Course Management Across Handicap Spectrum

[KhalJimbo]

Sorry, I read your original post as not going for par 3's off the tee.

Out of interest, are you talking about in competitions re: going for par 5's in 2 and not using your driver off the tee?

No just by playing by myself, I'm not at a level where I think I should be doing competitions yet as I'm not breaking 100 yet, however I've dropped about 15 shots so far since I started playing to my strengths (or what I think of as my strengths). I started off going around in 110 (my first go on a 18 Hole) but then I started to learn about stroke penalties, 3 off the tee etc and found my scores were actually about 125 - 128.

Thats when I started to instead try play to my strengths which is control over power. I cannot yet hit a ball as hard as I can and control it at the same time to know without a doubt it will go where I have aimed it. So I usually play shorter shots where I am under more control of where the ball will go.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Even if you don't know where the ball is going you can still effectively manage the course. For example, you slice your drive off into deep rough and have 170 to the pin. Someone without CM would pull a 6 out of the bag and try and go for the pin. Someone who understands CM would pull out a wedge, hack it out back onto the fairway and go for the green in 3. Much more involved in CM than hitting full shots as lay-ups.

Indeed - no golfer will play the game for long without having at least one club that he knows he can hit without disaster most of the time. And even if he only has the one (and it could be a 7i or 8i) he could use it every shot to get from tee to green - and in between use his course management if he got into trouble.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I happily come out in favour of considering laying up on par 3.

Well designed par 3s have a layup option but also punish those who miss long, left and right.

Never be afraid to consider or even play the position shot, regardless of your handicap, score or the par of the hole.

Some holes are a great bird chance and the risk should be taken, some a good par or even bogey is the safer choice. Over the duration of a round the scores all add up, better to drop one than three!

 

[MadAdey]

I've tried ditching the driver, doesn't work. Could never reach longer par-4s in two with a hybrid off the tee, so learning to get good with the driver has already started to save me shots. Stick with it, it can hurt your scores, but the big stick can also really help. Distance isn't imperxative, but it makes the game a heck of a lot easier.

Surely off your handicap you do not need to reach every hole in regulation. You only need to hit 9 greens in regulation to play to a 9 handicap. Making sure you get a bogey at worse on those long tough par 4s is what CM is all about.

 

[patricks148]

Surely off your handicap you do not need to reach every hole in regulation. You only need to hit 9 greens in regulation to play to a 9 handicap. Making sure you get a bogey at worse on those long tough par 4s is what CM is all about.

you don't even need that 2 shot buffer don't forget

 

[MadAdey]

Let me clear this up, I will aim for the green on Par 3's but what I mean was if I am on a long Par 5 and 200 yards away I won't take the hybrid out and go for the green, instead I'll take out the 7 iron and hit it to within 50 - 40 yards away instead, as I feel more comfortable with a gentle pitch from there. If I go for the green from a distance away I'll either end up on the green and rolling to the back and having a 5 putt or losing the ball OOB as I'm concentrating on power and not precision.

And with the Driver, I leave it in the bag on the course as I suffer from a horrible slice so almost everytime I use it I end up with 3 off the Tee. I'm currently only using it on the range in conjunction with some driving lessons until I learn how to hit the ball straight with it. Instead on the course I use my 3 wood as I am much better off the tee with that and very rarely end up 3 off the tee or playing provisionals.

you stick with what you are doing and do not let anyone tell you different. You are applying good course management and playing within your abilities. Your going t find you scores will come down approaching the game like you are and as you improve technically you'll find yourself down in the 80s all the time.

 

[MadAdey]

Surely you need be able to hit a consistent shot before course management really kicks in, there is no point in thinking a 150 yard lay up is an certain iron, if you can't hit that iron 150 yards with any consistency.

CM is all about removing the risk factor. If you not able to play a 150 yard shot from the fairway, then what makes people believe their good enough to hit a 150 draw round a tree from the rough. That normally leads to the ball still being in trouble and then the doubles and triples start appearing.

 

[MadAdey]

It took me over 20 years to understand CM and how to play this game properly. My mums sister is married to a Club Pro and my dad was a cat 1 handicapper. They tried to teach about CM and I couldn't get my head around it.

Started playing at 14 and within 2 years got down to 11. Really thought I was going to get good at this game. I was out driving almost every one in the club and on a good day I was shooting in the low 70s, but only when I was really on my game. Problem is I got stuck there at that level as I didn't understand how to get the ball round efectivly when I wasn't having a good day.

I'm not saying I would have been a tour golfer, but I should have got down to a level to be a Club Pro or a good amateur golfer at a young age.

 

[Dan2501]

Surely off your handicap you do not need to reach every hole in regulation. You only need to hit 9 greens in regulation to play to a 9 handicap. Making sure you get a bogey at worse on those long tough par 4s is what CM is all about.

I don't want to just play to my handicap though. I want to get as good as I can, and I don't feel like I can score as well as possible without a solid driving game and without hitting greens. The facts are there too, when I hit good drives, I make good scores. Last night I made 2 birdies, both of them came from good drives. Round before that my birdie came after a good drive. Then I nearly made my first eagle the round before that with a 272 yard drive down the middle. My irons have been solid, but with Hybrid off the tee I wasn't able to capitalise on all holes, as I'd need to hit Hybrid-Hybrid, which I don't really like doing.

I know my game pretty well ATM, and the inconsistency and lack of distance with the hybrid off the tee was hurting my game more than it was helping it. I tried it as a "Course Management" measure, and it didn't work. I very quickly realised that I play my best golf with the driver in my hand. It's different for everyone. Instead of pulling hybrid and being content playing bogey golf (which I wasn't doing successfully anyway), I'd rather get better with the driver and start hitting more greens.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Surely off your handicap you do not need to reach every hole in regulation. You only need to hit 9 greens in regulation to play to a 9 handicap. Making sure you get a bogey at worse on those long tough par 4s is what CM is all about.

Just get your ball on or within 20yds of the green in regulation. Up and down in two once out of 3 times, and you are effectively playing to about 14.

 

[MadAdey]

I don't want to just play to my handicap though. I want to get as good as I can, and I don't feel like I can score as well as possible without a solid driving game and without hitting greens. The facts are there too, when I hit good drives, I make good scores. Last night I made 2 birdies, both of them came from good drives. Round before that my birdie came after a good drive. Then I nearly made my first eagle the round before that with a 272 yard drive down the middle. My irons have been solid, but with Hybrid off the tee I wasn't able to capitalise on all holes, as I'd need to hit Hybrid-Hybrid, which I don't really like doing.

I know my game pretty well ATM, and the inconsistency and lack of distance with the hybrid off the tee was hurting my game more than it was helping it. I tried it as a "Course Management" measure, and it didn't work. I very quickly realised that I play my best golf with the driver in my hand. It's different for everyone. Instead of pulling hybrid and being content playing bogey golf (which I wasn't doing successfully anyway), I'd rather get better with the driver and start hitting more greens.

I'm not saying just play to your handicap, what I am saying is learn how to get round in the 80s and then you will see it drop. If you have 4 long tough par 4s on your course, getting bogey at every one is not going to hurt your score. As nice as it feels to make birdies, even a scratch golfe doesn't need to make one to play to his handicap, theoretically speaking.

If you hit it 272 with a driver then you must be knocking it 220ish with your hybrid off the tee. There are people on this forum that do not hit their driver much further than that and play off a low double digit handicap.

It would be interesting to see your Game Golf stats.

 

[louise_a]

I don't want to just play to my handicap though. I want to get as good as I can, and I don't feel like I can score as well as possible without a solid driving game and without hitting greens. The facts are there too, when I hit good drives, I make good scores. Last night I made 2 birdies, both of them came from good drives. Round before that my birdie came after a good drive. Then I nearly made my first eagle the round before that with a 272 yard drive down the middle. My irons have been solid, but with Hybrid off the tee I wasn't able to capitalise on all holes, as I'd need to hit Hybrid-Hybrid, which I don't really like doing.

I know my game pretty well ATM, and the inconsistency and lack of distance with the hybrid off the tee was hurting my game more than it was helping it. I tried it as a "Course Management" measure, and it didn't work. I very quickly realised that I play my best golf with the driver in my hand. It's different for everyone. Instead of pulling hybrid and being content playing bogey golf (which I wasn't doing successfully anyway), I'd rather get better with the driver and start hitting more greens.

At the level you are at, bogeying every hole would be 5 shots below your handicap.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Ditching the driver, doesn't work.

Not pulling anyone out specifically here but you can hit driver on every hole and use good course management all the way round while doing that.

Ditching the driver in favour of a 3 wood or alike is NOT course management.

I learnt that a long while back in my quest for better scores.

What is course management extends across the whole game. Hit all the drivers you like but be prepared to position yourself for scores rather than always fire the next shot right at the pin.

I have also seen a lot about GIR, its a nice stat but its not something I directly relate to course management. Even with a decent drive down a long par 4 I know my best way to a good score is to manage risk on the next shot.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Not pulling anyone out specifically here but you can hit driver on every hole and use good course management all the way round while doing that.

Ditching the driver in favour of a 3 wood or alike is NOT course management.

I learnt that a long while back in my quest for better scores.

What is course management extends across the whole game. Hit all the drivers you like but be prepared to position yourself for scores rather than always fire the next shot right at the pin.

I have also seen a lot about GIR, its a nice stat but its not something I directly relate to course management. Even with a decent drive down a long par 4 I know my best way to a good score is to manage risk on the next shot.

Agree 100% - in my mind CM is risk management around the outcome of a shot - CM is not around the shot itself.

 

[ger147]

I too cannot agree with this. If you can progress a golf ball you need to manage the risks to achieve your best possible score.

If anyone has used something like my three goals method to break 100 then it would support the above.

Without management would just hit the highest immediate reward shot every time regardless of risk or positioning of the next shot.

Course management steers you from immediate reward to a longer term benefit, maybe two or three shots later.

In other words withou course management a very beginner will attemp endless un-makeable shots resulting in little progress and much cost of penalty shots. With it they make reasonable progress and reduce the amount of penalty shots.

I have a friend who's best score on a proper 18 hole golf course is 145. Course management is of little use to him at the moment.

 

[pokerjoke]

I have a friend who's best score on a proper 18 hole golf course is 145. Course management is of little use to him at the moment.

He shouldn't be on a golf course.

 

[ger147]

He shouldn't be on a golf course.

He's a pretty decent amateur snooker player, and even tho he's had quite a few at snooker he often jokes he wishes he could get as many centuries at snooker as he does at golf.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I have a friend who's best score on a proper 18 hole golf course is 145. Course management is of little use to him at the moment.

I am intrigued to know more here!

 

[gazr99]

1 - Playing what the course gives you, weighing up the risks and benefits of a shot, as well as probability of being able to play the shot well (you will never see me to try shape a ball around a tree or anything as it will only end badly)
2 - Remember you're a club golfer playing of x and not Rory McIlroy or Phil Mickelson playing ridiculous rescue shots. As a club golfer it is ok to bogey a hole

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Bogey is never the end of the world for 95% of club golfers (maybe not cat 1) but it's the doubles and trebles that seem to rack up from nowhere. If you can learn to reduce these to one a round or ideally none at all you'll always be in the hunt