How would you play in a relatively short course?

[plop]

Just played the first round of this season last weekend with my wife and friends at a short 9-hole course.

I'm nowhere near scratch nor a long hitter (160 yards carry with 7I) but the course is still relatively short for me. 2400 yards from the back tee . Par 3 holes are fine (160-190 yards) but par 4 holes on average are just 280 yard...hitting driver and then half wedge to the green seems a bit like cheating to me and it will be very boring, assuming that I don't slice a ball into the wood.

So, last time I teed off with only irons and sometimes 2H. But then those clubs are more consistent than my driver/3W. I am pretty sure that we will play there many more times this season because the course is however challenging for my wife and my friends who are beginners.

How do you guys play in a relatively short course or make it more challenging?

[mirv]

your handicap is 36 and you want to make the game harder?

[Fourputt]

Dude, if you carry your 7I 160 then you ARE plenty long. My 71 carry is about 145-150.

I don't worry about making a course more challenging, I just use ti to practice parts of my game that I don't get to use in a normal round. Maybe just take 3 clubs (plus putter) to the course with you that you want to work on and figure out how to play every shot you need with those clubs. Or try shots from distances that you wouldn't normally do, like use that 7I from 130 as if you were playing a low shot from under a tree.... stuff like that. Just use your imagination.

your handicap is 36 and you want to make the game

36 is the system default. If he didn't enter anything in that field, then it will say 36.

[PiKapp23]

I'm teaching my friend's son to play so I've been playing a lot of short courses for the last month or so. Mostly I use my 2H or 4H for the par 4 holes, but sometimes even use a 6 or 7 iron so as to leave me between 75-105 yards.

[Dub]

One of my favorite short courses is in Pine Knowl Shores, NC. It's Bogue Banks Country Club. It's a gem of a course that is located on the Emerald Isle of NC. A few of the holes play right along the ICWaterway.

The course will humble you if you try to tackle it like a traditional layout. Use driver and 3 wood sparingly. You are playing for placement every shot.

I really enjoyed playing here with my father and grandfather.

Sadly....the course seems to be in financial trouble due to gross mismanagement. No worries, though...someone well heeled with scoop it up and turn things around.

[elementz]

I would treat this course as a fine way to work on your short game. Given that you are a high handicapper, working on your short game is always the best way to shave strokes.

Around here, there are two 9 hole courses (not sure of the yardage but it has some par 5's) and there is also an 18 hole - par 3 course which is great for the short game. I usually bring 3 clubs with me for this one.

PS. I really suck at golf but you can take my post for what it's worth.

[ks8829]

Par 3 course are great way to drop your handicap. You can work on greens on regulations, up and downs and putts per round. Keep track and work on improving all aspects of your short game.

Your goal should be to shoot a lower score each time your play the 9 hole course until you are shooting under par.

[Pinseeker81]

I have a short 9 hole at a local college. It's 2600 or 2800 depending on the tees. It feels weird teeing off on par 4s with an 8 iron, but they make up for it with water and sand. Mostly water.

Good thing about it is you can pay $12 once, and play it all day if you want, walking only.

[Seven Iron]

Well I usually find that playing the short courses is a challenge when you only play with all irons, and this is obviously great when honing in on your short game. So IMHO I would do all short irons for the practice.

[Three Putt]

Just play irons/hybrids...don't tee up the ball. Give yourself crappy lies on the tee box (divots, etc..).

Great for your game.

[flopdarock]

i love "executive" courses... im not long of the tee so executive courses are pretty fun for me... great for short game practice and "target" golf... i take my girl with me and she actually enjoys playing short courses... irons and wedges all the way through... maybe an occasional 4w just to mix it up a bit

[87vert]

Par 3 course are great way to drop your handicap. You can work on greens on regulations, up and downs and putts per round. Keep track and work on improving all aspects of your short game.

I love playing on the local par 3 course. Its 18 holes with the longest hole being about 130. I usually just grab my 9i, PW, SW and putter and go play.

[bruce]

Just bring a 7 iron,wedge and a putter with you.

[plop]

The good thing about the course I mentioned is that it's beautiful especially during fall foliage. The bad thing is that they don't provide a slope or course rating...but even if they do, I don't think we can rescale the score to reflect the actual score.

We plan to play another short course this weekend. Maybe I should bring only even number irons, PW,SW and putter. As many of you guys suggested, it is a good opportunity to work on GIR, short game and putting. I had better get my short game in shape before playing standard 18 holes.

Dude, if you carry your 7I 160 then you ARE plenty long. My 71 carry is about 145-150.

At the local driving range, I saw many young golfers in the university team hit 7I high fade 170++ and many of them easily out drive me 50 yards. I always enjoy watching these guys practice.

[lumpuckeroo]

We have a golf league at work, quite a variety of golfers, so we play at a course that is short (5600 yards) and easy to walk. I take a sunday bag, with 3 wood and 7I-GW and putter. Additional there are no sand bunkers on the course and my SW is set up for the sand not the turf so I leave it in the car.

I use this to really work on course management, play to distances that I will have a full club, things like that.

[shankopotamus]

I have a short 9 hole at a local college. It's 2600 or 2800 depending on the tees. It feels weird teeing off on par 4s with an 8 iron, but they make up for it with water and sand. Mostly water.

Are you talking about San Jac.??

[DavidFehertysBike]

Like a BEAST!

[bogeyhitter25]

The courses that I really like to play are Quail Hollow (MA) and Bedrock (MA).

They are both short but Quail Hollow has some really tricky approach shots (lots of elevated greens) and the greens are slick and undulating. Bedrock's fairways are very narrow and the slightest push can leave a struggle for bogey.

Quail Hollows has four par 3s ranging from 105-174 yards
They have twelve par 4s ranging from 230-400 yards
And two par 5s. One is at 490, and the other is at 500.
Altogether a total of 5439 from the middle, and 5719 from the back.