Course Management Across Handicap Spectrum

[virtuocity]

Interested in the forum's perception of this important aspect of the game.

1. What is 'course management'?

2. What tips would you give?

3. Would your advice differ between those who score in the 70s, 80s and 90+?

 

[Deleted member 1147]

1 - Course management is about playing the course properly, don't just hit what or where you think you're supposed to hit, hit what best suits the hole to you and your game and play so as not to score too badly.
2 - Decide what risk you are willing to take on and what misfortunes you are willing to accept and play accordingly
3 - Same advice - play your game not the course's and not anyone else's, and follow advice per answers 1 & 2.

 

[bladeplayer]

Id say know your limitations & ability , if you flush a 6 iron 190 yards once that is not ur 6 iron distance .

If there is trouble
@200 yards & you cant carry it , hit what ever iron gets you 180/190
If there is trouble left play up the right or vice versa ..


& ill admit im rubbish at taking my own advice above aswell

 

[Deleted member 15344]

1 - Course management is about playing the course properly, don't just hit what or where you think you're supposed to hit, hit what best suits the hole to you and your game and play so as not to score too badly.
2 - Decide what risk you are willing to take on and what misfortunes you are willing to accept and play accordingly
3 - Same advice - play your game not the course's and not anyone else's, and follow advice per answers 1 & 2.

Summed up well :thup:

 

[Alex1975]

As Jack would say "don't do dumb stuff".

My advice (not that I should be giving it) Dont follow the dumb stuff you will inevitably do with more dumb stuff.

Imo its not handicap related directly but lower handicap players will likely have learned to do less dumb stuff.

 

[drew83]

my issue is not being able to read a distance or know for definite what distance I hit (on average).

Hopefully with the use of the game golf app, I will start to make some headway into learning this.

Not wanting to hi-jack the thread, but on a (possibly) related note how do you keep a track of what distance each club goes? A notebook? Bit of masking tape with the distance written on it? Or just in your head? Are there any rules around this?

 

[Val]

Play to your limitations, as an example if its a long par four and you've not hit a best drive and leave a long second shot to a green that you can pull of 1 in 10 times then either don't attempt it and lay up with a shot and distance you can comfortably make to give a chance of an up and down par.

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Some intelligent thoughts in this thread, I agree totally.

Would add you need the fortitude to go with your game plan no matter what and also play with what you have on a given day as well - I usually play with a fade but recently it's not been working at all so have been trying to knife and fork it round with a slight draw. Not comfortable or nearly as effective but keeps me on the course..

Wouldn't change the advice for any standard of player, it's important for everyone.

 

[garyinderry]

What is CM?

As stated In a previous post it is the one thing that people can do to improve their handicap without changing anything technically. I can only assume this drop with be on s sliding scale. The higher you handicap the more shots you could potentially lose.

CM is simply how best to make a score on any given hole. The objective is the same based on skill level, it just differs in hoe you go about it. The idea is to work out how best to make the score whilst avoiding disasters. Weighing up risk and reward. Have a plan for the hole on the tee then readjusting it after each shot if needed.

What tips? simply have a plan in place before you tee off. If you struggle with certain holes over and over then work out how to minimise this by making a safe bogey etc. If this means an iron off the tee then so be it. If you have a big slice of a swing don't try and aim straight at the flag. Aim left and left it come in. Leave trying to draw the ball for practice rounds. The objective is to score as low as possible. Learn to use the swing you have that day, not the one you would like.
Also learn where the best miss is. Where leaves a handy up and down. Don't leave yourself short sided or in danger of going into hazards.

Would advice difffer? of course, you won't tell someone trying to shoot in the 70s to be happy with a double bogey on any hole. For some people this is saving them shots going by their previous scores. Best advice would be to watch how people construct scores you want. See how they plot their way around and what holes they have trouble with. nominating holes as green for go for it, amber for see how it goes after the drive or red for danger, id take a bogey right now will also really help to simplify things.

 

[jamielaing]

Interested in the forum's perception of this important aspect of the game.

1. What is 'course management'?

2. What tips would you give?

3. Would your advice differ between those who score in the 70s, 80s and 90+?

1- Course management is plotting your way around the course to your ability. Find the best spot to play your second shot from a put it as close to that spot as possible.

2- Identify your favoured shot to approach for me 100-130 yards and try to put it there every time. When the plan goes wrong take your medicine and recover, don't try to pull off a 3 wood out of the trees!

3- I play with an 18 handicapper who should play to around 13 in my opinion. His problem is that he always tries to hit the green when it is not the shot. I am trying to get him to see that bogeys are pars for him and that by not forcing a bad position he will eliminate the 7s and 8s. Trying to convince him that bogeys are good is proving difficult but he is getting there.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

With regards to not going for shots that you might not pull off I disagree to some extent. If you are more than likely to end up in danger from going for it and missing, then don't do it.

But if the penalty for going for it and missing is not too penal then why not have a crack? You get the practice at long iron shots which you won't get if you are always negative, you have the fun of trying something difficult and you won't lose too much in confidence if you accept it as a 50/50 shot.

CM is all well and good but I think some higher handicappers can get too negative and not stretch their abilities too much at times.

 

[garyinderry]

With regards to not going for shots that you might not pull off I disagree to some extent. If you are more than likely to end up in danger from going for it and missing, then don't do it.

But if the penalty for going for it and missing is not too penal then why not have a crack? You get the practice at long iron shots which you won't get if you are always negative, you have the fun of trying something difficult and you won't lose too much in confidence if you accept it as a 50/50 shot.

CM is all well and good but I think some higher handicappers can get too negative and not stretch their abilities too much at times.

Have to disagree strongly with that last point. The lure of the birdie or par is far too strong for high handicaps and it ultimately leads them to take on shots they shouldn't more often than not.

 

[jamielaing]

Have to disagree strongly with that last point. The lure of the birdie or par is far too strong for high handicaps and it ultimately leads them to take on shots they shouldn't more often than not.

I think this is more about identifying the risk. I watch higher handicaps go from trouble to trouble, sometimes even when trying to play safe.

 

[garyinderry]

I think this is more about identifying the risk. I watch higher handicaps go from trouble to trouble, sometimes even when trying to play safe.

This is more a contact issue. Ive seen plenty try to take the safe option and the ball shoots off at a 45degree angle from where they are aiming. Until a high handicap can make decent contact and get the ball to go in a general direction every time then they will struggle.

Course management will only save so much but if there is still the threat of the ball shooting off miles in the wrong direction then all the good work of course management will be undone.


Virtuocity has gone from high handicap to 12 and he puts it down to hitting the small ball before the big ball every time. Contact plays a big roll. Once you have mastered contact you can the use CM to plot your way around and lower you score.

Its hard to follow a plan if you are unable to put it into practice.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Quoting Tommy Armour from his book How to Play Your Best Golf - All the Time (1954)

Play the shot you've got the greatest chance of playing well, and
Play the shot that makes the next shot easy

And in two lines that's CM for me.

 

[jamielaing]

This is more a contact issue. Ive seen plenty try to take the safe option and the ball shoots off at a 45degree angle from where they are aiming. Until a high handicap can make decent contact and get the ball to go in a general direction every time then they will struggle.

Course management will only save so much but if there is still the threat of the ball shooting off miles in the wrong direction then all the good work of course management will be undone.


Virtuocity has gone from high handicap to 12 and he puts it down to hitting the small ball before the big ball every time. Contact plays a big roll. Once you have mastered contact you can the use CM to plot your way around and lower you score.

Its hard to follow a plan if you are unable to put it into practice.

I am more talking about guys that try to play out sideways from a very bad lie and they feel they have to batter it out and end up shooting across to the other trouble. Line they wanted but just far too far and stupid things like that. Playing safe can often be not thought through.

Going back to identifying the risk, if a high handicapper hits a 5 iron well and he is in trouble but can get a 5 iron to it why not go for it? Bad shot is probably a thin which would put him around the green for example.

The course management here would be to look at what is around you and the green to determine laying up because of the lie.

 

[jamielaing]

http://benhogancollection.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/ben-hogan-course-management-ideas.html

simple ideas with results

 

[drewster]

Interesting reading here gents. CM ia big part of my game. With not being the longest off of the i leave myself a lot of big conundrums with second shots. One piece of advice i would give is... if you're playing a lay up or safety shot per se you need to 100% commit to that as much as you would a tee shot or shot into a green. My downfall in the past isn't knowing my limitations it's making sure i commit properly to "the sensible shot" and too often have put myself in more trouble.

 

[drew83]

My one rule I learnt from father in law is "take your punishment".

If you end up in the long stuff take the little chip back to fairway then "reset". Don't try to hack it out as you can lose a couple of shots if it only bobbles 6 inches in front.

 

[patricks148]

I play boring golf, which for me is keeping it in play and taking out risk (most of the time) I'm often described by playing partners as "steady"