| First of all there is no secret about how you | | | | disaster hole. If you do this just once in |
| win a handicap golf tournament. You win | | | | the tournament you could loose the |
| because you have the lowest Net score. The | | | | tournament. Do it twice and you will |
| Net score is your Real score minus your | | | | definitely loose the tournament. |
| Handicap Index. The USGA handicap system | | | | |
| allows players with different skill levels to | | | | In my opinion, this strategy may be the |
| be able to compete with each other. It is the | | | | difference between winning or loosing the |
| fairest way get two players to a level | | | | tournament. When you play conservative golf |
| playing field. The system is not perfect. | | | | you are more likely to score at or below the |
| Mainly because your handicap is a | | | | average of your last 10 best golf scores. |
| mathematical formula that takes and averages | | | | Just remember that your competitors scores |
| your last 10 best scores. If you as a player | | | | are likely to be higher than normal because |
| can turn in one of your better than average | | | | of tournament pressure. |
| rounds of golf you stand a better than | | | | |
| average chance to win the tournament. | | | | This is a very simple strategy and ironically |
| | | | most players never use this approach during |
| This is my winning strategy. Try to play a | | | | tournament play. Everyone thinks they have to |
| round of golf equal to or better than your | | | | play their career best round in order to win. |
| average score for your last 10 best rounds. | | | | |
| You should know what this score is before | | | | Most of the time this just isn't the case. |
| playing in the tournament. If you can post | | | | Although, if someone does shoot a career best |
| this score or better you have a good chance | | | | round you haven't a chance to win that |
| of winning the tournament. I know that I may | | | | tournament. |
| have over-simplified this winning strategy. | | | | |
| But, If you just follow my suggestions you | | | | I based this strategy on the experience of |
| may just find yourself in the winners circle | | | | playing quite a few years as a member of the |
| at the completion of your golf tournament. | | | | Northern Illinois Mens Amateur Golf |
| | | | Association. NIMAGA hosted handicap golf |
| It is a fact that the average scores for golf | | | | tournaments monthly during the golf season. A |
| tournaments are usually higher than a normal | | | | high percentage of the over 500 regular |
| round of golf. This is a good indication that | | | | members never in their life time win a |
| most players put more pressure on themselves | | | | tournament. I was fortunate to have won 4 |
| during tournaments. | | | | times, tied and lost in a playoff 4 times, |
| | | | and finished in second place numerous times. |
| The better player understands this phenomenon | | | | Although not foolproof, I can attest first |
| and adopts the following philosophy - Take | | | | hand that without adopting my tournament |
| What the Golf Course will Give You on any | | | | strategy I wouldn't have won a single |
| Hole. This means that if you make a mistake | | | | tournament. |
| on a hole don't turn that mistake into a | | | | |
| disaster. Accept a bogey or even a double | | | | Here is my challenge to you. Eliminate |
| bogey as the best that you can do on that | | | | triple-bogeys or worse from your tournament |
| hole. Don't try to make an impossible shot in | | | | and see if you can break through into the |
| an effort to save par. Most of the time this | | | | winners circle. |
| only compounds the mistake and creates a | | | | |