Course management is a skill and it’s only by gaining experience and actually getting on the golf course that you will develop your ability in this area. We all make mistakes, but you have to learn in order to avoid making the same mistakes in the future and increase your chance to score well.

You must bear in mind your own limitations and play to your strengths.

Positional Play

It may sound logical but always look for the easiest way to the hole. When you are standing on the green, look at the position of the flag. If the flag is on the right edge of the green then coming in from the left side of the fairway will leave the easier shot.

It may be that the hole is near a hazard or a bunker, in which case a shot to the middle of the green will be the sensible play. The flag may be at the top of a slope, if this is the case it is better to play below the pin as this will give you an easier putt.

Before you start to play a hole, imagine where you would like to position your shots to have the easiest journey to the flag. Hitting from the fairway is much easier than hitting from the rough or a bunker.

Hazards

Some holes will present you with hazards that you cannot get over. The sensible play would be to lay up short. Many times, when ‘laying up’ a common error is made and too much club is used with the result of ending up in the hazard. If you decide to ‘lay up’ then it is best policy to choose a club which will not allow your ball to reach the hazard.

Dog Legs

We all think we can hit further than we actually can and therefore the temptation to cut off ‘as much as possible’ is a real one. In most cases it is better to be wider off the tee than too narrow as this will keep you out of trouble and give a better view.

Recovery Shots

No matter how carefully you play you will often find yourself in positions which require an ‘escape’ shot of some sort. Always take the safe option - it may be the chip out sideways - but it wont land you in more trouble, and if you play the shot correctly it will get you out of trouble. Don’t be tempted to ‘have a go’ unless you are feeling very confident or it doesn’t matter!

The same applies to bunkers, take enough loft to get you out of the bunker. This is the object of the exercise - not to try for the longest shot and in doing so hit the top of the bunker and land back in it!

Course management is the ability to accurately assess what your current ability is and then making the most of it. This is what keeps us all guessing and coming back for more each week…………..

Share This