Course Management

Managing yourself on the golf course is normally one of the last things people think about but is one of the most important thing to achieving a good score. Hitting a 175-yard drive down the fairway may well be a good shot but to walk down and find it in a bunker or ditch only adds shots to your score. A safe 140 yard 5 iron would leave you short of the trouble with a comfortable shot into the green.

Information can be found by simply looking at the hole in front of you, on the back of the scorecard or on a course planner. These give you a feel for the hole and the relevant yardage’s to or over bunkers, ponds etc. This can enable you to plot your way around the course minimising trouble and approaching golf in a positive way.

Golf can be game of chance, when your ball lies behind a tree with a gap 5 feet wide, temptation is to thread the ball through the gap but in reality this is a 50/1 shot with the worst scenario playing the shot from the same spot again. So a chip out to the fairway is always a safer option.

Relate the odds on playing certain recovery shots to identify the shot of your choice. Personalities will determine the golfers natural choice but always consider the other options.

For the less experienced golfer here are a few golden rules:

Putting instead of chipping will bring down the scores because a bad putt will be better than a bad chip.

Try and put your first putt into a dustbin lid around the hole allowing an easier second putt.

Don’t hit a wood from the rough a simple 7-iron back on the fairway will weald better results.

Drive for show putt for dough!

A consistent swing will be more successful than an aggressive swing!

Keep the ball in play!
Better to be hitting off the fairway next shot than twenty yards farther but in the hazard.

If you know in your heart of hearts that you need to hit a club almost perfectly for the shot to work, then DON'T USE THAT CLUB. Get it to the green with a longer iron.

Be conservative. Going for the middle of the green instead of at the pin is going to give you a lot more putting chances.

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