| Golf course management for your golf game? What | | | | - Wind direction and velocity. |
| the heck is that, you are asking? Well, it could be the | | | | - Any other factors on the golf course that will have |
| difference between cutting strokes off your golf | | | | an effect on your swing or golf ball flight. |
| round or continuing to shoot the score you always | | | | As you can see, this will require more than a little |
| shoot. It could be the difference between | | | | work on your part and you will also need to keep |
| consistency and playing army golf - left, right, left, | | | | your focus during your golf round. It would be best |
| right. | | | | to have a little notebook that will fit in your back |
| Golf course management is playing a golf course and | | | | pocket to keep notes about your golf game. |
| managing that play so that you have the best | | | | You have warmed up on the practice range and |
| opportunity to score well. Golf course management | | | | putting green. You have assessed the conditions for |
| provides a consistent way to attack a golf course | | | | the day and the golf course. You are finally ready to |
| given your golf playing strengths and weaknesses. | | | | attack the golf course with your new found course |
| Most amateur golfers want to pull out the driver on | | | | management style. |
| every hole and hit it as hard as they can. This might | | | | At the tee box on any hole, you will need to assess |
| be impressive and showy, but probably gets them | | | | the yardage to trouble. To manage that trouble, the |
| into more trouble than anything. Following a different | | | | best thing to do is take a golf club that will avoid the |
| style will help keep them out of trouble and lower | | | | trouble. This can be done in many ways. Some are to |
| their golf scores on the very first round. | | | | drive short of the trouble or past the trouble. |
| Before you can utilize golf course management to | | | | Remember that a golf driver will slice easier than any |
| your best advantage, there has to be some truthful | | | | other golf club. If there is trouble on your slice side, |
| self-assessment of your golf game. This truthful | | | | take a different club to take that trouble out of play. |
| self-assessment can be from your history on the golf | | | | If it is a dog leg left, and the dog leg corner is 180 to |
| course or taken from shots on the driving range. You | | | | 200 yards out, there is no need to take a driver and |
| will need to know how far you can hit each of your | | | | try to land it in a small area. It would be better |
| clubs. You will also need to know which shot is your | | | | course management to take a shorter wood or an |
| "money" shot. This shot determines how far out you | | | | iron that you know will go 180 to 200 yards and aim |
| are most comfortable hitting into the green with the | | | | for the corner. |
| most confidence. For most amateurs, this is around | | | | On long holes where you have a choice of taking a |
| 100 yards out and a short iron. | | | | risk of hitting a long iron, fairway wood, or some |
| This also requires that you do a little home work on | | | | hybrid club to maybe reach the green, why not lay |
| the golf course that you will be playing. Some | | | | up to a manageable distance. That distance should |
| questions you will need to be able to answer for | | | | allow you to use a golf club that you have very high |
| each hole are: | | | | confidence you can get the golf ball very close to |
| - How far to trouble on each hole. Trouble may be a | | | | the pin. This may be a pitching wedge from 100 |
| bunker, deep rough, dog leg right or left, trees, etc. | | | | yards or an 8 iron from 150 yards. You should know |
| - What the yardage markers are and where they are | | | | this from your practicing and experience from |
| located on each hole. Some courses use markers on | | | | previous rounds and on the range. |
| sprinkler heads, others use markers on the cart path, | | | | If you try to take a risky shot that will probably miss |
| and others use bushes or trees at strategic locations. | | | | the green and put you in trouble, you risk taking a |
| This is sometimes noted on the score card for the | | | | bogey or worse on the hole. If you manage the hole, |
| golf course. | | | | your worst score should be a bogey and the best is |
| - Hole locations on the green and how they are | | | | par or better! |
| designated. Some courses use different colors to | | | | If you have watched Tiger Woods in recent |
| indicate the general location of the pin and hole. For | | | | tournaments, you will have noticed that this is how |
| instance, red is the front area of the green, yellow is | | | | he manages his golf game. If it is good enough for |
| the middle area of the green, and blue is the back | | | | the best golf player in the world, don't you think it |
| area of the green. | | | | should be good enough for you? |