Mental Block on Course

[Davie81]

My club has 2 courses and the toughest one has given me a mental block with it. Every time I play it I shoot way over my handicap (12). It's at the point where I actually dread driving to the course. The medals on this one at the weekend and I've never had a good round on it. What's the best way to overcome this and play well on it? 

[saevel25]

18 minutes ago, Davie81 said:

My club has 2 courses and the toughest one has given me a mental block with it. Every time I play it I shoot way over my handicap (12). It's at the point where I actually dread driving to the course. The medals on this one at the weekend and I've never had a good round on it. What's the best way to overcome this and play well on it?  

What is your course handicap between the two? What is way over?

Were are you actually losing strokes at?

[Davie81]

It's actually one stroke less than the other course but it's a lot longer. Some of the back tees add 100 yards onto the hole. It's my general course management. The holes are a lot tighter, more water and double tier greens. 

Meant to say way over handicap is 12 shots gone by the first 9 holes. 

[gbogey]

Two thoughts come to mind:

1. Try to focus course management with the goal of avoiding DB or worse.  Where it is tight or there is water, take the confident safe route every time, especially if you hit a bad shot.  I do this when I'm in a slump and am playing a tougher course.  When you avoid DB and make a few pars (or even birdies), I'm always amazed at how the scorecard seems to add up so much better.
2. May not be applicable, but lately when I have holes where I have a mental block I'm hitting FW off the tee.  May mean a long shot in, but I have enough confidence in my mid irons / hybrids that I should have a chance at an up and down even if I miss the green.  What it really allows me to do is to avoid DB.

IMO DB's can maim a round but DB+'s can kill.

[Patch]

My guess is that if the courses are not similar, they each need to be played differently. The OP's block might be from trying to play both the courses the same way. 

I have two courses I play a lot. One has a lot of trees, and wind through a housing developement. I have to play this course conservatively to stay in, or close to the fairway, away from the trees, and people's back yards.

The other is a wide open affair. Shots 20 yards off the fairway still have clear lines to the greens. This one I swing all out, with not much thought where the ball might land. 

 

[ncates00]

4 hours ago, Davie81 said:

My club has 2 courses and the toughest one has given me a mental block with it. Every time I play it I shoot way over my handicap (12). It's at the point where I actually dread driving to the course. The medals on this one at the weekend and I've never had a good round on it. What's the best way to overcome this and play well on it? 

It's not a mental block; you're not executing.

[Buckeyebowman]

I think some guys just talk themselves into not playing well on courses they don't like. I have a friend who will hack the crap out of a certain course that's not much different from other courses we play. He shows up an starts in immediately. "I don't even know why I'm here. I hate this place! I never play well here!" He hasn't taken a warm up swing yet, and already has a result in mind. He skulljobs himself!

Consider what a "needler' says on the tee. "Look out for that pond on the left. Oh, stay away from that OB on the right!" He predicts a negative outcome hoping you'll produce one. I'm aware of the trouble when I play, but my thinking is not to hit AWAY from a bad target. My thinking is to pick a good target to hit TO. 

[criley4way]

Have you tried playing a 1 man scramble? Sometimes all it takes is proof that you can do it and we all play better with 2 shots.

Played the course a totally new way (taking irons off the tee) that you don't do normally?

What gets you on the "harder" course? 

[David in FL]

My guess is that because you prefer the other course, you play that course much more often.  I’d recommend that you start playing this course a lot more often.  Ultimately, you’ll get more comfortable and will play better there.