Playing at first tournament...advice?

[Kieran123]

I am playing in a tournament Friday 3rd Sep - Mon 6th Sep...it's not an over - serious tournament...but I still want to play well and compete

I have never played in a tournament before and was wondering what advice you guys have for me?

i.e anything specific I should practice?

This is the course:

http://www.golfbarrhead.com/postcard....aspx?cat_id=1

Scorecard:

http://clubsg.skygolf.com/courses/sc...d.php?id=19606

Playing from blue.

[JWL1957]

Just go out and enjoy the experience. Dont overanylize..... and play like its a normal round with friends.

[sean_miller]

I am playing in a tournament Friday 3rd Sep - Mon 6th Sep

Work on keep the ball in play and 200-240 yard approach shots - you should be able to eat up those par 5s - if the mosquitos don't eat you up first. Pack lots of Deep Woods!!

[out_in_30]

well you will probably be very nervous on the first tee and perhaps for the first few holes. the best thing to do is just try and slow down. gary player used to do everything slower before a tournament. there is a tendency to become quick and jittery. Its all about using your nerves and increased adrenaline to your advantage. embrace it. try and have a very slow tempo and just relax. Bring a nice big bottle of water with you (taking sips of it not only keeps me hydrated but calms me down for some reason) and make sure to take some deep breaths.. dont let your self get too tensed up. you can be nervous, but if you get too tense then your swing will suffer. Like jwl said, enjoy it. tournament golf is fun but it is also an entirely different animal than normal golf.

[Fat Slice]

Relax and play it shot by shot. Be your own cheerleader (inside your head). Have fun!

[Tugglife2]

My advice:

Win.

[TN94z]

Like stated above, RELAX! keep good tempo and don't think swing thoughts. Just trust what you got. Play your normal game and you will be fine. Good luck and post results!

[ks8829]

Pre shot routine. When I played in my first tournament I was nervous as heck, and this is when I was playing golf everyday during the summer and in between jobs, so expect to be nervous and learn to control the nerves especially on the first tee. What I got out of my first tournament experience was pre shot routine and pre putt routine.

Relax, have fun and once you get pass the first tee box you will be fine.

[tsdnorton]

Make sure to mark your balls on the greens.. and if you're marking it out of someones line make sure to use your putter to mark it out. Don't let anyone give you any putts, even if they offer... it's illegal.

Have fun and don't let it get to you!

[redsox98]

Play your own round. Don't worry about what they are doing have fun. It is a completely different beast than just playing a round with your buds. At least that was the way it was for me a few weeks ago.

[stricklerlee]

Keep track of your playing partner(s). I had this done to me a while ago and I wished I should have tracked their score on my scorecard. Even one stroke sets you back a long way!!!

[TN94z]

Keep track of your playing partner(s). I had this done to me a while ago and I wished I should have tracked their score on my scorecard. Even one stroke sets you back a long way!!!

I actually wouldn't worry about this in your first tournament. To me, that would make me focus on the score and get anxious or down if I lost a stroke or two. It might make you play out of your norm trying to get those strokes back.

[chriskzoo]

Approach it like any other round. If you normally get to the course shortly before tee off, don't get there 2 hours early to hit balls and putt. I used to always arrive at tournaments over an hour early, hit a bucket of balls, 30 minutes on the putting green, and never played particularly well. The last tournament I kept a more normal routine. I got there maybe 45 minutes early, hit 15-20 balls on the range just to loosen up, spent 10-15 minutes on the putting green casually chatting with my buddy, and went out and shot my best tournament round ever - 76.

Always put a good thought in your head going to the tee. My routine is to sink 3 5-footers in a row before every round.

[Fourputt]

I am playing in a tournament Friday 3rd Sep - Mon 6th Sep...it's not an over - serious tournament...but I still want to play well and compete

Just go out and play golf. Try to avoid taking unnecessary risks and just have fun. Since it's a tournament, the rules come into play. If you aren't sure of basic procedures (relief from hazards, obstructions, abnormal ground, lost ball, ball unplayable, out of bounds, and correct dropping and placing), I'd study them, as these are the most common situations you run into. Mark your ball with an identification mark. You don't want to get stuck with a lost ball penalty because you can't identify your ball.

Etiquette and pace of play are also important, but then they should always be important, tournament or not. Despite the usual opinions, you can do all of that and still have fun, so go out and enjoy yourself.

[Kieran123]

Thanks guys for the feedback/info

I am pretty excited to play in a tournament... practice round Friday with some people I know...and they have played the course before so hopefully I can get a feel for it and know where to hit the ball, there's a few holes where driver is a no no.....it's gonna be fun!

I spent 2 hours chipping last night, probably irons tonight and some putting....

I'll be happy if I can shoot in the 80's for all 4 days

[cody west]

practice putting. if you can putt you can score even if everything else is below average putting usually saves you. those 4 footers wont be "good" so just step up and take a good stroke of them. the best piece of advice i have ever gotten was playing with a +1 who plays for harvard said "dont think about the next shot or putt because you have to assume the best and expect to make them because if you dont your going to get the jitters and miss everything". i will never forget that because it has changed the way i play for the better. but jsut play the game you know and play boring (fairways and greens) dont try to be a hero

[walk18]

Always follow your ball. It sucks losing one and having to replay your last shot plus a penalty. Trust me.

[oneoverwrx]

be super patient. Tournament play is super slow compared to my usual pace. It was my biggest adjustment.