Best Course Management Hacks

GraniteRoost

Flying Rocks
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I have found that wisdom in how to approach the golf course comes in layers as you develop. As the old saying goes, "you don't know what you don't know". Improving my course strategy has made playing less stressful as well as improving scores.

So my topic - what are your favorite hard-earned course management strategies?
 
Always look to see what the 2nd shot would look like, and possibly modify your first shot because of it.
 
Eliminate hero shot that generally don't work out. Punch out, take your lump and walk away with a bogey.
 
Plan the hole from the pin backwards. Decide on your layup distance/what side you want to approach it from, etc. and then play for drive accordingly. Easier said than done, though.
 
If you are going to play shot shape (Hook or Slice), never aim over a hazard in case the ball goes straight.
 
Lots of great responses so far! I think I am going to make myself a summary sheet of these, print it out, and put it in the scorecard holder for good measure.
 
shape the ball away from trouble

they’re called sucker pins for a reason

‘tis better to lay up with an iron that f- up a fw


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
When you are going to lay up, lay up! How many times have you seen or hit a shot pured right into what you were trying to avoid?
 
McLovin;n8884017 said:
shape the ball away from trouble

they’re called sucker pins for a reason

‘tis better to lay up with an iron that f- up a fw


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Three good ones right there.
 
Follow through and don't quit on a pitch/chip, You are better off being long and on the green then chunking it into a bunker.
 
Bump for more winning course strategies - what have you got :clapp:
 
Here is a piece of course management advice I got. Bag the long club on holes where your worse miss with that club will result in penalty. Only hit driver when you need driver. If you have a par 4 where you do not really need to hit driver, then don't.

So, based on this advice, here is my new driver course management strategy. Holes where there is an obvious pull-left OB, driver will be bagged. On short par 4s, I am going to try hitting 3 or 5 wood off the tee. I will hit driver on holes where a pull left will not result in a penalty.

Here is another piece of advice given to me by my father-in-law. On all putts that break from right to left for a right handed golfer, putt off center toe heavy and put it straight for the back of the cup. Normally hitting off the toe will take the break out of the putt. It has worked for me for years.
 
JDax;n8883802 said:
If you are going to play shot shape (Hook or Slice), never aim over a hazard in case the ball goes straight.

I like this one. Someone on here the other day said (wrote) it a little differently. It was more like, never aim where a straight shot will get you in trouble.

Some others to add are:

Measure multiple distances when hitting a shot you are unsure of. If it's a layup, don't just pick the club that's closest to the number for the perfect shot. Pick the one that is least likely to get into trouble if you are a little left/right/short/long. This is especially true on dog legs where you will run out of fairway, but have to clear a corner to have a second shot.

If at all possible, know where to miss. I took my son for a practice round prior to a tournament and we encountered a hole where the entire right side of the fairway was wide open and the left had a hazard (tree line). He could nearly drive the green on that hole, but found that doing so right places you about 10 feet below the green surface and in thicker rough. It's very difficult to hit a pitch out of rough up onto a green you can't see. He ended up down there anyway during the tournament because of a strong left to right wind he didn't account for and pitched it way past the pin to the back of the green. He was able to save par though after getting his lag putt close enough.

That reminds me of another - learn how your shots are affected by the wind so you can make better decisions during a windy round.
 
Here are the course management mistakes I most often see made by high handicap players:

1) driver off too many par 4 and par 5 tee boxes (instead of whichever club they have that will produce straight shots)
2) from rough, sloped, or other less than ideal lie playing fairway wood or other long club, instead of a short iron
3) choosing too little club for most every approach shot, ending up shot of the green all day long
4) having and swinging a lob wedge
 
basically what many have said here.

if you want to actually manage the course correctly, you need to 1) know you're weaknesses/strengths. If you're not a great tee ball hitter, then maybe scale it back a bit on the holes where a bad drive will absolutely hurt you. 2) when you do get into trouble, take the shot that you feel you can achieve 85% of the time or more and 3) keep it simple when chipping/putting.
 
Lesson/hack I am still trying to teach myself: Start reading the green when walking/riding up to it. I forget this over and over, but it is the best way I can get an overview of the green and slopes. The macro view is what gives the micro reading substance. I also do best if I can view from a lower point. Looking down I don't see the terrain as well. I just have to remember to do this.

I'm a thinker, a trait I will list in the weaknesses category. Anything I can do to hack myself to put my mind in the moment of play and shot, the better the outcome. For swing I like having one simple swing thought. Deep breathe, exhale, focus on the swing thought, hit. This works well for me. I should really try to figure out something like this for chipping and putting. Maybe I'll try something like, "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die." At least I will be chuckling as my putt rolls as far away from the hole as possible. :angry:
 
Par 5 does not mean driver off the tee. We have a hole on my local course that I can't hit more than 5i without seriously bringing double or worse into the equation. Yet every single day you see people step up and hit driver into the junk. One might argue that its a crappy hole, but I am a big fan of hitting whatever puts me as far from trouble as possible.

On another Par 5 hole I play frequently a similarly skilled friend and I kept track of how many birdies each of us got where he would go driver, 3w/hybo and I always played it 3w, 9i, 9i/PW. I had more birdies and my scoring average was significantly lower despite his one eagle. This hole has OB down the right and junk everywhere and I just kept the ball in front of me.

I guess lastly, this is all personal. The best course management is to play your game and capitalize on your strengths and protect yourself from your weaknesses.
 
Stay out of the hazards. You'll score better.
 
Par 5: If you realistically cant get home in 2, take less club off the tee. Also risk/reward for going for it.

Par 4: If driver or FW will leave you with an awkward yardage in play a shot that will give you a better shot in.

Par 3: Dont play the game of who can hit the least amount of club in.

Other general concepts, understand where the miss is. Play through the entrance of the green. Miss to the correct side of the fairway that gives you the best angle in/playable lie.

Understand your tendencies with your clubs. Dont overplay your shot shape.

Your yardages are what you expect to hit not what you hope to hit.
 
For me recently, learn that golf is not my thing. Can someone point me in the direction of a quilting forum or something....

But since im stubborn and enjoy the agony so much, I should play like I’m playing alternate shot. Pretty much the only thing I did decent at the Bridgestone Championship. I didn’t want to leave my Pardner, Dan the Man, in bad shape. Generally I didn’t. I didn’t leave him sitting pretty, but never in trouble. Just whack the hybrid off the tee and move on about your day.

That style of golf isnt isn’t very fun though so I doubt I’ll adopt it, but if I truly wanted to shoot the best score possible (right now) I’d play like I was playing alternate shot.
 
McLovin;n8884017 said:
shape the ball away from trouble

they’re called sucker pins for a reason

‘tis better to lay up with an iron that f- up a fw


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

My problem is, I always f-up the iron and figure if I'd have f-d up the fairway wood, I'd be in trouble, but a little closer to the hole.
 
Downhill putts typically break more.
 
Grins;n8883798 said:
Plan the hole from the pin backwards. Decide on your layup distance/what side you want to approach it from, etc. and then play for drive accordingly. Easier said than done, though.

Layup???? What's that? :golf3:

Just kidding!! Back when I was decent, I would go for the pin frequently if I had the shot at hand in the bag. It usually worked out ok. Even if I missed the ideal result, I usually wasn't in jail. I did intentionally avoid trouble by shaping shots away from it. On one particular course I played frequently that was fairly tight, I did play to certain yardages to setup the next shot. What's really fun, is when all of this is on autopilot and all of the thinking is shot placement, which is what you suggested by backing into it from the pin.
 
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