What is your strategy: Lay up or go for it?

[Fourputt]

There are times when I have hit a short drive and I have to make a decision between going for it but run the risk of getting into a hazard (i.e. water) or laying up and make a difficult run just to make par or bogey.

It's all situational. One time I'd go for it, the next I may lay up. Might depend on the how the round is going. If it's a match and I'm down, probably go for it if my opponent is in a decent position. If he's in as bad a shape as I am off the tee, or if I'm up in the match, I probably lay up.

In a stroke play situation, the relatively easy bogey makes more sense than the attempt at par with a double or triple lurking close by. If I have to play my absolute best imaginable shot or be dead, then I probably lay up regardless of other considerations. That isn't usually the time when I'm likely to play my best shot of the day.

[Fourputt]

I used to always go for it -- you know, 210 yards to a green surrounded on 3 sides by sand with a ravine in the back, and 20 yards uphill, and I'd think "Yeah, I can get it in there, no problem." -- and inevitably I'd be over or in the sand 9 out of 10 times, but that 10% of the time I dropped it in perfect kept me doing it over and over.

Consider the fact that when you do start breaking 80, it's probably because you are using good course management? And by changing that strategy, you will go back to your old game? Think about it. I shot 78 on Friday, and on 3 holes I had bad drives where I had to make those decisions... on 2 holes I still made par after the layup or pitch out. Had I managed to pull off the improbable shot, I likely would have still only made par, but would have guaranteed bogey or worse if I didn't pull it off. I owe that 78 to good management, not to particularly good ball striking that day.

Go big or go home. Balls to the walls baby

Great advice from an 18 handicapper..... "nuff said.