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