may try this method for a full round next time to see what happens - I wouldnt be shocked if it took 5-8 strokes off of my game. (then again my rounds are generally closer to 105 than 90)

[holeinon3]

We used to do things like that and it seemed to help. For instance, when I was just getting started -ish, I would play every hole as a par 6, that way a nine hole score on par would be 54.

[double_j]

It's really a mental aid more than anything else. Thinking this way is good in that you'll stop getting upset when you don't make an unusually challenging (to you) par. This should help you if you're prone to derailing a round with one bad hole, or if you tend to make really big numbers on holes by going for 'hero shots' that really aren't in your arsenal because you feel the need to make/save a 'good' score.

That said, thinking this way isn't going to be the best tool if the intent is to improve your game. Perhaps a better method would be to say something like "my goal for today is to shoot no worse than X over per side" and to progressively reduce that number as you find yourself achieving that goal a good percentage of the time.

And also, it should be noted that if your average round is in the low 90's, then you're probably wasting the most shots with penalty stokes off the tee, blown chips, etc. rather than losing stokes when faced with shots that you simply can't pull off (e.g., a 240 yard par 3). If this is the case, then setting a goal that's higher than par is almost like telling yourself that losing those shots is OK.

[Hoovedawg]

Personally I dont like that idea one bit. I do the opposite and shoot for birdie on every hole. Now ovbiously thats not gonna happen but I feel like i can waste a stroke or two and still make par or bogey.

For example if im 200 out on the second shot on a par 4 im taking aim at the pin (unless theres a clear reason not to). If i pull it a little or slice it im still chipping from near the green. Now if im playing for bogey i can hit two wedges and be on the green with two putts to make my bogey. This seems like it could be an ok idea, but the thing is, like someone already said, what if i mess up the nice easy wedge shots. At my handicap nothing is a guarentee so what happens if i shank a wedge or chunk one. Then im deep in the hole cause now im shooting for double.

Overall do what works for you but to me it sounds like a bad idea.

[shades9323]

Forget pars and bogies and birdies and others. Just try to get the ball in the hole in the fewest amount of strokes and then write down that number.

[1par2win]

I don't know. A lot of replies here have not been supportive of the idea but I disagree. I can see their point but trying something new as it relates to course management is generally a good idea. I look at it this way, if your allowing par to be 1 shot over the stated number you can think a little differently about what club to hit off the tee, different options for approach shots, and even shot selections for the short game. For example, if faced with a 400 yard par 4 which is being played as a par 5 you have a whole host of options on the tee depending on what features that hole has. Then with the second shot you can plan on where you want to hit your approach and to what yardage, and finally for your 3rd you can determine where you need to land to keep below the hole and give yourself a easier putt. By playing with this stratagy I can promise that that particular round will be memorable if only because you used your brain to map out the course as opposed to trying to carve it up.

To me taking this approach to the game can do a lot of good. It can revive a stale part of your game and renew your course management skills that can come in handy when faced with a match later on. I say give it a try and good luck. You may be surprised how many pars you do make!

[jamo]

I think it's a great idea, but I would still play the par 5's as par 5's.

[Chief Broom]

This is called playing bogey golf and is a great idea for anyone who is learning the game. When you play bogey golf your perspective is different. Instead of going for the green in regulation you're laying up. What you'll find is that as you improve your lay ups will be closer to the hole (laying up to the right, left, or short whatever puts you closest to the pin) and your chipping will leave you closer and you'll start picking up pars. Do this long enough and your ball striking will improve to the point of where you lay ups will start hitting the green. And don't think that as you improve that you'll abandon this strategy, in fact you'll find where playing bogey golf is often times the best play on a given hole and as your playing partners continue to go for every green you'll be playing it safe and smart and just might end up shooting the low round. I still consider myself a bogey golfer.

[hoser]

I think your idea is great. You're thinking about how to manage the strokes you are given with your handicap which can only lead to lower scores. Its exactly that type of approach that would make you a very dangerous match play opponent or net handicap tournament player. So keep it up.

I play in a net doubles format at my club and my partner this year is an 18 handicap. He can often shoot in the mid 80s, so he's a great partner for that type of event. The one thing I noticed about his game is that when he gets in to trouble he doesn't have a good strategy for minimizing the damage.

For myself, I know that from 80 - 110 yards I can get on the green in 1 shot a very high percentage of the time. I spend a portion of every practice session on the range making sure I can nail that shot. If I get into a lot of trouble off the tee, I work my self back into that zone some how (lay up, punch, chip out, what ever gets the job done). My goal is to get on the green and make a solid putt and shot at par but most likely a bogey and no worse.

So, my suggestion to you, is to think about how you want to use that extra stroke. If you get into trouble, shooting for the green might not be your best strategy for minimizing damage. Where is your bail out on those holes? Maybe your comfort zone is a 40 yard pitch or the 80 - 110 yard range. Having a comfort zone somewhere inside 120 yards will really help you get back into position for a chance at getting up and down.

Also, I agree with jamo. Par 5s basically give you an extra stroke to play with anyway, so try to get on in regulation there.

Let us know how your round goes!

[Hoovedawg]

I still dont buy it. With this mentality if you play mistake free, you are still shooting 90. I feel like it doesnt really leave room for anything better than average. Go big or Go Home. Plus, hitting spectacular shots is fun, even if you only do what your trying 1 out of 10 tries. The other day I shot a 42 with 3 birdies on 9. Scoring wise it was nothing special but i was very happy with it because of the three birdies.

[sean_miller]

I sort of agree with this in principle, but if you gotta lay up on every hole, you're playing from the wrong tees. Granted there may be some longer holes you can't reach from any set of tees, but for the most part, the green should be theoretically reachable in regulation on most holes. Why not play a shot off the tee that gives you a good chance to reach the green in regulation (even if it's with a long iron or hybrid)? If your tee shot was less than stellar you can still choose to lay up.

[Shindig]

For holes on which you routinely score above bogey, playing them for bogey isn't a bad idea.

But the ones with your expected score under bogey, this is a mistake.

I believe the best strategy for a bogey golfer is to give yourself a reasonable shot at par on each hole. In my case, this means I want to have either hit the GIR or chipped on.

[Meddle]

It seems like this strategy would take par pretty much out of the picture, unless you are a great chipper. As an 18 handicap, I'm sure you can get the ball around the green in 2 usually and hit 4 or 5 GIR's a round, so why not at least give yourself a chance at a 2 putt par? Obviously, this applies only if you have a good drive off the tee. I personally judge my rounds against bogey, but I try to get all the GIR's I can.

[KenStone]

This is actually what I basically do. My SkyCaddie has a feature called "MyPar" where you put in your handicap or your target score. It will then calculate what par is on each hole for you. I keep that mode on the entire round so I know where I am in relation to my par. Only at the end of the round do I know what I actually shot.

I think it is a good method, but it is time consuming in terms of improving. So, like me, I started at around a 30 so the SkyCaddie allotted me double bogey on many holes. But now, after improving my handicap, it only allows a couple double bogeys. And soon, it will start allowing only Par on some holes. What I mean by time consuming is that if your goal is to get low quickly, this won't help you. But I think it does help you get low slowly.

Does this mean I don't try to hit GIR? No, I absolutely try to hit GIR, but if I don't, it's not a slipperly slope into a terrible game. As has been said, it's all mental and for me, knowing I have the GIR+1 buffer allows me to play at my level and try to improve myself.

[WUTiger]

This is called playing bogey golf and is a great idea for anyone who is learning the game. When you play bogey golf your perspective is different. Instead of going for the green in regulation you're laying up. ...

Also,

KenStone talked about the MyPar feature in his SkyCaddie. One of the golf mags and my current lesson pro call it Personal Par . Let's say you're an 18 HDCP... * and you're facing a 435-yd. uphill par 4. Your personal par would probably be 5: Drive in fairway, approach short of green, and chip up for two putts. If you one-putt, it's gravy! * and you're facing a 320-yd. par 4 with a creek at 250 yds. out. Take a 5-wood off the tee, and then hit a 9-iron into the green. Your personal par here would be 4, since it's an easy hole if you play it safe. It's a shift away from bogey golf, but you plan ahead of time not to try magic tricks to par the No. 1 HDCP hole.