Course management

How do you think your way round the course?

Off the tee I try to hit whatever will leave me between 110-150 in while taking trouble out of play. I will go for short par 4's though...

On approaches I try to avoid short-siding myself by controlling how much I draw the ball in and spin it.

Long/medium putts I try to let die into the hole, short putts I play to the back of the jar.

It sounds so simple... lol

I use an old baseball quote "hit it where they ain't". Change out the 'they' with 'trouble' and it works for golf. I found that golf is about maximizing the good shots and minimizing the negative effect of the bad ones. You don't have to hit perfect shots every time, you just have to try and keep them away from the trouble. Then when you do hit the monster drive or great approach, take full advantage of the situation. A perfect example is the 9th hole at my course, it is a long par 4. About 225 off the tee is a bunker on the right, and directly over the bunker and all the way down the right side is a lake. Where the bunker sits the fairway gets really narrow and the fairway borders the lake so there is no room to miss right. I used to always try and hit over the left side of the bunker to get in the fairway, but if I missed right at all, it was in the water. Then I realized one day, there is about 150 yards left of the fairway before there was any trouble. It is rough over there, but it isn't a bad angle to come in from and most importantly it is dry. So now I aim at the 10th tee and try and put a litte fade on the ball. If the ball fades, I'm probably in the fairway, if it doesn't I miss left, but I'm dry. Stay away from the trouble areas from the hole, and you will score better.

Sounds so easy,

hehe

i'm not used to go for a short par 4, i always hit short irons of the tee and than leaf me with 120 or so what still gives a good birdie chance. I will go for par 5's in 2 after a fairway drive

I agree on most shots only i prefer to get distances to green not closer than,

120 yrd. that way i can hit a solid gapwedge in.

It's just that i was so frustrated, having the feeling that i can go realy low, every round

there are one or 2 teeshots so bad that they cost me double bogeys. Till last

round where i shot a 71 ( on a par 70 ) Will go out on the course this afternoon for a match.

Hopefully i can repeat this. Only i hope for some more pars ( i had only 9 in last round 5 bogeys 2 birds and 1 eagle )

still feel that i can lower hdc to 5.

I don't think. I tend to play better without thinking too much.

I'm basically a bogey golfer, maybe a little under but my driver is my weakness, only 210-230 usually.  What I found is on long par 4's where I have more distance than club left, I'd just hit my 3 wood and usually end up in trouble.  Now, I take off whatever club I usually hit well, either wedge or 9 iron.  When I do that, I end up playing for bogey which isn't a bad score for me. . . . when I don't, I almost always end up bringing double and triple in!!!!!!

A few examples from my last round. I am on a down hill par 3, 191 to the middle of the green to a shallow green with a pond in the front. It plays about 186. I pull my 5 iron, which goes 200. There was a slight breeze out of the left, and slightly into me. So i was thinking, hey, there's this pond, i could pull my 6 iron and try to get one there, but if a gust picks up or i miss hit it, its wet. So i pull my 5 iron, i take it a normal swing. I hit it pure and it goes just over the green. Which is fine, the pin was up front, and the green goes away from me, all i have to do was get the ball just on the green and it would go down to the hole. I get up and down for par. I took all the bad out of the hole, and if i miss hit the 5 iron, i would probably be center of the green.

Thats usually how i think about my shots, knowing what i can do, what my misses are, and were the trouble is.

I think in a 10% margin right around the course if I'm thinking well, so I mentally consider what is going to happen if I miss by 10% in any direction from where I am aiming then try to estimate the consequences. For instance if I am driving 250ish to a fairway that is 30 wide, I assume my drive could land 25yards each side of where I aim:

- it has 10 yards of rough each side, aim middle.

- it has a trajedy waiting to happen right and just rough left aim up left edge.

- it has horrific trouble both sides, hit a shorter club until I am happy that my 10% margin is safe.

for the most part this keeps me safe and sane, occasionally I hit a shot worse than 10% bad and that can be painful.

I normally just try and play to my strengths and keep the ball away from trouble and near the fairway.  If I have to play short or away from trouble I will, because I have a pretty good short game and and have a good chance of making an up/down.  I'm not a big risk taker, as it usually ends bad and big numbers.

It's taken a bunch of lost balls and frustrated rounds but I have come to the same conclusion.  I was looking at my scores and noticed I'm at worst a bogey golfer on Par 3's and short Par 4's, but the long Par 4's and Par 5's were killing me.  My drives usually hit the fairway or close to it, but my 2nd shot with either a hybrid or 3 wood would usually end up in the woods, water or sand.

This week I I took my hybrids out of the bag and replaced them with my 3i and 4i.  While I don't hit the long irons as far as my hybrids I hit them more accurately.  In cases where I knew I couldn't hit the distances I needed to reach the green I just laid up so I'd have a nice 8i - PW shot into the green. Amazingly I started bogeying the long par 4's and par 5's instead of double or triple bogey because of penalties or bad locations.  I plan to spend more practice time hitting my hybrids off the deck but until I'm confident with them I'll stick with the irons.

I'm not incredibly strong for my age (15), so I can rarely go for the green in 2 on par 4s.

On par 4s, I just try to hit a straight drive as long as I can. Then usually a fairway wood to get almost up to the green. A short shot onto the green, and try to make my first putt. I'm a pretty good putter. I got 3 pars the last time I went out for 18 holes.

On par 5s, same thing off the tee. 3 wood as far as I can down the fairway. Iron onto the green, putt.

Par 3s I can usually get the ball somewhat close, if it's an easy hole location. But I believe I've only made 1 birdie on a par 3 in my life, and it was a short, downhill par 3, maybe about 60 yards.

When I hit a drive into the rough, I stay focused and just try to get back on the fairway, because I know I can hit good shots from the fairway. When I'm in a greenside bunker, I'm usually not worried--unless it's a fried egg lie. I know how to play bunker shots and get them out and onto the green.

My putting is probably the best part of my game. I take the time to read my putts from different angles, and create an imaginary line on which I want to hit the ball.

I try to stay focused on my goals the entire round. If there is someone behind me playing faster and pressuring me, I let them through, because I get nervous and feel pressured when someone is right on my butt.

Anywhere in the 90s for 18 holes is a good round for me.

I always check where the flag is when standing on the tee box (If possible to see it). If the flag is on the front of the green I always make sure to leave myself a full shot to the green. If the flag is on the left I usually try to get my drive down the right side of the fairway to get the best angle to the pin and vice-versa.

I always aim away from tight pins. A 30 foot birdie putt is easier than a awkward chip from the side of the green.

Aim for the smallest point on the biggest targets.

A few things that I have picked up over the years that helped me.

1.  Find the holes were you can hit something other than driver off the tee and still reach the hole in two.

There are three holes at my course that I can hit 2 (mid to short)  irons and be on the green and i have found i par them the majority of the time.

2.  Getting there in 3 on a par 5 still gives you 2 putts to par.

Unless I am with in 210 yards I will take a 7 or 8 iron and just knock one towards the hole.  You don't always have to hit your longest club when you are far away.

3.  GIRs are good but if you are left with a 50 or 60 ft putt you would be better off being a couple yards out and chipping.

This is hard to control but its mostly just make sure you are taking aim in the right direction.

4.  After a bad shot take more time on the next one.

My last round i hit a good shot but it got eaten by the tree in front of me. and barely went 15 yards.  Out of frustration i walked up to the ball and took a wild hack and hit it ob.  I took more time on my dropped ball and hit a beautiful shot.  If i would have taken time before i would have saved 2 strokes.

5.  Putts left short are better then putts raced by.

This might just be my personal opinion but putts left short usually lead for an almost always 2 putt for me, and putts raced by are more dangerous and eratic.

As I continue to learn this game, I'm starting to think more about course management.  That became painfully obvious last week when playing with my neighbor.  When I next play, I hereby swear that I shall not take a shot at the green or a major advance up the fairway simply because I can see a small patch of daylight through trees and bushes.  I will take my medicine and pitch into the fairway.

I try to think as little as possible and make the 'obvious' choice.

I draw the ball into draw pins or go at the center. I cut the ball into cut pins or go at the center. If there's water or out of bounds or whatever kind of trouble off the tee or an approach, I generally start the ball at the trouble and work the ball away from it. I manage wind based on how it changes the number. If a green has tiers I try to hit my ball onto the tier where the pin is. Etc.

To me, the practice tee is the time for elaborate analysis. On the course, I try to pick targets and hit them without nebulous thoughts. I hit the ball far enough so that most places I play I can afford to 'gear down' a lot, and will do so when needed.

For me, I get a number. I get a shape. I pull a club. I hit the shot. Simple. If I think about too much, I get in trouble. Practicing and playing a lot, both of which I do, enables me to play this way. When I didn't practice as much I had to think more. The only time I take longer than my normal routine over a shot is if I have to hit some exotic shot I haven't practiced or hit before.

I was used to play verry agrassive hit to every flag no matter where on the green,

i now play more with my mind, knowing that if i hit center green i still have birdie chances, but less trouble on missed greens, because if

you attack a flag on the right of the green, and you miss the green it's most often on the right, leaving you a chip with no green to work with.

and i learned not to hit the big shot of the tee, but to more keep the ball in play, so i hit more 3 wds than ever even irons ore hybrids.

specialy whenn in trouble don't try to hit the miracle shot round the trees, just go back to fairway and try to make a par but keep trouble away.

Be agrassive wenn you can be, keeping in mind that if you miss the green do it on the good side of the green.

if in matchplay i will be the wild one and fire at all the pinns.

That's were my best round at my home course came from, playing against a guy who now is playing european challenge tour. at that time he played from

hdc + 3.1.  I blew up 2 holes by making a double and a triple bogey, but i also managed to make 4 birdies and an eagle. doing that on holes he did make par or birdie in 4 times.

i lost my match after 17 holes, he at that stage was 4 under par, killing me by making birdie on 17. Still have in mind the second hole we played. I won the first with par. because he

was going for the green in 1. only a 330 yrd par 4. gladly he hit a tree and never found his ball, ( his prof ball ended up in the bunker left of the green so he still made no worse than bogey )

the second hole is a par 5 of 510 yrds. straight forward.

I realy nailed my drive 290 yrd down the fairway, i was suprised that his ball was still in the air when it pased mine. For my second shot i hit my hybrid 2, just not reaching the green,

he was on the fairway asking his caddie ( in our club it's normal that if you lost during clubchampionships matchplay, you carrie the bag of your winner in the next round)

what should i do hit a draw with a 7 iron or a fade with 6 iron! He hit the 6 iron and ended up 6 feet of the hole. i chiped it to about 1 feet and my birdie was given. still losing the hole

after him making his putt for eagle.

What i'm trying to say, if you wanna be agressive you should be a realy good player will it work for you. on a strokeplay round i would never have played the way i did that time.

in reply to trackster:

taking more time after a bad shot is not realy needed, you should stick to your preshot routine as you normaly do.

One shot at a time.  What I think about varies with the day it seems and I certainly consider how I am playing/scoring on this day.  But always keep in mind the only shot I can do anything about is this one, not the last one or the one after this one, just the one I have in front of me.