Course Management

Golf course management is navigating the golf course to shoot lower scores.  If you manage your round hole by hole you will play better and increase your overall satisfaction with the game.

How do you manage your round?

You need to understand which areas of your game are your strengths and which areas you may be weaker in.

Let me give you an example.

Let’s say you have a long shot to a green with a hazard in front. You know that long shots are not consistent for you.  If you do not hit the perfect shot the ball will most likely go in the hazard and cost you a stroke.

But you know that you have a very good wedge game. So if you play short of the hazard, you set yourself up for a wedge shot, which is your strength. You hit your wedge shot onto the green and at most two-putt.

You’ve saved yourself a penalty stroke since you didn’t hit the ball in the hazard.  You’ve boosted your confidence for having played the hole well and your mindset is much different as you move onto the next hole.

Course management is playing smart golf.

For example,

• On a tee shot, play away from trouble.
• An approach to the green, aim at the middle of the putting surface.
• If you hit your ball into trouble do not try an impossible shot. Get the ball back onto the fairway by pitching it out.

Course management is also about club selection.

Club selection can be one of the most challenging decisions for a golfer, whether you are just starting out or have been playing for a while. You need to choose a club to strike the ball with that will produce the best results for the shot being played.

There are no “rules” about which club to choose for any given shot. However, here are a few guidelines:

• Tee off with a driver on a par 4 or par 5 hole
• Use a putter when on the green
• Choose the club you are most comfortable hitting for the particular shot

When you begin to achieve consistency in your game, it will become easier and more obvious to you, which club to choose.  As you improve your game, you will consistently hit each of your golf clubs a particular distance.

For example, a player may hit their 9-iron with a full swing a maximum of 100 yards, so when they encounter a shot requiring the distance of 100 yards, they should choose a 9-iron.

What makes golf both fun and challenging are all of the factors you must take into account when choosing your club. You need to consider:

• Lie of the ball (this is the most important)
• Direction of the wind
• Weather conditions
• Terrain

So to recap, course management comes down to:

• Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your game
• Playing smart golf
• Proper club selection

In addition to knowing how to manage the course, there are some basic rules of golf that you should be familiar with.