Golf course management is one of the least talked about methods that can improve your golf game. The best part is you don't need to change your swing or take any lessons. That is also why most golf instructors don't talk about it. Unlike lessons that golfers usually need more than one of, a golf course management lesson only needs to be taught once. Most instructors do not even offer course management as a learning opportunity because they most likely will make very little money off of it.
This is a topic I wrote a book on. It is called Manage Your Golf Game: A Key To Better Golf Now, and it is available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle version. To be honest with everyone it did not go well when it was first published. Some errors and typos were missed during the initial proofreading before the book was published and available for sale. That has since been fixed but there is still a review or two left on Amazon that mention that. There are some good reviews and I have even gotten some good feedback from golfers in Australia and England. I only mention my book because it will cover more than I will here in this blog post.
First, what is golf course management?
Golf course management is a way of navigating your way around a golf course and playing to your strengths. It is also a way to play smarter and know when to take a risk and when not to. It's about shot selection, knowing your misses, and weighing the risk-reward options. Just because you can hit a certain shot does that mean it is the best option to make the lowest score possible?
When you are using golf course management properly it can be a huge advantage to your golf game. Sometimes that means putting the ego aside and hitting less club off the tee or using a 5-iron for a chip shot. When you learn the keys needed to manage your golf game you can limit the number of penalties and take some risk out of tough situations. To do all this there are 3 keys you need and those are:
Know Your Game - This means knowing where your strengths and weaknesses are. Knowing your club carry distances and your limitations also helps. If you know you can hit your pitching wedge 130 yards carry and are confident with it, that is a strength. However, if you struggle with a sand wedge and do not know how far your carry distance is for a half shot that is a weakness. Many times it is better to hit a club to that strength. Whether it is using a 3-iron off the tee or laying up on a par 4 to your favorite yardage it can save you from hitting a shot that is considered a weakness that could potentially lead to extra shots.
Know Your Strengths - As discussed a bit in the previous paragraph you should know what your strengths are. Maybe you are really good around the greens and hitting the ball closer to the green can be to your advantage. Maybe you hit 3-wood more accurately than the driver which could lead to more fairways. Maybe you are good with 140 to 160-yard shots. Knowing your strengths and playing to them will help you control the ball more which can lead to lower scores.
Pay Attention To The Golf Course - This means knowing where the penalty areas are. If it is a course you play often you should know this. If it is a course you don't know well look at the hole layout if it is availbale. It may be on the scorecard but is usually on a stone marker for the hole. If it is not on either then use Google Maps on your phone to get an overview of the hole. Whichever way you figure out the hole layout you will get a feel for any potential hazards that may be hidden from view or the direction the hole moves. For example, you may get to a tee box that looks like you have plenty of room to rip a driver only to see that 220 yards would put you through the fairway of the dogleg and out of bounds. By knowing the hole layout it can potentially save you from penalties. Also important is to pay attention to hole locations on the greens as well as distances to the front and back. You may see a back hole location and your rangefinder tells you it's 160 yards to the flag. If the back of the green is at 165 yards then you know a 165-yard club is too much and the 155 club is the better option. The opposite is true for a front-hole location. If the front of the green is 155 and the pin is 160 the 155-yard club may not be enough but the 165-yard club will get you past the hole and leave you with a putt.
Once you start to play with a strategy you can eliminate some costly mistakes. I know sometimes we can not control everything on a golf course but if you give yourself the best options to score you will find your scores may get better and more consistent. It may take some time and you may need to start tracking stats to know your strengths and weaknesses but you can eventually learn where you can gain strokes, where to play smart, or when you can take a risk.
I have seen so many golfers throughout my career, especially ones I've played pro-ams with hit the wrong shot that ends up costing them more shots than necessary. When in fact if they played with a strategy and played to their strengths they could have easily shot, 3 to maybe even 5 shots, better in those rounds. I have also seen the opposite where some golfers knew they could not hit a 30-yard chip/pitch shot with a wedge and they chose the putter from way off the green. It is a strength to those golfers and a shot they are confident they can execute better than other options.
Next time you are out playing golf try something different. It may be laying up differently on a par 5 to a specific yardage instead of just hitting the ball as far down the fairway as possible. Maybe you even layup to a yardage you like on a long par 3. Whatever it may be try and find your strengths on your next round and play at least one hole differently than you normally would. Once you find that strength then on the following round try and play to those strengths the entire round and see the difference. It may not be your score either. It may be fewer penalties or It may be more greens in regulation.
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