Defensive golf / Course Management

[evemccc]

I feel that I think a fair amount about how to play a hole, esp my home course where I know where to miss and the dangers and what is good course management ——-having said that I often feel I drop shots by making the wrong decision (whether on home course or an Away day)

So, what explicitly is this course management?

Is it not essentially playing defensively / conservatively, and leaving approaches in to greens at distances you like for example, rather than going for it in two? Being aware of pin positions and not short-siding yourself. Laying-up, irons off tees, not just reaching for the driver etc etc

All of which I would describe as defensive golf (NOT saying it’s a negative or anything wrong with that at all)

What else should I be aware of to be good at course management?

 

[jim8flog]

One of the things I see often with a few of the players I play with
They get in to trouble with the tee shot and still continue to aim at the green with their second despite being too far away to reach it with various trees etc on that line instead of aiming to a point on the fairway with absolutely nothing in the line of play.

As general rule for me course management is about aiming at a particular side of the fairway (when I am playing well) that (a) gives me the best line to the flag with the second shot (b) takes most of the trouble out play with the priority of (a) and (b) being staying out of trouble. Not going for sucker pin positions, middle of the green is often the best choice.

 

[Bratty]

I think all you've written is spot on, and to add a tiny clarification to it:
Rather than going for it in two... if it means a hero shot / the 1 in 10 shot / etc.

There's plenty of times I've gone for it in two where I've felt there's few to no hazards and it's a shot I'm comfortable playing 9 times out of 10.

 

[SHiiBBZ]

Also there are plenty of times I'm in quite thick rough and I feel as if I can reach the green, only for it to go 10 yards forward and 20 yards sideways.

Really I should just play a sensible 100 yard shot out rather than trying to cream it.

 

[evemccc]

Also there are plenty of times I'm in quite thick rough and I feel as if I can reach the green, only for it to go 10 yards forward and 20 yards sideways.

Really I should just play a sensible 100 yard shot out rather than trying to cream it.

100% can relate to this ??

 

[r0wly86]

aiming for the pin, if I aimed at the middle of the green I would definitely get more GIR

following a mistake with a mistake, just accept a dropped shot and try and make sure it is only one, instead of trying the miracle shot to avoid dropping a shot

 

[Backache]

As general rule for me course management is about aiming at a particular side of the fairway (when I am playing well) that (a) gives me the best line to the flag with the second shot (b) takes most of the trouble out play with the priority of (a) and (b) being staying out of trouble. Not going for sucker pin positions, middle of the green is often the best choice.

I think (b) is very valid.
There has been quite a lot of analysis of (a) recently by Lou Stagner who's basic conclusion is that the middle of the fairway whilst avoiding (b) is best as there is very little profit in gaining a better angle to a pin but if going away from the middle of the fairway puts you further towards trouble there is plenty to lose by playing away from it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

As I always say when I am asked this question and when I am out with beginners.

Take the advice of the great Scottish golfer and coach of the 1950s…Tommy Armour…his two practical principles…

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

 

[BiMGuy]

I think a lot of course management used to centre around being conservative/defensive. Hitting an iron off the tee for safety. Drive for show, putt for dough etc.

Statistics now show that driving and approach play are the most important aspect of shooting lower scores.

Pick targets that suit your shot shape and are the centre of your shot pattern.

Avoid short siding yourself on approach shots.

Advance it as far as you can off the tee to give you a shot at the green with your second shot. Hitting the fairway isn’t as important as having a shorter second shot, as long as you don’t hit it on or into water.

Having an angle isn’t important. Can’t remember who did the study, but it showed tour pros scored better from the perceived worse angle. Probably due to having to be more conservative with their approach. And aiming up one side of a fairway can move your shot pattern further into trouble.

The middle of a green is a good result from almost anywhere on the course. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t hit a wedge to 10ft from 50 yards. Tiger didn’t even do it that often.

 

[evemccc]

I think a lot of course management used to centre around being conservative/defensive. Hitting an iron off the tee for safety. Drive for show, putt for dough etc.

Statistics now show that driving and approach play are the most important aspect of shooting lower scores.

Pick targets that suit your shot shape and are the centre of your shot pattern.

Avoid short siding yourself on approach shots.

Advance it as far as you can off the tee to give you a shot at the green with your second shot. Hitting the fairway isn’t as important as having a shorter second shot, as long as you don’t hit it on or into water.

Having an angle isn’t important. Can’t remember who did the study, but it showed tour pros scored better from the perceived worse angle. Probably due to having to be more conservative with their approach. And aiming up one side of a fairway can move your shot pattern further into trouble.

The middle of a green is a good result from almost anywhere on the course. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t hit a wedge to 10ft from 50 yards. Tiger didn’t even do it that often.

Great points

A lot of dropped shots are caused by me sometimes giving myself too much to do with a second shot - by virtue of being conservative with an iron off the tee —- so then hitting a 4/5 iron in on long par 4s - with predictably bad results

Driver, 7 iron - or Driver, 8 iron and wedge and aim for one putt (at worst 2 if I’ve hit a good wedge) is bogey 5 at worst > rather than a 4 iron conservative tee shot, hero/unlikely second shot with 5 iron has often led to ‘double trouble’ / blobs

 

[Hobbit]

I used to look at where I needed to be on the fairway to have the best shot into the green. Hit the tee shot, or wedge out to that distance.

 

[IanM]

If you were a racehorse Rob, they'd run you in blinkers!!

 

[Bratty]

Here's interesting in terms of course management: realistic expectations.
We probably feel bad if we don't get the ball to 5 ft every time!

 

[Imurg]

Play the shot that makes the next shot easy.

This is the biggest one....
And knowing your limitations and the limitations of the lie the ball is in.

 

[evemccc]

This is the biggest one....
And knowing your limitations and the limitations of the lie the ball is in.

Good point
I remember Tom Watson said the first thing he consider, before even distance to the green/flag, is the ball’s lie

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

This is the biggest one....
And knowing your limitations and the limitations of the lie the ball is in.

Which goes straight to the point of Armour’s first principle.

 

[IanMcC]

Know, and recognise, your limitations, and play the next shot accordingly.

 

[chico]

Some would say it's defensive golf but good course management is more about percentage golf. There are just certain holes that the average golfer will struggle for par most of the time, really long par 4's par 3's over 200yds(my own pet hate).
How often do golfers try to 'step on' that 3 wood to reach a par 5 in 2? Only to put themselves in trouble 95% of the time.
A previous poster mentions getting in trouble by playing an iron off the tee for safety but leaving a long iron into the green. Most handicap golfers should play long par 4's as par 5's.
Its not defensive to walk off a hole with a bogey that more often than not you get a double or worse at.
It's about managing your own game as much as the course. I think most of us guys on this forum would shave shots off our game if we had a caddy every round. Most of our biggest mistakes would be cut out. Next time you play think "what would my caddy say" would you play the same shot. (Disclaimer : I have been drinking heavily tonight and reserve the right to say my inner caddy had the night off.)

 

[Orikoru]

I feel my course management is pretty good. For me it's mainly about going for the shot that has the highest percentage chance of not going awfully wrong. It's not always about laying up - that often just puts more pressure on you not to three putt. I'll get the 5 wood out and go for the green if there's not much trouble in the way, as often a duffed 5 wood ends up being a perfect lay-up anyway so it's like a shot to nothing. But you maybe don't do that if there's two ditches between you and the green. For approach shots I just aim between back and middle of the green - if there's a lot of trouble off one side of the green I'll aim at the other side.

Overall it just feels like logic and common sense to me. I guess think about what you don't want to leave yourself with, and hit something that leaves that outcome unlikely.

 

[Bratty]

I started counting back from the flag on some par 5s after my tee shot, rather than automatically reaching for the 3 wood because its a par 5. 250 yards left with hazards near the green. 250 with a 3 wood likely sees me in them or a nasty 30-60 yard pitch if I don't catch it right.
I like 110 - 120 yards as that's a fullish SW or GW, so I'll hit PW or 9i.
The number of people who look at me like I'm mad when I do that is always interesting. Especially when they hit a 3w from 5 yards beyond me and clatter it into trees, or other fairways or hazards or just 30 yards in front of them.
It helps that I'm hitting the ball a little further now with a swing change, but I still maintain knowing yardage and playing the percentages is course management.