Where It Went Wrong - Course Management Edition

[Buckeyegolfnut]

Seeing a couple threads discussing bad rounds & blow-up holes, I started to think about recent rounds where a specific shot / event caused my round to go off course, and more importantly, how I did (or did not recover).

So I was curious - is there a course management mistake that most golfers make without even knowing? And if so, how you suggest they recover?

I'll start - in a recent round, I got a pretty bad bounce on an approach shot that took a spill into a ravine past the green. Yes, I probably caught it TOO well, and you know, rub of the green. But that one shot put me in a funk that lasted 3-4 holes. Why? Because, I was lacksidasical in my recovery, and proceeded to duff two chips and eventually pick up. Looking back, I should have completely moved on after that approach shot, focused on my recovery, and saved the hole for a bogey. But instead, I thought I should do better - yes, even as a 12 handicap, I assumed I would have hit the perfect approach.

So I'll turn it over to you THP - what is one course management mistake you'd say is most common in your game? And how are you addressing it?

Yes, your conclusion is correct. You just can't do that. What do they say about NFL defensive backs? They need to have short memories. Golfers need the same thing. Maybe you made one mistake, or maybe you didn't! Maybe it was just a bad bounce. Whatever. You need to focus on the present and forget about the past.

Case in point. Some years ago, my main golf buddy and I were playing a local course and I went out in 40. I was playing well, and started the back 9 par, par, par, and started entertaining thoughts about breaking 80. That's another danger, getting ahead of yourself. Don't do that either.

Anyway, things were going along swimmingly on the back 9 until I hit the par 5 17th. That's where I blew up. Got in trouble off the tee and didn't use my head getting out of it and wasted a bunch of strokes. But I am kind of proud of how I played 18. I hit my best drive of the day and parked my approach 10 feet left of the hole. I grazed the high side of the hole with my birdie putt, and sank the tap in for a 40-40=80!

If I had made that birdie putt, I would have had my 79! But I was still proud of how I played that hole.

 

[Junkyard]

How often do you find yourself having to punch out from a position and you catch it way cleaner than you ever expected and wind up putting it in the rough on the other side of the fairway?

Just me? Okay

 

[ChrisATL]

How often do you find yourself having to punch out from a position and you catch it way cleaner than you ever expected and wind up putting it in the rough on the other side of the fairway?

Just me? Okay

Nope...not just you

Did the exact same thing in my last round - the hard part is WHEN DO YOU PRACTICE THOSE SHOTS? If only...haha

 

[BigMac]

How often do you find yourself having to punch out from a position and you catch it way cleaner than you ever expected and wind up putting it in the rough on the other side of the fairway?

Just me? Okay

There might be nothing more aggravating than when I use good judgement, stay disciplined and hit the “safe” shot - and it turns out bad.

 

[Jeff Spicoli]

@Jeff Spicoli

fireball and Tylenol PM aren’t a great mix

 

[ChrisATL]

fireball and Tylenol PM aren’t a great mix

 

[PV_Premier]

It varies but usually it’s compounded errors. Eg—I was laying 2 90 yards out on a par 5 yesterday and made 8. My third shot landed 5 feet from the pin and bounced over (extreme back flag) into a hazard. I was angry about that and it spiraled from there.

 

[ChrisATL]

It varies but usually it’s compounded errors. Eg—I was laying 2 90 yards out on a par 5 yesterday and made 8. My third shot landed 5 feet from the pin and bounced over (extreme back flag) into a hazard. I was angry about that and it spiraled from there.

Golf sucks sometime doesn't it? Sorry to hear about that - hope you recovered well!

 

[PV_Premier]

Golf sucks sometime doesn't it? Sorry to hear about that - hope you recovered well!

Look I had a round earlier this fall where I made an eagle and four birdies and shot 77. I’m used to it.

 

[ChrisATL]

Look I had a round earlier this fall where I made an eagle and four birdies and shot 77. I’m used to it.

The Golf Gods giveth...and taketh....

 

[Razorback01]

Do you use any type of shot tracking tech? Could help in going back and analyzing certain situations.

I don't have anything other than the cart gps units or 18Birdies app on my phone

 

[ChrisATL]

I don't have anything other than the cart gps units or 18Birdies app on my phone

Got it - do you ever go back and look at those shots on 18Birdies? Not super familiar with the app...

 

[TrapGodEvan]

Hitting one bad shot and then start playing golf swing in my head instead of just hitting the ball.

Also more so course management wise that I have done much better with lately is hitting the shorter more accurate shot instead of bombing 3w when I have 220+ in.

 

[ChrisATL]

Hitting one bad shot and then start playing golf swing in my head instead of just hitting the ball.

Also more so course management wise that I have done much better with lately is hitting the shorter more accurate shot instead of bombing 3w when I have 220+ in.

I'm a huge proponent of playing irons / wedge rounds only - it forces you to understand positioning much better vs just pulling driver because the par is 4/5.

 

[TrapGodEvan]

I'm a huge proponent of playing irons / wedge rounds only - it forces you to understand positioning much better vs just pulling driver because the par is 4/5.

that’s smart. The issue when I go less then driver is I get in my head about needing to hit it hard and my tempo gets out of wack.

 

[ChrisATL]

that’s smart. The issue when I go less then driver is I get in my head about needing to hit it hard and my tempo gets out of wack.

Thats fair - definitely a good idea to throw in one of these rounds ever so often.

 

[AuzzieMatt]

When faced with the smart play or the hero shot, always choose the hero shot. That’s what I tend to do.

Is that why we're mid caps?

 

[JonMA1]

For example if it's 147 to a back flag, in most cases you really shouldn't take a club you could easily hit 153yds. At most courses where trouble is usually long, it's better to hit a club you max out at like 145, for example.

Far too often the advice given is to take more club on approach shots (because most of us miss short more often). Appropriate advice for some... those who are overly optimistic with their distances and often finish short with well struck shots. Possibly poor advice for those of us who have greater dispersion and know our games. It’s especially poor advice when there’s trouble long.

I don’t know about others, but there’s an obvious difference between coming up short due to poor contact and coming up short because I pulled the wrong club. If the latter is repeatedly happening, then I need to re-evaluate what I think my stock distances are.

 

[donny475]

I generally hit good recovery shots if i am in the trees, but sometimes it just does not come out like i planned. I have learned to take that medicine, punch out and try to hit the green and one putt, generally i 2 putt but i am now only bogey rather than double or worse. I might make up the stroke later in the round, may not......but i elude that high number

 

[TWright]

How often do you find yourself having to punch out from a position and you catch it way cleaner than you ever expected and wind up putting it in the rough on the other side of the fairway?

Just me? Okay

Way too often.

 

[AuzzieMatt]

How often do you find yourself having to punch out from a position and you catch it way cleaner than you ever expected and wind up putting it in the rough on the other side of the fairway?

Just me? Okay

That makes me so mad. Why can I swing easy and punch my 5 iron nearly 200 yards when I want 140 but when I swing normally it goes 175 or so.

 

[ChrisATL]

That makes me so mad. Why can I swing easy and punch my 5 iron nearly 200 yards when I want 140 but when I swing normally it goes 175 or so.

Truth. Unfortunately...haha

 

[MtlJeff]

Far too often the advice given is to take more club on approach shots (because most of us miss short more often). Appropriate advice for some... those who are overly optimistic with their distances and often finish short with well struck shots. Possibly poor advice for those of us who have greater dispersion and know our games. It’s especially poor advice when there’s trouble long.

I don’t know about others, but there’s an obvious difference between coming up short due to poor contact and coming up short because I pulled the wrong club. If the latter is repeatedly happening, then I need to re-evaluate what I think my stock distances are.

A lot of older, classic courses, the majority of trouble seems to be long and so many of them slope back to front.

I've always said i think the advice that "being pin high" is a key to great golf is very misleading. On probably 60-70% of the holes at my home course, the best places to be are a bit short to leave an uphill putt. There's only a few where i'd want to be pin high or past it

 

[darthweasel]

ignoring the shot shape I have today and playing the one I used to have.

Most of my life has been played with a horrific slice. You might call me a liar if I told you how bad. I have worked relentlessly on that for a decade now and, while I still can slice, it is rarely that egregious, my tee shot on 6 Friday notwithstanding.

But on a day I am hitting a pull-draw, yet still am aiming down the left side to give room for the slice...no excuses. It is stupid of me.

 

[ChrisATL]

ignoring the shot shape I have today and playing the one I used to have.

Most of my life has been played with a horrific slice. You might call me a liar if I told you how bad. I have worked relentlessly on that for a decade now and, while I still can slice, it is rarely that egregious, my tee shot on 6 Friday notwithstanding.

But on a day I am hitting a pull-draw, yet still am aiming down the left side to give room for the slice...no excuses. It is stupid of me.

So freaking true - although I also hate it when I set up for a draw (my shot shape) and it goes dead straight